I’m looking for a more high end whistle than my D Oak; and have been reading about Sindt; Laughing Whistles; Parkhurst: and Rayburn on Chiff and Fipple. A general question: Any comments on these? Has anyone got a telescoping whistle from Noah Herbison and had good results with both the sound and the telescoping? (Are they still being made?) Do brass whistles have plastic “mounthpieces” always (or just sometimes) and is there an odor or funny taste of the brass (or other metal)? Thanks for your help; and for helping me whittle down this buying process!
Let me point out, to my shame, that the C&F whistle pages are very much out-of-date and are there for archival reasons. (I continue to fantasize that volunteers will help me update them one day.) I’m not sure if Noah still makes whistles, but the telescoping whistles, while cool, are really too quiet to be used in most settings.
I don’t know about the whistles you mention, but having gone through a severe bout of expensive whistle buying over the last year or so, I think I can say that they’re all likely to be excellent, but all with different sounds. In the end you’ll probably go through several mid to high end whistles before you find the one you really just want to play all the time. Or - you’ll find that you end up with two or three (in my case four…) that you love swapping between.
Having said that, a non-tuneable Goldie high D may well satisfy you staight away at a very reasonable price point. And he can apparently customise the voicing to suit you. So I don’t think you could go wrong there.
I have a lovely set of copper Parkhurst whistles, but I don’t believe he is still making whistles.
What you describe as “plastic” mouthpieces on brass whistles is a bit different from the plastic heads on e.g., Generations; the heads or fipples on higher end brass models is generally delrin or some other space age plastic that is much more durable than the cheaper plastics - these are my favorite fipples.
As to odors from brass, I never noticed any but that is purely personal and some others have occasionally spoken of reactions to brass (and other materials as well).
I would at the upper end strongly recommend Sindt (my favorite for about 3 years now which is a record) and Burke - basically can’t go wrong there.
You could also consider Gene Milligan who makes really nice dymondwood and delrin whistles.
Another idea, especially if you’re looking for something not quite as expensive and perfectly portable, is a Carey Parks (walkabout).
Enjoy.
Philo
Most of my whistles (both expensive and inexpensive) are brass and yes once in a whistle I do find they have a slight odor typical of brass, however, all their mouthpieces are either Delrin or plastic eliminating any chances of a metallic taste.
Hi
I would also recommend a Sindt, althought there is a waiting list and the last time I ordered from John it was 8 months. However if you are looking for a whistle that is just about as different from any others see if you can find a used model. They don’t get passed on very often so if you find one for sell go for it.
I have a Sindt A with a delrin mouthpiece and as a result no taste of brass. My other higher end whistle is a Kerry Songbird (low D) although I believe other keys were available, not sure if these are made any more? I do find that there is a slight taste of aluminiun from the mouthpiece.
Ian
Thank you so much for all the input to my questions.
So here’s some followup: Is the “Goldie” and Overton? And I thought that the Overton was all metal; and there was not a plastic mouthpiece. If that is the case, does an Overton mouthpiece have any mettallic taste or smell?
Thank you.
This question is really hard to answer for several reasons. The whistles you found on the archive pages are all over the place in terms of price but all are more “high end” than your Oak. Although, a Jerry Freeman Mellow Dog, at about $35+/- is higher end than your Oak and IMO more suitable for a broader range of usage than will be Noah’s Laughing Whistle which, as Denny stated is a quieter whistle. Nothing wrong with that but it can be limiting.
It would be helpful if you described some characteristic you are looking for since there are dozens of makers who fit the description of “higher end” than your Oak. And the Oak is not a bad whistle in it’s own right but I’m assuming, with no criteria listed, that “higher end” has something to do with price which is not necessarily a measure of playing characteristics, material or sound.
Not all brass whistles have a metallic taste since some are coated with a varnish or mixed with other materials like the Sindt or Burke where not much metal touches your mouth. Aluminum whistles have no metallic taste that I can detect but then I’m not bothered by the taste of brass either. As you’ve been advised by others, the word “plastic” is non-specific as well and can run the gamut from PVC to Delrin to polycarbonate etc. Some of these have tastes as well.
IMHO unless you’ve got experience with these other types of whistles or can describe some characteristic you seek, you’re going to need to buy and try a lot of whistles to find your answers.
Good luck with your quest. There’s nothing wrong with WHOA either. Support your local whistle maker. It’s the best musical bargain you will ever find.
And, yes, currently Goldie makes Overton brand whistles since Bernard passed on several years ago. And Colin will indeed make these all aluminum whistles to your individual needs within the limitations of his design. But he’s going to ask you some of the same questions about characteristics.
BTW, the whistles you’ve mentioned, while higher on the price scale than your Oak, aren’t even close to being expensive, even in the whistling world. You can easily pay twice what any of those you’ve mentioned cost. Still a bargain though, relative to other instruments.
ecohawk
that was Dale…
Denny is this one
Sorry, you “management” type guys all look alike to me. 
I believe the waiting list for a Sindt is now 10 to 12 months. In the meantime, a Freeman Mellow Dog will no doubt fill the gap admirably.
I bought a high end Sweetheart whistle. Ho hum. Review will follow at some point 
Otherwise - on the strength of a few reviews on youtube and this thread by Ralph:
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/ronaldo-reyburn-new-standard-low-d/77304/1
I bought a Reyburn Low D. It has literally just arrived 
Of the whistles you mention, I’ve only tried the Sindt, which was fantastic.
For high D whistles I prefer playing old Generations and Feadogs. My all-time favourite D is the Feadog I got back around 1980. I tried a Jerry Freeman “tweaked” Feadog D, and it played remarkably like my old warhorse. If I ever lost mine, I’d replace it with a Freeman Feadog in a heartbeat.
If my memory serves me correctly, I believe that Jerry Freeman offers the Blackbird, but does not list the regular tweaked Feadog as available anymore. (I don’t recall if there was any indication that he would do a regular tweak on a Feadog if requested or not, and I have no idea how a regular tweaked Feadog and the Blackbird compare.)
What does “tweaked” mean, anyway? Where does one buy these dog whistles? Sindt whistles are now one year behind on delivery! eek! In a whistle class last week I had a chance to play a Burke and a Sindt. Lovely! (And hear an Overton.) I still haven’t figured out though, the difference between a Burke and a Sindt, to explain why one is 2 times more expensive than the other.
Tweaking means to take a stock inexpensive whistle, like a Generation or Feadog etc., then clean up any imperfections from the injection molding process or tube cutting/drilling. Filling in the open cavity at the bottom of the mouthpiece below the windway is a common tweak as well and is often all that is necessary. Sometimes an adjustment in mouthpiece size and/or blade angle or height is also done. There are experts here like Jerry Freeman and Tommy Dion who do a very fine job with this process. They can make an ordinary whistle into a very fine instrument. There is also a thread on this board which describes some of the processes you can try yourself. 
Both sell whistles on this board and I know that Jerry’s are commonly available on eBay. Tommy occasionally lists instruments there as well.
As to the difference between a Burke and a Sindt, they sound and look completely different. The Burke is more pure sounding while the Sindt is more traditional. The Burke is generally available immediately while there is nearly always, as you noted, a wait time for the Sindt. There are fans of both. I own both and like them both but the Sindt has a slight edge IMHO. Although the Narrow Bore Burke is a really nice whistle and hard to put down. The Sindt has an almost cult-like following which I completely understand. The price, I’m not going to attempt to justify. Neither of them is expensive when compared to any other musical instrument of comparable quality.
Order Sindt now and get a Burke while you’re waiting. Or get a Mellow Dog from Jerry or a tweaked Gen from either Jerry or Tommy. You can buy them now and they may be all you need.
ecohawk
Here is were you can get Freemans MellowDog;
http://stores.ebay.com/freemanwhistles
A great value, in my noobie opinion. I may never need another whistle.
Sindt whistles, I’ve read, are set up to be a high quality traditional whistle that sound like the old Generations and Feadogs.
BTW, what class have you taken, and where?
There are some similarities between the Burke and the Sindt as well…
They are both made with a selection of high quality materials. The quality of build and workmanship is very good in both whistles, and that quality is consistent among them. There is a consistency in timbre, tone, and playing characteristics that many other makers fail to achieve in their whistles. That is, if you pick up two Burkes side by side, they will likely be so close in terms of how they sound and play, that it would be difficult for most people to make any real distinguishments between the two. The same can be said for Sindt whistles as well.
The price difference? Burkes are offered at an extremely fair price, and I have yet to see a whistle made any better. There are definitely whistles made just as well, but none that are made better. Also, I think there is very little doubt in the whistling “community” as it were, that John Sindt could get a lot more money for his whistles, if he decided to - so don’t let the difference in price fool you. You aren’t buying “more or less” whistle when choosing between the two - you are simply paying two different prices for two different whistles from two different makers, and both makers’ prices are extremely fair for what they are offering. Both Sindts and Burkes have earned endorsements from some of the same well-known and highly-respected performers in the professional music scene today.
There are other differences that stand out in my mind between Sindts and Burkes: Volume. Burkes tend to be louder than most other whistles - even the “quieter” narrow bore whistles can be a bit much for practicing in a small space. I’ve seen a lot fewer Sindts go up for resale over the years than I’ve seen Burkes - which seem to get resold with some frequency. Now, people will infer whatever they choose from that observation, but in my mind, I think the biggest factor in choosing (or also in keeping) one over the other would have more to do with what style of music you are playing on the whistle, than anything else. The Sindt has a very traditional ITM sound, whereas the Burke does not… some might say it sounds a little more like a flute than a whistle - and it is described as sounding “purer” by just about everyone who has played one. For this reason (among others) the Burkes are appealing to many newcomers to the whistle because they also tend to be very forgiving in terms of breath control. However, serious students of Irish Traditional Music seem to favor the Sindts, which are a bit more challenging to master - so these are things you should be considering above all else - volume, overall sound, what style of music you will be learning on it, and your willingness to apply yourself to learning it.
I still consider myself very much the beginner at this, so I’ll give you some perspective from that point of view. I own or have owned 3 Sindts and 2 Burkes. As a beginner, the Burke whistles are much easier to control. I’ve heard many folks describe the Sindt as a high-end Generation type whistle and I think that’s fairly accurate. Many beginners have trouble controlling Gens from breaking notes and while the Sindt is quite a bit better than a Gen in that department (although I still crack notes on the Sindt), the Burke is clearly much much better. You also mentioned Overton/Goldie whistles. I’ve owned a couple and still have one. These too I’ve found very easy to control for the beginner.
As for the difference in price amongst the various whistles, I suspect that the number of hours it takes to get a whistle ready to ship plays a big factor. The Sindts are very nicely made and of a much simpler design than either the Burke or Goldie whistles. To my eye, the Burke is probably the most complex design of the three.
In the end, your progress is going to depend upon how much time you commit to practicing. The best whistle for you is going to be the one that encourages you to pick it up and play. For myself, I found the whistles that broke notes too easily discouraged me. When I first started and that was all that was available to me, I found I’d either end practice early or not even start at all. When I finally bought a whistle that allowed me to play without sounding like a pubescent boys choir (an Oz D), I played a lot more and that’s the only thing that’s going to make you better …putting in the time.
Good luck with the search.
Actually, Burke whistles are made from CNC machined parts, so a computer is replicating them in batches. He has help to assemble them, and basically all Michael does is give each one a “run through,” make any minor adjustments he feels they might need, and then they are shipped. Basically, it’s a small-scale assembly line that far out-produces John Sindt’s enterprise (I read somewhere recently that Burke whistles earns an estimated $290,000.00 annually). But I don’t mean to belittle Michael Burke’s methods or whistles at all. Like I said, they are priced extremely fair, and the workmanship and the whistles are excellent. Like I also said, I think John Sindt could get more for he whistles if he chose to.