I have WhOA just like everybody else, and I’m wondering if it’s advisable to get a bunch by a single maker.
I have a lot of whistles that I like, and some that I have no desire to replace. But I have fallen in love with my Burke low-D, and if I feel the same about the low-C that I’m about to receive, I might want to get a bunch of Mike’s whistles, which are not cheap, but also not outrageous.
The question is, do any of you out there like having “your brand”, ie, a single make of whistle that you play mostly, or do you always pick and choose based on the piece, your mood, phase of the moon, etc.
I doubt if you can talk about brands unless we’re talking about factory-made whistles. What people look for in hand-made whistle is quality, consistency, character, uniqueness, thought, attitude etc. So really when you compare a Burke to a Copeland, say, you’re talking about two different persons’ takes on an ideal. The makers whose takes are most consistent with the crowd’s ideals become recommended.
There are unusual makers out there whose takes are quite different from the others and can make the occasional ‘quirky’ whistle, suitable for just that ‘way-out’ cover of a familiar tune.
I would venture to say that there are no bad whistles. Even one with quirky intonation can be used - you just have to find the right music for it and the right audience
I think most of us would admit to having a personal favorite brand or two, but I also believe that there are very few who play any particular brand exclusively.
I think the majority of us really do choose our whistles based on the piece, our mood, phase of the moon, etc.
The variety of tonal characteristics and playability of all the different brands never ceases to amaze me, and some really do sound better for a particular tune than others.
Is there any doubt in anyone’s mind that I suffer from WhOA?
Some whistle designs work better in some keys than others. I think it’s highly possible that a maker will produce a wonderful high d while his high c is not as good as another maker’s high c, etc. Generally, one maker’s whistles will all share certain characteristics, but they may not be consistent in all their qualities. I think it’s good to find the best whistle in each key, which may or may not all be by the same maker.
