Hey you guys, after a huge amount of thinking (and an even larger amount of coveting) I’ve decided to get myself a high end whistle, I was hoping to get some input from you guys. I was thinking about an elf song whistle.
I’m looking for a whistle with a pure tone (little or no chiff would be nice) good amount of volume because I’m planning on playing with people and being reletively inexpensive (cuz im a college student) any suggestions from my favorite message board would be nice 
You’re looking for a Burke. I have an Elfsong on order, but since I don’t have it yet, I can’t help you there. But I do know the Burke meets the standards you’re setting.
[ This Message was edited by: blackhawk on 2002-11-15 02:51 ]
I don’t have an Elfsong (yet), but from what I have read, they sound like they may be just what you’re looking for. Out of the whistles that I DO have, I think my Dave Parkhurst adjustable fipple sop D1 is the loudest pure whistle I’ve heard. Burkes are also excellent for volume and purity (not as loud as some others, though). Hoovers are tops for purity, but mine are very quiet…Mack may be able to make you a loud one and retain the purity if you ask him.
Anyway, all of the whistle makers I’ve dealt with are ready, willing and able to make you pretty much what you want within the limits of their manufacturing process. They are all super cool people.
Good luck,
Eric
1The fipple is adjustable allowing you to move the block in or out. Out=husky sound with degredation of the upper octave, In=pure with degredation of the lower octave. There are many shades in between the two block positions. A super whistle with OXX|XXO cnat fingering.
Hey Vaporlock, a posting with a footnote!!! Plenty scholarly.
For your purposes, Switchfoot, a Burke would be hard to beat.
[ This Message was edited by: Wombat on 2002-11-15 04:05 ]
Hmm, Burke, looks good, whats the air requirements for those?
Very normal air requirements for standard bore. Low air requirements for the narrow bore instruments.
Best
Byll
On 2002-11-15 11:12, Switchfoot wrote:
Hmm, Burke, looks good, whats the air requirements for those?
I have a high C and a low G. Breath requirements present no problem. I suppose you’re looking to buy a high D? If it’s as good as my C Alpro, you just won’t believe how good it is when it arrives. That one of mine become one of my favourites the day it arrived and I play a full fleet of Overtons and a Copeland low D so it takes a lot to impress me that much.
switchfoot,
burkes are great for most folks, but they weren’t my cup of tea. i had the burke brass pro. it just didn’t have the “voice” i was looking for. i also recognize that i may well be in the minority. whistle preference is such a personal thing - it a blessing to have so many choices!
i do suggest you look at hoovers. i have 4 of mack’s whistles and love them (sopD, C, B and A). currently, mack is making me a louder version in d. i don’t think you can find a sweeter instrument. mack is also a delight to work with and to get to know.
On 2002-11-15 02:42, Switchfoot wrote:
Hey you guys, after a huge amount of thinking (and an even larger amount of coveting) I’ve decided to get myself a high end whistle, I was hoping to get some input from you guys. I was thinking about an elf song whistle.
I’m looking for a whistle with a pure tone (little or no chiff would be nice) good amount of volume because I’m planning on playing with people and being reletively inexpensive (cuz im a college student) any suggestions from my favorite message board would be nice >
I make whistles, and I’m strongly recommending the Elfsong, based on your wish-list. I have a Copper Tone, and it’s one of the sweetest instruments I’ve ever played. Very pure, little chiff, octaves break very nicely, slides are easy.
Oh, and they’re PRETTY! 
Cheers,
Bill Whedon
I have three Elfsongs and a handful of others and I keep picking up the Emerald Elfsong as whistle of choice. It’s nice and loud and doesn’t fill up with spit too much (depends on the weather and temperature, supporting the “condensation” theory).
I haven’t tried Bill/Serpent’s whistles (yet) so I can’t offer an opinion on those.
Sandy Jasper has been very responsive to any questions, etc., and Bill has loaned me a flute “second” to see if my hands will reach to play it, so they’re both high on the customer service scale.
Marguerite
I agree with Tomcat’s suggestion concerning Mack Hoover’s whistles. I play both Hoovers and Burkes, and the reason I play them both is that they have very similar playing characteristics, but a very different sound…
Best.
Byll
You’re looking for a “high-end” whistle that’s “relatively inexpensive;” I guess that’s not mutually exclusive. IMHO, the two very best high end soprano D whistles are Copeland and Abell, both “expensive.” Both the Burke and Elfsong are terrific and less expensive. Th Elfsong is the cheapest but I am currently playing it every day along with my Copeland and Abell. The Elfsong is also uniquely cosmetically gorgeous and Sandy is both responsive and helpful. The only problem I heard expressed by one reader is that it is somewhat heavy; I personally don’t think so and I rather like the substantive feel of it.
Good luck and let us know.
Regards,
Philo
On 2002-11-15 02:42, Switchfoot wrote:
Hey you guys, after a huge amount of thinking (and an even larger amount of coveting) I’ve decided to get myself a high end whistle, I was hoping to get some input from you guys. I was thinking about an elf song whistle.
I’m looking for a whistle with a pure tone (little or no chiff would be nice) good amount of volume because I’m planning on playing with people and being reletively inexpensive (cuz im a college student) any suggestions from my favorite message board would be nice >
I’d strongly recommend a Silkstone Alloy.
The Silkstones are not chiffless, but they are very light on the chiff (you’ve got to have some, or it just doesn’t sound like a whistle!) and a very bright and clear tone. They’ve got a lot of volume when you want it, but they’ve also got enough versatility to actually give you a choice between playing full-out loud and being a bit more restrained. (Other whistles don’t necessarily give so much choice… My Colin Goldie Overton can be played either very loud, or very very loud.)
The Silkstones are also made beautifully. The fingerholes are well-positioned and well rounded, to make them very comfortable under the fingers. The whistle body actually tapers at the low end beyond the D hole, which improves both the intonation and the stability of the low D.
All in all, it’s an absolutely spectacular whistle. It’s not cheap, but it’s also not insanely expensive - it’s in the US$120 range.
-Mark
McHaffie. No question about it.
Nuts. Go listen to Sandy’s Elfsongs on her website. Sweetest whistle on the planet, and reasonably priced. Customer service beyond compare. Flat-out gorgeous. What more do ya want?
Serp
Bill (Serpent) -
I’m really happy you’ve found a whistle you like, but how can you make a statement like, “It’s the sweetest whistle in the world?” Seriously, how many whistles have you even tried? Besides, there’s so much reverb on that recording it’s quite difficult to tell what it really sounds like, and since there are no rolls, cuts or any other ornaments, and every single note is toungued, it’s quite hard to tell how it really responds.
So, what whistles HAVE you tried that you are able to make such a statement?
Copeland?
Overton?
Chieftain/Kerry?
Abell?
O’Riordan?
Burke?
Sindt?
Schultz?
Sweet?
Reyburn?
Harper?
Dixon?
Laughing Whistle?
McHaffie?
Hoover?
Tully?
Alba?
Busman?
Sullivan?
Swayne?
Rose?
Seery?
Silkstone?
Parkhurst?
Grinter?
I think I’ve made my point. It’s great that you like Elfsong whistles, but don’t go around saying “It’s the best whistle in the world!”, unless you’ve tried at least quite a few of them and have also played long enough to know what to look for in a whistle.
Best,
Chris
On 2002-11-15 22:41, ChrisLaughlin wrote:
Bill (Serpent) -
I’m really happy you’ve found a whistle you like, but how can you make a statement like, “It’s the sweetest whistle in the world?” Seriously, how many whistles have you even tried? Besides, there’s so much reverb on that recording it’s quite difficult to tell what it really sounds like, and since there are no rolls, cuts or any other ornaments, and every single note is toungued, it’s quite hard to tell how it really responds.
So, what whistles HAVE you tried that you are able to make such a statement? …I think I’ve made my point. It’s great that you like Elfsong whistles, but don’t go around saying “It’s the best whistle in the world!”, unless you’ve tried at least quite a few of them and have also played long enough to know what to look for in a whistle.
Best,
Chris
Bill/Serpent’s statement sounded to me like enthusiastic hyperbole, which I’m willing to overlook.
Marguerite
Hiya, Chris, and Marguerite! Yep, effusive hyperbole! Kind of like Chris’ simple statement that implied there was no other choice, when, as Chris, himself notes, there are plenty of other choices!
Heck, no, I haven’t tried all them whistles, mate! I’d be sooo out of breath (sorry, OutOfBreath, hope I didn’t violate yer Copyright!) that I’d never get any playin’ done!
Here. IMNAAHO, the Elfsong is the sweetest whistle in all of creation! Better? 
Cheers,
Bill Whedon
(edit) P.S. Chris, you missed one!
Serpent?
(LOL)…
[ This Message was edited by: serpent on 2002-11-15 23:52 ]
It’s cool Serpent. Sorry for being a pain.
As for my McHaffie suggestion… that’s a little inside joke on the whistle board. To put it shortly it has something to do with extremely crummy whistles, a whistle selling scam (taking money and not delivering whistles), and the fault of the users in the Chiffboard in it all by saying, “Oh yeah, these are great whistles!”, when they were actually horrible… there-by leading many into buying crummy whistles from a crummy whistle maker intent on taking their money and then dropping off the face of the earth.
:roll:
Best,
Chris
[ This Message was edited by: ChrisLaughlin on 2002-11-16 10:30 ]
What kills me about these sort of topics is they just end up being popularity contests. I mean, you don’t much see people saying, I don’t like whistle such-and-such, but it sounds like exactly what you’re looking for. Instead it’s always, I love these whistles, and so you should buy one.