praise for Ronaldo Reyburn

Whistle
1

I just wanted to mention a great experience I had recently with Reyburn whistles.

In that well-known Phil Hardy video he briefly plays an older-style Reyburn Low D with the large maple wood head on a brass tube body, and it’s tone was outstanding.

Subsequently I was lucky enough to get one of these from a fellow Chiffer.

Trouble is, the tube had several offset holes, which I can’t manage.

I contacted Ronaldo and he was happy to make me three new tubes for it: D brass, D alloy, and C alloy. The price for the new tubes was quite reasonable, and he made them quite quickly!

This whistle is a fantastic player! Such a big volume and presence, and a great tone very unlike most Low Whistles, to my mind more of a NAF tone, dark and round and haunting.

The bellnote is spectacular. The voicing over the range is very good, and the tuning is spot-on with all three tubes.

The brass D is exceptionally warm and dark, the alloy D gives up a small amount of warmness but makes for an incredibly light whistle. Perhaps the C is best of all! I had been looking for a great C, and after trying and passing along an Overton C I had been considering a Burke. (I’ve not tried a Burke low C, but I expect it to play great.) I’m not looking for a C any more, because this Reyburn is wonderful.

Shortly after receiving these new toys I had a big gig, a series of concerts with a big band (string section, brass section, piano, synth, percussionists, several guitarists, sax/flute guy, lead singers and huge choir) and this Reyburn C got its first trial. It worked great. The sax/flute guy (who also plays whistle, he has a number of Burkes) was impressed with the sound.

I wonder why more people don’t play this style of whistle. I also wonder what it would sound like if Ronaldo were to make a head like that in delrin (I have to be careful about the wood; I don’t throw that maplehead whistle in the car like I do my other whistles).

Thanks Ronaldo!

2

I’ve heard the sound clip over at pipersgrip and I really like what I heard there. The reviewer said there were tuning issues, but it looks as though Renaldo got that worked out. I certainly can see what you mean by sending a Hats off to Renaldo for breaking out of the Status Quo and putting out a tone that sets him apart from the heard.

Richard, does he make the wooden head whistle for other keys too? Such as B flat - Low F. Those are my favorite whistle keys (more so for pitch than anything). Also, is this something he did just for you or can anyone get a C body or any other key to go with that wooden head whistle?

3

Might be best to contact Ronaldo directly through his web site (he posts here but it might be faster to go directly to him) to see what he’s doing for whistle heads for various pitches these days. I was under the impression that he had replaced the wooden head design with Delrin heads, but he could give you the best info.

Best wishes.

Steve

4

First off I’d like to thank you Pancelticpiper for your praise of my work! Words like yours are what keep me at making instruments. In answer to the question of wooden heads… I haven’t made a wooden head whistle for quite a few years and as Pancelt pointed out he got his used from a fellow Chiffer. My part was to make the 3 new tubes and it was an interesting proposition as it was the first time I used a thin walled aluminum alloy tube for that style of head.

The end product is a feather light Low D/C set which plays very well and I’m very happy that Pancelt has found the Low C he’s been looking for. When I initially made the Maple head version there was a lot of work done by eye so the consistency was less than desirable which is why I gravitated toward using the Delrin/Brass combination for the heads. I’m able to keep the consistency very good with this approach and I still like the tone. But I do like the sound of the air oscillating over the wooden edge… soft, sweet tone.

I’ve even made a couple of Low Ds (one a D minor) using Elderberry and it sounds wonderful… but again a lot of work by eye and not suitable for commercial sales. I do love playing both of these instruments! My first venture into making wind instruments was making N/A flutes which I still occasionally make and the tone from these instruments is so delightful so I really appreciate what wood can do for the tone of an instrument.

And now that I’m making an aluminum alloy Low D it is yet another tone, and the sound and playability of this instrument has really grown on me and I play it a lot.

Hope this clears up what I’ve been up to.

Ronaldo
http://www.reyburnwhistles.com

5

Can we look forward to a Reyburn aluminum low F someday?

6

I also have one of Ronaldo’s new aluminum Low D’s with the delrin head (or in Britain an alloy Low D with a polypenco head) and have spend much time playing it alongside the older Reyburn with the big maple head. Ronaldo has definitely retained much of the NAF-like tone in his new design, neither Reyburn sounding like any other Low D which I’ve tried, but darker, warmer, and fatter than the rest.

This ‘fatness’ is hard to describe, a roundness or fullness that doesn’t come from volume alone.

7

I’m relatively new to Irish whistle playing (about a year). I’ve been playing a Clarke Sweetone D. I want to “upgrade” to a better instrument since I’m starting to play with others. I’ve read the C&F reviews and have done some research. I’ve identified 3 whistles I’m considering:

  • Burke Soprano D Aluminum
  • Colin Goldie Soprano D Aluminum
  • Reyburn D Aluminum

I’m looking for a whistle with a clear, “rich”, resonant tone. My Clarke
sounds a bit shrill in the high octave, and I have trouble getting a
consistent clear tone on the high B. (Of course that may be me, not the whistle.)

In any case, I’m looking for a whistle that is clear and resonant in both octaves, isn’t shrill in the high octave, and transitions well between the octaves. I don’t want a lot of “breathiness”. I prefer the sound to be smooth rather than “edgy”, so I don’t think I want a lot of chiff. I think aluminum rather than brass, but I’m not sure.

I’ve seen the D’s offered in narrow bore or (I guess) standard bore. I
think I want the standard bore, not the narrow…but I’m not sure of the
difference.

I love the sound of Brian Finnegan and Joanie Madden. I read that Brian plays a Colin Goldie.

So, with all of that…do you have a recommendation?

8

Welcome to the neighborhood. This might be better treated as a separate thread to not wander from the OP’s original intent and subject matter.

My advice - buy one of each - and a few others as well - and decide for yourself.

Finnegan does play Goldies. Madden plays Pat O’Riordan high D’s, usually, but she also uses a variety of Burkes, mostly in other keys.

Keep in mind that the skill of the person behind the whistle matters most. It s not really about the whistle. Joanie Madden sounds like Joanie Madden on any whistle she plays. I’ve seen/heard her play a lot of different whistles - including my own homemade whistles. She sounds substantially the same on every whistle - fabulous.

Each of the three whistles you mentioned vary widely in their playing and sonic characteristics. What matters is what you like and need, not what we like or prefer. But a Burke or a Goldie are always a good place to start. If you are looking at high D whistles, I do not know that Ronaldo Reyburn is presently making one in aluminum. But I am easily confused these days. I have only read about the aluminum (alloy, aluminium) low D discussed above. Ronaldo can clear that up.

Narrow bore whistles are usually less loud at the bottom end and should be sweeter at the top end than standard bore whistles. Standard bore whistle will tend to have stronger low notes and need a little push to hit the high notes. But this all varies from maker to maker quite a bit - each design is different. You need to play each whistle to see if it works for you. Everything is relative, and especially relative to your own experience.

Feadoggie

9

Thanks for your response. I don’t expect to sound like Brian Finnegan or Joanie Madden – as much as I’d like to. I have a background in classical clarinet. When I bought my fine Buffet clarinet (years ago) I was able to try out a number of instruments and select the one I liked. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be an option with whistles.

10

Now I was talking Low Whistles in the OP. About High/Soprano whistles, in general a narrower bore will get you a sweeter easier 2nd octave but a bit less volume in the low octave. Octave transitions are more nimble. Low notes require care to not overblow.

Soprano whistles with a bigger bore get you a big fat round low octave but often a touchier 2nd octave, and oftentimes a High B that verges on harshness. Octave transitions can be trickier, but you can give a good blow to the low octave without it breaking.

I much prefer the playability of narrower-bore whistles. I’ll sacrifice some low-range volume for high-range ease and sweetness and more nimble octaves.

Burke makes Soprano D’s in narrow bore and ‘session’ (big) bore, and in aluminum and brass. I have a session bore aluminum and it’s a great player with decent volume, bright tone, and with a 2nd octave that’s fairly sweet. A Burke narrow bore in brass will give you a very sweet clean 2nd octave with a bit darker tone overall. IMHO it’s hard to go wrong with either Burke, but they’re different and you really need to play them and see what you think.

I’ve not played a Soprano whistle from Reyburn or Goldie.

For extreme sweetness and ease in the 2nd octave, and a very pure tone overall, I would recommend a Freeman Tweaked Feadog D. The one I played was great, just what I’m looking for in a high D whistle.

11

I would submit that there is very little difference between your experience with the clarinet and what many experience with the whistle. I am sure you became a student of the clarinet and had a teacher or a mentor to guide you initially. Then over time you probably had a chance to play with others and found time to discuss instruments and their characteristics with other players ultimately leading to the purchase of your Buffet.

That is largely how it works for many whistle players as well. You start out with a student instrument. You may (or may not) look for a teacher or run into a player that can mentor you. You play the music for which that the instrument is most often used. You seek out the company of other players. They will have a variety of instruments and they may offer their experiences with other whistles. You talk. You trade ideas. Whistles get passed around. You find one you like and you go buy your own. Workshops, festivals and summer music camps can all facilitate such a journey.

But if you are not in a position to get involved in the music in that way, then the scenario will be a bit different. Yes, this forum is a good place to discuss whistles. The participants here do represent different preferences and experiences with our whistles and whistle playing. What we lack here is the chance to readily pass the whistles around. And the language of whistles can be rather imprecise in describing the characteristics of a whistle. So when a person describes a whistle in their own way you can’t pick that whistle up. play it, and reinforce what they meant by that description. As an example …

Except for the aluminum bit, that could easily describe a Sweetone in the parlance of many players. It is all so relative to our personal experience you see. A Sweetone can be a decent little whistle. One of the magical things about whistles is that they need not be expensive to do the job well.

Michael Burke makes good whistles. You can’t buy a better whistle. You can by a different whistle. They are generally pure and crisp, not breathy or “edgy”. They have one of the smoothest and most predictable breath curves in the business. I own a couple dozen Burkes myself. I happen to like them. But they are not what everybody wants in a whistle.

Colin Goldie makes good whistles. You can’t buy a better whistle. You can buy a different whistle. Where a Burke might be described as an open and free blowing whistle, the standard Goldie will be harder blowing. Some would describe the Goldie as smooth but others might call it edgy based on their personal experience. I like Goldie whistles. They have their idiosyncrasies too. It is a matter of design choices and player preferences.

There are a number of whistles about which I could say “You can’t buy a better whistle, but you can buy a different whistle”. It’s not worth running the list at this point.

I’d think one of Hans Bracker’s high D’s would fit your description very well. And so could a few other whistles.

So I would still suggest that you get out and about and play as many whistles as you can. There’s no need to hurry. Music is a not a sprint. It’s more like an ultra-distance marathon. Play your Sweetone until you get a good idea of the pros and cons of some other whistles.

The only other scenario that frequently seems to play out around here is to start buying every whistle you can get your hands on. Jettison the ones you don’t like and keep the ones you like. The only difficulty with that is that as you become a better and more experienced whistle player I expect that your needs will change and become better defined. Some of those whistles you dismissed early on may be the ones you should have stuck with.

Burkes and Goldies will be some of the most common whistles that you will observe in the hands of touring professional players. If you need a starting point to gauge your own preferences against, they are good choices. They can always be resold if you think you’d like something different. Burke has a generous return policy IIRC. The Goldies are great to work with as well. In either case I would always suggest that you buy directly from the maker. It’s always good to get to know your instrument maker.

Good luck.

Feadoggie

12

Thanks to all for your advice & recommendations. Much appreciated!

13

Yes, and when my old girlfriend was considering splashing $20,000 on a violin the shop let her take them home for a week (one at a time) to really get the feel of how each one played.

But we’re talking whistles here! You can get a great-playing Generation, the sort that all the top professionals used to play, for around $10. (You can also get a horrible Generation, for the same price!)

Now we have numerous high-end boutique whistles, but you could get your Goldie and Reyburn and both types of Burkes and a half-dozen more from various other makers for the price of a decent clarinet.

The option I use to try whistles is to buy used, because you can resell it right away for the same that you paid for it if you don’t like it. I’ve bought 20 or 30 Low D whistles from various makers, and all have been sold except for three, and one of those was given to me! So I got to try out a large number of different makers (and multiple examples of some makers) for the price of the two I bought. In other words you can try as many whistles as you want, for free.