I am looking to buy and Overton Low D. I am so excited to own one of these excellent whistles.
But a couple questions come to mind.
If you take one Overton from a while back made by Bernard and compare it to one of the whistles Bernard or Colin makes today would you notice any difference in tone or look or feel?
The second question is, from the whistles that Colin and Bernard are making these days is there any differences (in tone or look or feel) between a whistle made by Bernard and a whistle made my Colin? And I am sure that any whistles these two men craft would be excellent. I know that so many people love the Overton whistles.
I once briefly compared my 2007 model from Colin with a friend’s 1980s model from Bernard. Bernard’s tone seemed a bit rounder and more open, and took a bit more air. Mine is tighter and more focused, with a slightly smaller air requirement and more backpressure. Both seemed comparable in volume, with the characteristic Overton sound. I like mine a lot.
Of course, Colin custom-voices his whistles on a scale of easy-medium-hard blowing, so any random comparison may be apples and oranges.
If you contact Colin and Brigitte directly, I’m sure they’ll gladly answer any questions! Or maybe pop in here …
Yeah, what John said…Colin’s whistles vary according to the voicing.
Some are easy blowers, some hard, some in between…no accidents, just customer preference. The easier blowers tend to be sweeter and more open in tone, the harder blowers tend to have more chiff and edge.
Colin’s holes are finished and smooth. Bernard’s have sharper edges. Colin’s whistles are signed and dated at the bottom of the bore.
Colin and Brigitte are lovely folks. I don’t know Bernard. He’s probably lovely too.
I have a low D Overton made by Bernard. I bought it second-hand and the fipple had come out. I sent it to Colin and he repaired/improved it for me an tuned it again. I’ll never part with it. Its sound is TOO beautiful!!
And yes, Colin and Birgitte are wonderful people. I had the privilege of being invited and spend the afternoon playing, looking at 40 different whistles and seeing the small shed where the wonder of whistlemaking happens.
Does anybody notice a difference between Colin and Bernard whistles in the lower notes? I notice such a powerful “cosmic drainpipe” sound in the lower range of all Bernard Overtons. And it seem less proponent in the recordings of the Colin Overtons I have listened to. Maybe it was just the recording?
a recording is not the best way to hear the quality of a whistle, unless the recording is very plain and clear. Colin’s whistles are of the most outstanding. Bernard made the first known low whistle for Finbar Furey. He stopped for a while but started making whistles again. I’ve seen how accurate and precise Colin is with whistles. It seems he makes each and every whistle with tender love. Every hole of the whistle is very much taken care off.
