I recently received the third version of a low D whistle from Ronaldo Reyburn. I have played the one Jessie praised so highly, especially for airs, and decided to get one for myself. I first received the wide-bore model similar to Jessie’s, but some problems I am experiencing in my right thumb and wrist made that one difficult for me to play for very long. Ronaldo then sent me a narrow-bore version with the holes spaced as closely as possible. It was much more comfortable, but the first octave D and E notes were not as strong as I would like due to the hole spacing. The third version (I feel like I’m telling “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” here) is just right. He stretched the spacing on the bottom hole to strengthen the notes and offset it to the right a bit to make it more comfortable.
I tell the story above to say how hard Ronaldo worked to get a whistle I am happy with. He has developed a number of variations on his line of whistles and will try to find what works best for you. This narrow-bore model is new, and we communicated so much that he even proposed naming it after me!
I have owned and played a lot of low Ds, and find that they possess quite a range of qualities. My Reyburn has a beautiful, mellow tone and is very even across the octaves. It is not loud, but it has a nice sound that is not quite like any of my other low Ds. I really like the wooden mouthpiece as well.
I thought Ronaldo’s commitment and craftsmanship deserved a mention.
Terry
Jessie