A few days ago I visited the House of Musical Traditions in Washington D.C. for the first time. I was exposed to a good many kinds of whistles for the first time and I tried them all. I won’t try to give any thorough critiques or mention everything I played; the following represents what I found unexpected or surprising:
Walton’s Little Black Whistle: I was really unimpressed by these. There was a large number of them and I tried quite a few to make sure I wasn’t making a mistake. Nope. They sounded really bad to me. Weak, squeaky, thin. Also seemed very fragile. Good reviews appeared unjustified. By contrast,
Walton C: I thought this was very nice. Pleasant sound, good weight. I think I might buy one.
Susatos: thumbs down. Many keys sampled, all sounded like reedy recorders.
Generations: these were definitely the most pleasant surprise. I was expecting a lot of horrors, from what I’ve read, but really I thought nearly all of them were not too bad. There were lots of these, too, in lots of keys, and most seemed to have potential. If a little messing around with them would make them even better, I think for the price they’re really very good.
Now for the more expensive guys–
Sweetheart: looks too much like a recorder for my taste. I like whistles that look like whistles, not like props at a Renaissance Fair. The sound was nice enough but nothing special and a little weak.
Dixons: I have spoken elsewhere of my disappointment with the Dixon brass slide D but here I got to see a wide range of his work. It seemed to me that the whistles were definitely not uniform in quality, some very good, some not so much. I’m not sure if some keys are better than others or if you have to take it one instrument at a time. The B flat I tried was wonderful, one of my favorites anywhere. It was warm, smooth, clear–a bit more money in my pocket would have sealed the deal.
Chieftain: this was the big shocker. They had one soprano D and it stank. The upper octave was practically unplayable–it sounded like there was a little gremlin in the windway spitting at me. Very muddy tone, not pleasant to play. Maybe I needed to warm it up or something? On the other hand it looked very nice and felt pleasantly solid and heavy. Hm.
Thin Weasel: These were awesome. My wife and the sales clerk and I all agreed that these sounded the best of all. Beautiful tone, nice to play, neat-looking. The fipple construction was very unusual. I didn’t expect to like these guys the best but I thought they were swell. Too bad they cost so much.
So much for my brief impressions. Keep in mind that there were plenty of people in the store, some of whom were making noise themselves, and that my acquaintance with each instrument was pretty brief. I’m more than willing to alter my views with the opportunity.
Anyone who still disagrees or feels offended is welcome to call me a fathead. It’s good for me.
