Novice thinking about getting a Low A ( I think)

Whistle
1

(First, I sure darn with there was a way to search for “low a” but it says all terms must be at least three characters.)

I have a few high D whistles I play a few minutes every day and thought I might like to get a lower pitch one. I want to stay in the $50-90 range.

Reasons for wanting a lower whistle include-- I like lower more haunting tone but I’m not ready skill-wise for $$$-wise to jump to a low D; it’s just nice to have a variety of instruments around for a variety of sounds; and finally, it may sound silly but there’s a fiddle tune in D I really like to play on my mandolin that I’d like to play on whistle but it goes almost two octaves A to G so it doesn’t fit a D whistle well but I would think it would fit well on an A (or maybe G).

I don’t know if G or A makes that much of a difference. I can easily play one key up or down on the circle-of-5ths so G would get me CGD and A would be DAE.

I looked around and see the Freeman Low A and also the Susato Dublin and Kildare. Anyone comment on which of those would fit the bill (or any others)?

And, does it make a big diff choosing A or G?

-l2t

2

A whistle in A might be more useful as you can easily play tunes in D on it. I have the Tony Dixon A. Easy to blow, maybe too easy for some as you need some breath control. I think between Susato and Freeman I’d go for the Freeman as I like the more traditional chiffy sound. Susatos are often quite loud but that might not be true for the A. Never played one.

3

You can search this site using Google instead. Copy the following line into Google’s search box:

site:chiffandfipple.com inurl:f=1 “low a whistle”

4

I just bought a Becker Whistles low D and it seems to be very well made, and the price was very good - $24 including shipping. I am struggling with the piper’s grip so I almost wish I had bought a low A first!

5

I have Tony Dixon trad brass & tuneable aluminium, plus an aluminium Chieftain in ‘A’.
They are all quite easy players, with good tone.

A ‘G’ might need slightly altered stretch/fingering, depending on your hands.
(I have a Tony Dixon trad brass & tuneable ABS.)

6

By “low A” do you mean a Mezzo A, halfway between a Low D and a High D, or a Bass A, fourth lower than a Low D?

Here are both demonstrated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-fQhvleWq8&t=4s

I suspect you mean a Mezzo A. I’ve owned

Susato (I’ve had three, with three different bore sizes)

Burke

Sindt

But my favourite, and the only one I still own, is a Generation Bb head modified by Jerry Freeman on an A body that I made myself.

If I were you I would first get a Jerry Freeman Generation A. It will likely out-play A’s costing several times more.

Here, far left, is my Freeman Generation Bb head on home-made body Mezzo A. It’s the best A I’ve ever played.

7

I understand that you have a song that you would like to play hence this choice of tonality for the whistle.

To be honest I would prefer the G because it is easier to play tune in g and I like the tone of lower whistle. But it is up to each person taste :slight_smile:

Regarding the stretch, I think it isn’t a big jump and I second the tony Dixon for not-cheap but not expensive whistle as I’m happy with my duo in G.
Best regards

8

I ended up ordering a Dixon A from Mcleena. Should arrive from across the pond in a couple weeks. I also bought a Generation Bb on Amazon for about $15 or so and it arrived in a day and I’d have one more whistle to play around with and another key. It plays well enough to be quite usable for the money.

If I end up liking the Dixon A, I may order a G also. They are not that expensive.

-l2t