Hello all,
I have been listening to a lot of Brian Finnegan lately, and since he plays Overtons, I have been wondering if anyone has any input on them. I’m particularly interested in a high D. Any thoughts anyone?
Cheers,
Overtons are lovley.
They vary somewhat as Colin (and I suppose Bernard) can customize them. THus you hear about hard blowers and easy blowers. I prefer the easier blowers. I think the tone is nicer. Even the easy blowers are harder blowers than most whistles. Also you need to warm them up a bit or they’ll clog (cold aluminum + warm moist air = water).
Doc
I have one and it is a great whistle,though when I first got it I wasn’t too sure about it,but as time went on and I became used to the whistle I loved it.I would say though that I dont think it would be an ideal whistle for a beginner.
Maybe true. You have to play them like you mean it. Sissy blowing will result in underwhelming performance.
Doc
Your right Doc they are great for leaning into and really letting rip. 
Wonderful!!! That’s exactly what I have been looking for. Any thoughts on which maker to buy from?
I played one for a few minutes at a shop, and I have to agree. If you’re looking for something to pick up and just tootle a tune on, an Overton isn’t it. You have to tell the faint-hearted to stand back, and let 'er rip. Not that they’re THAT loud, you just have to make sure you have no reason to hold back.
Colin Goldie makes Brian Finnegan’s Overtons - Here’s a link to Colin’s website: http://www.overton.de/texte/overtonuk.html
Loren
I’ve had both. Both are wonderful.
Doc
I’ve had both. Both are wonderful.
Doc
Are there any significant differences between the Overtons and the Goldies?
Colin, as has been mentioned, REALLY likes to fiddle around and try new and different things with the whistles. If you are looking for a particular sound or playing feature you MUST try a few to find “the one.” If you know EXACTLY what it is you want then pay the extra and order directly from him.
Bernard, as far as I know, sticks to a fairly consistant formula.
One thing I have noticed is that Colin is more in tune with the finish quality of his whistles. There are a couple of Bernard whistles that I had to do some minor work on the finger holes to make them more comfortable to play. The only whistle I had with a tuning issue (an E that was flat at the low end) was a Bernard. Colin fixed it right up for me along with my latest order.
I have a Bernard Overton high D. It is an easy blower, fairly quiet. It requires a finessed touch with air pressure-- too much and it’s squeaky. And since it requires very little air to begin with, the range of pressure that works is very small.
I almost sold it once. Now I’m pulling it out and playing it more often (when I’m not playing flute, which is most of my effort these days) and finding it has a quality none of the others has, a tone that has some character, but without the volume of my Copeland. I’d say the one I have is not a great solo performance whistle because it’s not loud enough. But it’s great for sessions.
The performers I’ve talked to recommend Colin Goldie’s whistles. I have no basis for comparison, though.
Jennie
I would think the opposite opinion would be expressed the vast majority of the time. Volume is needed to cut through in a session in most cases.
Depends on the session. IMO, your average soprano whistle can be heard far too well in a small to medium sized session as it is. Now the whistle player may not hear him or herself as well as they’d like, but others can usually hear the whistle more than enough, as they tend to cut like a knife, on the listening end.
Loren
Yup. That’s where I’m coming from. I’d rather blend than be the star, unless I’m having a spectacular evening or leading a set, both of which are fairly rare.
This whistle may be an anomaly in its quietness. My Bernard Overton low G is louder.
Jennie
I’ve liked most the recent Overtons I’ve tried, and think they’d make wonderful solo instruments. The high d ones are some of the best in that pitch I’ve heard, barring Copeland’s. They seem to take very little effort to get what you want out of them. Still, I wouldn’t start a newbie on one.
Agreed on the topic of volume. Discretion can still be the better part of valor in a sessuin environment! Bombast doth not the whistler make…
Chad
My quick thoughts. My Black Anodized High D tunable Goldie Overton is beautiful - in both form and voice. Every Overton I have tried (and the two I own) are wonderful.
Colin and Brigitte are terrific to work with - and Colin takes time to make sure you have a whistle that suits you well.
Good hunting,
When Colin called me on the phone one Sunday afternoon a few years ago to say that he had completed a small batch of D whistles and that the one I had been waiting for was among the batch, I was real happy. When he played all three of them–over the phone–and asked me which one I wanted, I was even happier. When I picked the second one of the three and Colin said ‘drat’ (or something to that effect), I was even happier yet–because that was the one he had hoped to keep for himself. (Talk about the bootmaker’s children having holes in their shoes–he was temporarily without one of his own fine D whistles!) When the selected D arrived a few days later, I was even more happier yet (you get my point–running out of comparatives).
When my wife and I had the good fortune to meet and spend time with Colin and Brigitte in 2004, that was great. We were together when I took the photo that is my current C & F avatar, though it should be noted that Colin’s photography is head and shoulders better than mine. When the four of us met up again this summer, closer to their turf than ours, that was even better. To say that good things happen around Colin and Brigitte is to put it lightly.
A non-tunable Colin Goldie C that I bought at a shop in Plymouth, Mass a few years ago had what I thought was a barely perceptible ‘burr’ or overtone (no pun intended), and Colin, of course asked me to let him at it. Suffice it to say that that C is now tunable–though I have never had occasion to change the setting he put it at when he handed it to me this summer.
My Colin Goldie Low F is one of my most treasured instruments, and Colin knows why.
I am fortunate to have three of Colin’s masterpieces, and there is an element of his (and Brigitte’s) generosity of spirit in each one–a generosity that is equalled only by the workmanship, skill and musicality also built into each one.
Do not be deterrred by whatever the length his waiting list may be. I have never regretted waiting in that line. There is always a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow.
Tom D.