i mentioned earlier that the dixon trad is my first choice, and it is…
but, i also thought to write that i bought C and D Clarke Meg’s last year… and both play great and are in tune throughout. what a pleasant surprise they were. and CHEAP!!! i don’t know enough to do a critique on them, but they are fun, cheap and sound good.
be well,
jim
I lost my whistles and have been building up a new set.
Feadog D - slightly modified - works well and is very reminiscent of my old 1970’s Generation.
Dixon Traditional - very well made, sound very even throughout, not very expensive to buy (at least here in Scotland) and it plays in tune even the bottom note.
Meg D - bought on spec for hardly any money - surprisingly good, plays in tune, quiet but a very nice almost recorder like tone.
Meg C - not quite as good as the D, but it does work and it cost less than a cappuccino in Starbucks.
I do not like or recommend shiny nickel finish as it makes the whistle more difficult to hold.
It may look nicer in the long run but it makes playing more difficult.
When I was a kid I had a generation brass whistle, but was on holiday in England without it when a relative wanted to hear me play so I went to a shop and bought a nickel one. I was never happy with it. I blew the brass one until it was dented and the mouthpiece gradually disintegrated.
I used to strip the lacquer and the transfers off the generation ones and let them tarnish rather than having them look worn.
The Dixon range is very impressive and stocked by lots of shops close to me. They do seem to have a reputation for playing in tune.
I still need to replace a few things including my fife which went missing with the whistles.
I bet they will turn up again as soon as I have replaced them.
Searched the house, attic garage and can’t find them anywhere.
It may be they got thrown out by mistake as they were in a plastic bag (high tech whistle case).
On the issue of cases, I found recently aluminum cases designed for carrying shotguns on planes.
The guns have to be disassembled for carriage so the cases are thin and about half the length of a shotgun.
They have textured foam on each side designed to grip the gun parts and they might be suitable for carrying whistles.
The full length version would take a low D whistle.
I have seen them for sale from about £30, a lot of money but it would last a lifetime and strong enough for aircraft hold.
I just read in another thread that the Dixon trad nickel has a brushed finish and thus is not slippery. I think he/she was referring to a low whistle so I’m not sure if the same is true for the high whistle. Can someone please clarify?
My nickel Dixon Trad does not have a brushed finish, however, I’ve never had any problem with a slippery surface.
I’ve got a nickel Oak whistle, and while it is, I guess, smoother/slipperier than a brass whistle, I’ve never found that to be a problem. It plays just fine, doesn’t slide around or anything. It’s darn sexy, too, that shiny, nickel surface with the smooth, black plastic fipple.
I like the look of the Oak, too, and bought one a few weeks ago. It was not very playable and I think I pretty much wrecked it trying to tweak it! 
Good to hear from people who don’t have a problem with slipperiness, though. I like the look of the nickel better and I’ve read several comments here about brass having an odor.
I have a Mellow Dog, which is brass. Yeah, brass does have an odor, and even a taste. I don’t particularly find it unpleasant, but it’s there.
AFAIK, there’s no Dixon Trad “Low”, but maybe there was; look at their range:
http://www.tonydixonmusic.co.uk/catalogue/dixonshop.html
The Dixon Trad has a brass body without any coating; it’s not exactly brushed, but it isn’t polished either, so it’s definitely not slippery. It’s a brass tube without any frills. The only thing some might want to critisize about that is that it shows signs of surface corrotion where you touch it regularily (i.e. around the tone holes). I actually like that “used” look. I still keep up my recommendation.
On the “slippery” issue: I own several nickel whistles, and none slips (not even the thickly coated Feadòg Pro) - but if you’ve got sweaty hands, the nickel ones might start to do that earlier than the brass ones. Aluminium’s very pleasant to hold, especially if it’s a little thicker (like with the Dixon DX002 or a GFM). But all the aluminium whistles I know have a higher price tag than the Dixon Trad, let alone the Feadòg or the Oak.
Jiminos: I fully agree to what you say about the Meg; mine arrived yesterday, and I was really impressed. I already knew the Sweetone (I have several, coated/painted and unpainted) - the Meg’s only marginally “worse” (a slight roughness in tone - but that’s only audible if you compare the two directly, and I’m pretty sure I’ve played some Sweetones that weren’t as good), so for it’s price, it’s a really neat little whistle.
M.
I got this e-mail back from Tony Dixon’s company this morning:
Hello Bill
Thanks for your enquiry. The DXTRADN Nickel Trad has a brushed finish.
Best wishes
I went ahead and ordered one last night, so I’ll be able to report on it shortly.
it is brushed…kind of a matte finish. the nice thing is that it “antiques” more as you play it.
And that hopefully settles the debate as to whether the Dixon trad refers solely to brass models. I have a Dixon nickel trad and it’s great. Hope you like yours.