A few weeks ago I asked the old, “What low D whistle should I get…?” Phil Hardy offered to give me a Chieftain New Range Low D. I recieved it a few days ago, and have gotton time to play it. I have not had any low Ds before, but here are my thoughts.
It is nontunable, but once it is warmed up it is right on spot. I can also blow the pitch up and down (in case whoever I’m playing with is out of tune.) The C# is just slightly weaker than the rest of the scale. OXX OOO is the best C nat. The holes are very large, at least for me. (I can totally fit my pinky finger in the second to last hole. ) Even so, I can still play fingertip style. (I’m still working on piper’s grip.) I had a really bad condensation/lung moisture/spit problem, but the dishsoap trick worked really well. I really like the balance on this whistle. It is fairly light, but it still feels substantial. Its construction is very good. (It won’t bend when you hit the out-of-tune fiddle on the head .)
As far as tone, I absolutely love it. To anyone really close (including the player) it sounds very breathy. Very breathy. When you go into a room that echoes or listen to someone else play it, it has a very rich and dark flute-like sound. When I play a (low)B, I can hear it echo through the tubing like three or four seconds after I stop. The upper octave is not too big of a jump, and it speaks very well. It goes up to high(high) E and still stays relatively in pitch. This whistle gives you back what you put into it. If you put lots of air into it, the sound is very beautiful, rich, and full. If you only fill up a quarter of the tubing, it sounds, well, bad. On faster tunes (jigs, hornpipes, reels) it responds just about as well as my high Ds (as long as I cover the appropriate holes). I can get a really full dynamic range on this whistle. It just really sings if you play it well.
Anyway, I don’t think this would be the best beginner low D, but it is so awesome when it is played well. Thank you very much Phil.
How is the finger spacing for the third and sixth holes?
As you move up to the upper B, are the breath requirements proportional? Or do you have to really ratchet up the pressure disproportionately as you reach the top (like with an Overton)?
As you go up to high B, the breath requirements increase slightly, but it’s really the air speed that has to increase. I have not played other low Ds, but the measurement from the middle of the 2nd to 3rd hole is ~1 1/2 in., and the measure from the 5th to the 6th hole is ~1 3/4 in. I hope that answers your questions.
Au contraire, IMHO. My OS Chieftain has an easily (proportionate) obtainable upper register. The breath control with it is remarkable in that I can play softly or as loud as needed in the second octave. I sold my Overton (which I think is an excellent whistle) because I couldnt manipulate it as I could the Chieftain. I think so highly of it I am in the process of purchasing a 2nd OS Chieftain Low D.
If the NR Chieftains are much improved on what I think is excellent playability, I need to pester him on getting me one!
I will admit that the Chieftain is hoarser than the Overton (Is the word I am looking for: chiffy?) but the control over 2 octaves means a lot to my style of playing.
Smoot
BTW, when you master the piper’s grip, you will never look back
Cool
I got my old-style one in '96 or so, which I’m pretty sure when Phil was still pretty new at the whistle game. It definitely took some push to hit that high end of the second octave. Could sound a bit shreaky up there too. The mouthpiece windway actually had such a narrow height that a paper matchstick wouldn’t really fit in it, so maybe it there was more individual variation back then before Phil really got his process worked out. I think his new range is far and above a better whistle in terms of control and playability than the one I had before.
When I first started playing, there was no internet websites to tell me about piper’s grip. As a result, I’m one of those mutants who’ve learned to play acceptably well fingertip style. I used to think (going by my example) that anyone could do it that way, if they really wanted. In retrospect, I just lucked out on physiology, I think…we did an informal survey a couple years ago, and I had one of the widest spans of hand stretch among C&Fers
Phil and I did a whistlemaker’s trade, and I got a Kerry Pro Low D. I’m really enjoying this whistle. Many of the comments on the Chieftain NR would apply here too, although mine is tuneable. The low register in particular is really gorgeous-- rich, slightly reedy sounding with lots of beautiful overtones. The higher notes of the second register do take a bit more air and some tongue attack to get them started, but as a recorder player, I’m used to that.
This is a large chunk of metal, and it takes a while to warm up. However, once the head warms up it play much more easily, with less clogging. I just tuck the head under my arm for a few minutes before playing and it makes a huge difference.
I’m using piper’s grip on it, although I can get away with regular fingering. Thinking of rigging some sort of thumb rest for the right hand too-- maybe a carved scrap of some hardwood epoxied on.
I played the Chieftain in Celtic Band last night. Everyone thought it was totally awesome! (We now have six fiddles in Celtic Band!!! And I’m the only wind player still! I could sorta hear myself, but I think someone listening far away could probably hear me okay because of the way the whistle carries so well.)
) Even so, I can still play fingertip style. (I’m still working on piper’s grip.) I had a really bad condensation/lung moisture/spit problem, but the dishsoap trick worked really well. I really like the balance on this whistle. It is fairly light, but it still feels substantial. Its construction is very good. (It won’t bend when you hit the out-of-tune fiddle on the head 
.)
