After StevieJ’s excellent review and the various other comments posted on the board regarding Reyburn whistles, I’m not aiming to write a complete review but rather share some impressions of my new whistle and point out some aspects I particularly like.
I received a high D whistle from Ronaldo Reyburn yesterday, and after spending some time playing it alone and in a session this afternoon, I am thrilled with this whistle. Of the various ones I’ve tried so far, this is the one that best fits my needs and tastes.
While retaining a traditional whistle sound, this whistle offers a fullness and sweetness of sound that I have not encountered among the cheap whistles…it seems to me to have a very satisfying blend of high end and low end whistle characteristics.
Playing it is a real pleasure. The other whistle player at the session said picking up this whistle felt like putting on a favorite old pair of shoes…comfortable, broken in, reliable. There are no surprises when playing this whistle…no squeaks or squawks or random octave jumps. The tone just gets sweeter as one plays higher, so no cringing is necessary when playing in the second octave. Playing this whistle just feels right.
The volume is very good for session play (the sound carries but also blends well with the other instruments), and ornaments just pop out precisely and cleanly.
I should also say that the packaging and documentation (guarantee, care instructions, fingering chart) are of the highest professional quality. The whistle itself is wonderfully solid and well made, and with the brass already showing a used patina from my playing, I can tell that this whistle will be a good friend for a long time to come.
WOW!! Micah, man I’m right there with you on Ronaldo’s new whistle, ITS A GEM!!! The new Delrin head is a real dream, and as you have said, just the right amount of breathiness to give it a full, rich sound.
I’m also very happy to have the tuneable feature (which I might add works extremely well) that I don’t have on some of my other high end whistles.
Ronaldo has a real winner here with this new high D, and I also have the C body which I like equally as well. I’ve heard the wait list is fairly short at this time so get on the list right away if you’re looking for a new high whistle.
constance
Micah, I’m very happy to know you like your Reyburn and that it lived up to the description that I and others gave it.
I took mine out a couple of times over the past few days - the first to the end-of-session party at the Irish-music “school” where I teach whistle.
There was a session at the end of the evening and one of my very beginning students asked me about the playing of another whistler, a local C&Fer (formerly a big-time WhOA sufferer). How does he get that rich sound, he asked me.
Well I said, the fact that he’s a pretty good player has something to do with it, plus the fact that he’s playing a loud expensive whistle. I wasn’t really listening to the session and since Azalin (for it was he) had his back to me and I assumed he was playing his Silkstone. Actually as I discovered it was the Reyburn.
In fact Az played the thing all night and right up to the time we were getting thrown out of the place he was still trying it and looking at it and commenting on it. The last time he did this with one of my whistles (an Eb Generation) he spent the next six months trying to get it off me, so I think he must really have liked it!
I also played for a dance on Saturday and found it behaved very well. I was paying very careful attention to possible tuning conflicts with a flute and fiddle and there were none that I could hear. Also, since I use a headset mike which doesn’t allow me to pull away for high notes, I found the not-too-loud top end extra pleasing.
Recommending whistles is a dubious business, given the vast range of what people seem to like in a whistle. But I’m finding the Reyburn to be a very useful instrument for my purposes.
Hmmm, Stevie, I’m going to have the reputation of being a whistle-suck-up, who begs for whistles. Well, sometimes that’s true. I really liked the Reyburn. The second octave is very easy to get, and you don’t feel as if you might shatter windows with the high A and B. It’s very responsive, which means that it makes me feel at ease when I want to try a few things that might not be that easy on a typical loud whistle. Anyway, I like the sound, and even it’s look, the black fipple looks way better, as I used to tell Stevie that he was playing a Whistlekenstein. Now, if the maker would only send me a sample so that I can try even more… 
Well Azalin, I’m happy that you like my new Delrin head whistle and I’d be happy to send you one. All you gotta do is place an order and I’ll put you on the list!
I’m getting great response (no pun intended) on this new Black Beauty. If you’ve been good this year you should treat yourself to one for a nice Christmas present. In fact I’m sitting here right now listening to my partner accompanying a Christmas CD of Celtic harp music with the high C. The tuneability makes it really easy to play along, even with a CD. Sounds pretty good -even for an amateur!
Thanks all of you for your kind words about my new release. May Santa be good to all of you.
Ronaldo
I recently purchased a Reyburn high d (delrin head and brass body with a really -functioning tuning slide) and I am enjoying it immensely. At our weekly session I broke it out and was pleasantly surprised to find myself not buried by a fiddle in the left chair and a strident bouzouki player to my right. I was able to hold my own and hear good. Good volume—IMMACULATE intonation with plenty of push without getting harsh. I’ve always been reluctant to spend much on tin whistles because I’ve totalled quite a few sitting on them or having them rendered useless under my feet in my truck ( I play on the freeway -many of us do-and steer with my knees) but I decided to go for it. Over the years I’ve played Copeland (borrowed) and Generation mostly and a couple od plastic versions. This current whistle has them all beat to my ear. I’s clean, in tune, and has a transition between upper and lower registers that I find smooth and even. It’s like one long even scale. Happy whistling/camper here.
OK, Calliope. Not buried by the fiddle, and not even the berserki.
Now what about this ******(expletive deleted) tenor banjo ?
[ This Message was edited by: DaleWisely on 2002-12-22 12:20 ]
The Reyburn’s ability to be heard in the session is great, but what I really like is how well the sound blends with the other instruments at the same time. (A friend played it for a while at the session as well, and so I got to hear it from a non-playing perspective.) I’ve also got to mention that it’s totally clog free. In so many respects, it’s a really good whistle.
My aforementioned friend just got a Sindt today (fabulous!–my first time playing one), and it was really interesting to compare the two whistles. They’re quite different in sound and feel, and yet at the same time they both seem to have a very similar end result…a whistle which plays smoothly with a full sound and crackling ornaments, is very high quality, and is traditional sounding. Interesting. It’s gonna be great to have these two whistles together at the session.
Micah
Hi, everyone,
I’m delighted that you’re enjoying these whistles, and wondered if you could take a little time out to let me know whether you are using the version which is “accurately tuned” in the higher register, or the version which is a little flatter in the high register for sweeter tone. Just curious…
Take care, Adrian
Adrian, All of the people that have made posts above have the “on concert pitch” tuned version. There are very few of the flat tuned versions out there and they all have the older maple head. However, I do have one order pending at this time which will go out with the flat upper octave tuning and all of high D and C instruments will have the new Delrin head.
I hope this helps you.
Ronaldo
On 2002-12-20 11:47, Reyburnwhistles wrote:
However, I do have one order pending at this time which will go out with the flat upper octave tuning…
Ronaldo
That would be mine. Now…back to checking my email to see if it’s been shipped yet.
Tony
Oh, and yes, I’ll get a clip posted asap.
Tin](http://tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/newspage.htm%22%3ETin) Whistle Tunes formerly Clips&Snips
Don’t believe everything you think.
[ This Message was edited by: TonyHiggins on 2002-12-20 12:18 ]
For those of you who didn’t read the earlier post regarding the flat upper octave tuning, I’ll clarify. I originally tuned my High D instruments flat by about 10 cents in the upper end of the upper octave, which to my ear has a much more pleasing scale. This really works well for the discriminating solo player; however, it does make for a problem when playing in session with other whistles that are tuned to concert pitch. So I have since adjusted the scale to play at concert pitch all the way to the top. Some of you (such as Tony) have asked for this original(flat) tuning which I am happy to make per individual request. There is no place on my site to specify this tuning so if thats what you want just e-mail me about the special request.
Ronaldo
On 2002-12-20 16:54, Reyburnwhistles wrote:
This really works well for the discriminating solo player;…(such as Tony)
Ronaldo
Thank you, thank you very much. ::Bows to audience, waves to balcony. Roses land at feet:: Snort! Head jerks up. Whoa, must have dozed off.
Tony
Tin](http://tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/newspage.htm%22%3ETin) Whistle Tunes formerly Clips&Snips
Don’t believe everything you think.
[ This Message was edited by: TonyHiggins on 2002-12-20 18:10 ]
Tony: You missed “I want more me in the monitor”
Dang right! And I want an amp that cranks up to 11, not 10. Otherwise, where else can you go?