I have been considering this whistle as my next purchase. If anyone has had experience with this whistle let me know.
I am looking for a not too loud whistle with a pure 2nd octave. I had heard that the susato vsb might work.
I heard a clip by Ridseard playing one and thought it had a great tone. Let me know!!! 
Run a search for “VSB D”. that should bring up a ton.
The VSB is a splendid whistle, easy to play and easy to listen to. Bloomfield says it sounds like a recorder, but I don’t think so.
I agree with Ridseard.
I like mine BUT, it’s not quiet by any means. If you want to use it to practice you may find it too loud, especially if you are doing a lot in the upper register. The upper A and B are approaching shrill.
It’s great for playing with groups.
Apart from the fact that Susatos sound like recorders, I don’t particularly blame the VSB for that unspeakable sin.
The VSB is billed as sounding “sweeter” than the SB. It is not. It is thinner and a bit screechy, like there is less depth and charater to the tone. It plays more easily than the SB and also does not have some of the SB’s quirks. It is softer than the SB, or I should say, it is less loud.
I find the VSB to be a moderately loud whistle. Like the SB, the upper octave can be sweet, but it depends upon the skill of the player.
The tone is purer than the SB.
I find the VSB Susato to be very similar in sound and playing characteristics to the Dixon. It is a bit louder than the Dixon though.
It’s a good whistle and may work well for you…depending, of course, on what you want to do with it.
–James
-I like mine for hornpipes, but slow tunes don’t show its strong points well, which are responsiveness & low air requirement but not tone. Mine is in tune but has tone holes arced in a shallow parabola from high to low-not an intentional ergonomic feature as far as I know. The curved hole line isn’t a problem for me as the small diameter of the whistle means my stubby fingers cover the holes regardless. Others on the board have reported arced tone holes on some other VSBs also. Not all VSBs have had the hole problem. -Not worth sending back as it doesn’t affect playability for me. Its a good low-end whistle easy to play, but maybe not the best choice for that epochal rendition of “The Wounded Hussar”.
Hello Everyone,
The Susato vsb D is a fine little whistle (I also like the Eb,Enat, & F vsb)
Pure tone with very good intonation and a great 1st octave…
However, Susatos can NOT be described as quiet.
These whistles sound / play great in noisy environments (big session, seashore, pub arguements, etc)
The Dublin vsb set is nearly indestructable making them a favorite whistle to carry around or play in the car, etc
For a quiet (practice in the living room) whistle with a sweet 2nd octave
I’d recommend a tuneable Dixon
Scott
I have to agree with Bloomfield, here. The VSB does sound thinner…as you would expect from a small bore whistle. Mine is a little screechy too, which is why I don’t pick it up often.
Don’t expect a quiet whistle if you do buy one, either. There are better choices for a quiet whistle…Hoover for example.
On the positive side, I do enjoy playing my Susatos on occasion… and consider them very well made. The wider bore C is my favourite BTW. Don’t be put off buying one from my comments, its just that if you are searching for a quiet instrument, I don’t think a Susato is the best choice.
Best, Adrian
Going back to the original post, some other whistles you might consider trying:
Alba Q1–very quiet whistle with very traditional tone, easy 2nd octave. This is a very forgiving whistle.
Syn–very pure whistle, volume on a par with Susato but very easy to play whistle, octaves very well balanced.
Burke–lovely pure tone, achingly pure and sweet. Well in tune and not shrill over 2+ octaves. Outstanding whistle in every way. Different models offer differences in tone and volume. Not an inexpensive whistle but one of the best made, maybe the best, depending on who you ask.
–James
I’ve been wondering about the vbs. In the mean time, I stuck small shims of clay on each side of the window, reducing the hole by about 40%. Works supprizingly well. Rather enjoyable to play now. Tone is rather pure though. Nothing complex to it. Someone should devise a removable “muffler” that clips on like the thumrest. You can get modeling clay what will match the color of the body. It can be baked until hard, and resembles very hard rubber or some kind of composit. I don’t know how well the whistle itself will respond to 250 degrees F, though…
For now, I’m just leaving the clay wet and hope it cures at room temp over time. I tried it first with blue tac, but the black clay looks so much better. You can sculpt the shims straight, so that they are barely visible.
A couple experts here have mentioned that the VSB is screechy. Mine doesn’t screech, but I’ve only been playing whistle for 19 months, so I’m probably blowing it wrong, or maybe my whistle is defective.
Someone also mentioned that it takes a while and some skill to get good sound from it. I have been playing only about the same as Richard and I don’t think I have improved enough to make it sound less loud and shrill on the upper A and B. It hurts my ears in a small room (of which my home is mostly comprised). I also think it sounds better to people listening than to people playing it.
I have to differ with those who teach that one can make a shrill whistle better by playing it better. Perhaps the VSB would be good for accompanying a philharmonic orchestra, but not much else. I lost patience with mine and destroyed it in a failed experiment.
While I am dredging up old stuff: