Greetings everyone. I am looking for recommendations on a soft and airy high D - something that very well resembles the Clarke original but is of a higher quality (workmanship and materials). Any suggestions? Thanks.
How about a Shaw? -Takes LOTS of air but sounds wonderful.
http://www.daveshaw.co.uk/SHAW_Whistles/shaw_whistles.html
Slán,
Anders
Mack Hoover makes some wonderful whistles, and he can make them to play very very softly.
–James
Thanks all. One of the things I wanted to stay away from with the Clarke is the higher air requirements. I haven’t played a Shaw but I read that they require even more air than the Clarke original.
I’ll check out the Mack Hoover website, thanks.
Well, I think the things (wind requirement and breathy tone) kind of go together. 
How about tweaking the Clarke? It is quite possible to reduce the air requirement and keep the breathy character…
Slán,
Anders
I think it would be difficult to get a whistle to play breathy and airy without using lots of breath and air.
However I have a Shaw high D which I tweaked very slightly, narrowing the windway by flattening the head very carefully. That particular tweak is described on the mainsite when applied to Clarke whistles. I love the whistle now, so much that I contemplate getting a full set of Shaw whistles in every key, tweak them like that and use them as my main whistles when I don’t need so much power and volume. For power, purity and volume I’ll probably always use the Syn aluminium whistles.
Here’s an old clip of me playing my Shaw D
http://www.whistlethis.com/index.php?content=YkdsemRHVnU%3D&utid=T1E9PQ%3D%3D
I have one of Carey Parks’ Walkabouts… It would fill your needs well. It has a muffler for those times when you need to be quiet, but can play at normal volume as well. It’s not really “airy” when fully open, but gets a little more so when you shut it down a lot. Check out: http://www.parkswhistles.com/Whistles/EveryWalkabout/Default.aspx
Pat
Thanks for all the wonderful and helpful replies everyone.
I considered tweaking the Clarke’s but I am also wanting to get some stronger, thicker materials as I have bent many a Clarke’s (sitting on them while forgetting in pocket) and would like to get a stronger body, perhaps something in aluminum or brass. Plus, it seems that every Clarke original I’ve owned, in time the wood plug swells and it becomes unplayable (this happened to about 5 now - I guess I’m a wet player). Another reason why I’m steering away from the Shaw.
I guess I never realized that the airy character, that of the Clarke, would be from higher air requirements (duh, that makes sense 
). So I guess this lends me more toward just finding a nice, soft quieter whistle. Any more quite whistles recommendations made in either aluminum or brass with a soft and quiet character? Thanks for all the help everyone.
I recently purchased a VSB Susato directly from the company. I was replacing a much loved, well worn Clark Sweettone which I used for practice as it held up pretty well to my saliva. Yep, I’m a spitter. I wanted a whistle that wouldn’t be as loud in the upper register as well as being durable and washable. I’ve been pleased with the D VSB. It’s lightweight but not fragile. The upper register doesn’t hurt my ears and the tone overall is pure without much chiff. The bell note takes less pressure and that might take some adjustment, but that doesn’t bother me. I’m glad to hit those high notes so freely!
Perhaps I need to understand what build characteristics makes a whistle sound and play the way it does. I read mostly about wide and narrow bore bodies as well as straight and conical bore, and about windways being either flatter, wider, curved, and straight. I think I understand regarding bodies that a wide bore will be louder than a narrow bore (please correct me if I’m wrong). Regarding the windways . . . I have no idea - not to mention the differences between a straight bore and a conical bore. I’m sure I need to know these characteristics about the making and playing of different whistles and I believe it will help me more when purchasing a finer instrument. Thanks.
I would agree with everything Mamakesh said about the VSB except I might add that the VSB is bright and crisp not soft and airy.
Some of the whistles I might recommend are a Copeland. It is soft and airy but the upper register takes a push and is a bit loud.
I haven’t tried one yet… but maybe a Hudson original.
You can’t go wrong with a Hoover white cap or black cap. They are soft but not really airy.
A pre-black tip, brass, Burke session is soft an airy like a Copeland but not as loud in the upper register.
Just a few ideas!
Nate
Have you tried the Clarke Sweetone or Meg? They both have a soft and airy tone and with less air requirements than an untweaked Clark Original.
I’ve got an Alba Q1 high D which is really soft and chiffy. I also have the Parks Everywhistle Walkabout which I prefer above the Alba : it’s cheaper, breaks down in three pieces and volume and chiff can be adjusted. After my Burke DBSBT it’s my favorite…
Thanks everyone! You all have been very helpful. I have a Sweetone which is nice but I was still looking for something a little more finer in regards to material and workmanship.
I’ll have to look into the Alba and the Copeland (though the Copeland may be too much out of my price range:)) I’ll also take a closer look at the Parks and Susato VSB.
If I could still get some explanation on the different build characteristics (large bore, small bore, curved windway, flat windway, etc.) and how they control the whistles tone and playability it would sure help.
A pretty simple recording, I just tried to keep a solid pulse (not sure I succeeded though, I suck at that). I have recently rediscovered the wonderful tone of the Shaw, but the response seems slower than on my Syn so the ornamentations doesn’t come out as crisp. Anyway, tell me what you think.
williamgeorge
There’s no attachment that I can see . . .
One wonders if this noob is just spam or if he just had a little too little practice in the test forum. Certainly not an impressive start from his part anyway.
oh, yeah, right…
whisky 
See my recent review of Brad Anderson’s tour whistle - could be just what you seek - check out the video clips…
It’s narrow bored and very sweet toned and slightly muffled without being really breathy.
Thanks for the link, I’ll check it out:)
Yes, it does sound very sweet and your playing is very well done!! I’ll have to look up the cost for the Anderson.