Hello! This seemed like the perfect place to post the problem I’m dealing with. I really hope to hear your thoughts and suggestions!
So, here goes…I play the whistle in a US-based Irish-punk band. My first whistle was a very cheap Feadog brass in the key of D. It’s super easy to play, but has a distinct, fuzzy “squeakiness” to it that just drives me crazy. So then I purchased an Ultra-Hi D from The Whistle Smith (www.whistlesmith.com) that sounds beautiful and clear, but requires quite a lot of air and sounds VERY “breathy”, especially on the lower notes. I play in a LOUD, lively band and my playing can be drowned out easily with this one. I also have a moderate case of asthma (I know, I know…a tin whistle player with asthma, Ha!) and it’s too much work for me sometimes. On some of our songs, it requires so much air that I need to use my cheap Feadog instead.
I’m now trying to decide which route to take. I love the more traditional sound of the brass Feadog, but the Ultra-Hi D sounds much smoother. I was considering a Susato Kildare, but heard that it sounds very recorder-like and requires a bit more air than others (???). Then I was considering a tweaked Generation or Clarke Sweetone from The Whistle Shop. I also had the opportunity to play a friend’s aluminum Walton’s Guinness whistle, which I really liked. It was nice and light like my Feadog, but sounded less “squeaky”. But…would this be sufficient when playing gigs??? Sigh…I really need some help here, guys. Thanks so much for reading my ramblings!
Loudest whistle I have is a Susato. I think it has a nice sound - not particularly recorder-like at all. If you want accuracy and a uniformly great sound, the Burke is the way to go (IMHO)
I would not completely discount the Susatos. They make a small bore version of the D whistle that takes less air.
I like my standard bore one for outdoor play because it doesn’t cut out much in a breeze and that purer sound can cut through a lot of background noise. You do have to push the top notes of the second octave a bit to keep good control, but otherwise, it does not take all that much more air. And for what it is worth – probably not much – I have asthma too.
Jerry’s modified Feadogs are less expensive and every one of his whistles I’ve seen has been a great player. If that’s the sound you want, I would start there.
Thank you for the replies so far, everyone! I really appreciate reading your thoughts!
Jerry- Thank you so much for the sound clips! I didn’t notice any tweaked Feadogs on your website, but I saw them on Ebay and bookmarked them!
Pat- I would LOVE to own a Burke, but it’s out of my price range right now. It’s been on my wish list for a while now. =)
Steve- I actually did take a look at the Blackbird whistles based on several rave reviews, but the website states that they’re quieter than other whistles. I still think I might like to have one to play when I’m home!
swizzlestick- I am definitely still considering a Susato. It’s at the top of my list so far. I wish I could find more clips of it, especially session-wise. I think I have more research to do tonight! =)
Keep in mind that if you’re playing in a rowdy punk band on stage with electric instruments and a drum kit (assuming this is the case) then the audience isn’t really going to hear much in terms of tone from your whistle by the time it cuts through all of the other distortion and noise. I doubt that the fuzz from your Feadog will really be discernable in that setting.
I love playing Feadogs but the first thing I do to them is fill the cavity under the windway with putty and this helps to stablize the tone a LOT. They don’t necessarily get sweeter but most of the unpleasant overtones and buzziness seem to work out of it. The resulting sound is strong and pretty clear. If you want even more clarity, I’ve found that the nickel tubes help achieve that clarity while the brass tubes are a bit softer and more mellow.
I’m not trying to discourage you from getting something else but you might be able to get along just fine without spending anything. The other thing to consider is that if you’re used to playing the Feadog whistles and your gig is only a few weeks out then that doesn’t give you much time to get to know a new whistle before going on stage with it… that would be too unpredictable and risky for my taste.
I’ve never been much of a fan of susatos in situations where tone mattered (too shrill and pure for my taste) but for your situation it might be just the perfect thing to cut through and hold your own with the band. They are strong, gutsy and the ornamentation really “pops” on them (almost pipe-like). Not to mention, they are durable as heck.
With the show less than three weeks away, is it wise to change whistles now? Of course, buying a better whistle for the medium term is a good plan, but any new whistle will take a bit of getting used to.
This is an exemplary post by someone who has only posted two things so far.
welcome to the forums veela. I did not imagine that a “punk” musician could be so courteous and responsive. thank you for your care in in nicely responding to people who have taken the trouble to help you out.
Johnny - Thank you so much for that helpful piece of advice about the putty! I looked up the technique and tried it with my Feadog. It vastly improved the control I have over the “squawkiness” (Not sure how else to word that! LOL). It’s still far from perfect, but it made our practice much easier! I’m still a bit…annoyed, I guess, with the overall sound. I considered Jerry’s advice of purchasing a tweaked version of the same, but I’m not sure I’m a fan of the general tone of this whistle. I’m leaning towards either a tweaked aluminum or the Susato. So hard to decide! I’m sure I’ll end up with several after a while anyway! =)
hoopy mike - You’re absolutely right about that. I’m seriously considering a tweaked version of something similar to what I already own, so as not to create an even bigger obstacle for myself. I ended up comparing my friend’s aluminum Walton’s Guinness whistle to my own brass Feadog yesterday and they sound so similar, the aluminum being just a bit sweeter. I hope it won’t be too much of a difference to worry about! =)
talasiga - Thank you so much for the wonderful welcome! I was so excited to have stumbled upon this board to find people with interests the same as my own! Our band is a group of adults, the oldest being 54 and the youngest 21 (I’m somewhere in the middle! LOL). We don’t appear to be a likely punk band, so our audience is always surprised!
Nate - YES! As soon as I can figure out how! LOL I’m not very computer savvy, but I WILL figure it out eventually! =)
I’m probably one of the Blackbird rave reviewers you read, but I’ll pipe up again to suggest this as a home whistle, though I agree that it might not be loud enough for you on stage. As someone else with lung issues (I was a smoker for a long time), I can say that the Blackbird is really rewarding to play while not asking for too much lung power – it wants breath control, but not masses of raw air.
I find my (narrow-bore) Susato a little challenging air-wise, but it’s a nice loud and responsive whistle. It gives you a lot more freedom of how to blow air into it than the Feadog does, because of its shorter, wider airway, and so it might take some getting used to before you take it on stage.
Okay, I couldn’t make up my mind, so I bought two. I ordered a Susato Kildare and a Clarke Sweetone. I didn’t end up getting a tweaked one, though. I want to play around with it first and then see if it needs improvement. Thanks for all the comments a suggestions! I’ll let you all know how I like them both. =)
I just received my two whistles from The Whistle Shop today! First of all, The Whistle Shop is awesome! I placed my order Tuesday and received it today (Friday)! I’m so impressed by the speedy service and I would highly recommend ordering them to ANYONE!
Aside from the outstanding service, I am so pleased with my purchases! I can not stop playing my new Susato. It sounds so beautiful and, in comparison to my Feadog and Whistle Smith whistles, SO easy to play. I see what some people say about it being a little tricky to jump octaves, but I’m very pleased with this feature since my Feadog likes to stay up in the upper octave unless I barely breathe into it. I have a feeling that this is EXACTLY what I was looking for. I can not imagine it being easier to play, but I’m still going to try the O-ring tweak just for fun.
I’m glad I didn’t settle just for the Clarke Sweetone. The design is beautiful, but I can’t believe how quiet it is compared to my other whistles. The tone is beautiful, but extremely “breathy”. I can’t imagine trying to keep up with the rest of the band on this one. The seam on the back also bothers me a bit. I read about it before I purchased, but didn’t expect it to be so prominent. I think I’ll try the putty tweak on this one. Regardless, it still sounds lovely and I’ll save it for playing at home or in the car while I’m waiting for my son to be let out at school. =) Oh, and I’ve learned that I definitely prefer the sound of tin whistles to brass ones.
Again, thank you all for your encouragement and advice. I’m SO happy with my purchase!! =)
Glad to hear you are so happy with your purchase. Do try out the O-ring option. It’s subtle, but I think you will see a difference in the higher octave after you get used to the whistle.
Glad you’re enjoying your Susatos and your music! I love Susatos also. They are consistently playable and in tune. The volume is great, and the prices are reasonable. I have a couple of the laser-etched Kildares, and they are beautiful to look at as well. The only other whistles I love as much are my Burke Brass Pro Session D, my Ethnic Wind whistles, one Oak my son bought me that actually was decent right out of the box, and a couple of Jerry Freeman-tweaked whistles (Waltons and/or a Gen maybe).
Burke rules, but I can’t afford $210/whistle and have no rich relatives ready to croak with me in their will that I know of. Ethnic Winds are beautiful and outstanding for the price, but could be a bit of a challenge breath-wise for a beginner. They are terrific once you learn breath control and are nice to have for period re-enactments (I do some Civil War ones). They are hauntingly gorgeous-sounding, and Nick is a real artist and great to deal with. I have 3 (a high D, a mezzo A and G) of his and plan to purchase more eventually.
For the price and the consistency, Susatos are hard to beat. You have stepped off the cliff of WhOA already. . . .