So, here’s the thing, I’m new on the board, but I need a little advice. I need a set of whistles for a local renaissance festival as well as sessions. I am in an Irish band and have to compete with a VERY loud guitarist/vocalist, a fiddler, a bodhran player, and two hardshoe dancers. I need cutting, bright, round, open, tunable (Or my fiddler will KILL me), but never screechy or overpowering. I need probably all the keys a chromatic metal flute can play (I’m working with a flute and piccolo now, but would like to have a set of nice whistles so I don’t always have to rely on instruments that require expensive maintenance like repads). As I need a full set, if possible, I’d like to keep the price fairly reasonable without considering the really low end whistles (which I have and do not play because they’re …well… awful). Also, feel free to write me at the-pied-piper@excite.com if you can because I’m not sure how often I can check this. Any advice would be highly appreciated.
Well, Susatos are really loud (I’ve heard that they have the ability to be heard over anything), and they are relatively inexpensive. Around 20-30 bucks (US) for the Soprano whistles. Each, that is. But you can get them in sets which is cheaper than buying them all individually. They come in many keys. They are also available in tuneable and non-tuneable versions.
Elf is right given your parameters. And order them directly from Kelhorn Mike, not a store, for quick delivery. I don’t have the website handy but he is on this Forum so check Memberlist.
http://www.susato.com - they’ll have the largest selection of their whistles available. You will have to make some choices where the same pitch whistles are available in different bore sizes. http://www.thewhistleshop.com - excellent response time, and can order anything he doesn’t stock. http://www.elderly.com - seriously lower prices, but not necessarily very fast at obtaining whistles special order. (I think they wait until placing an order with Susato, which makes good business sense.)
Susato doesn’t have all the keys available, but certainly has most of the keys you’re likely to play in. (Missing keys are C#/Db, F#/Gb, G#/Ab.)
The only maker I’m aware of who advertises all the keys is Michael Burke; this is much more serious money, though.