I am curious about the Susato Dublin whistle. I see that it comes in small and very small bore versions. I was thinking of trying the very small bore version, because I want a quiet whistle, but is it really significantly quieter? And does the smaller bore make it more difficult to play? Thank you.
It is quieter and easier to play.
-Brett
It is easier to play, but not all that much quieter. You could mute it, however. But what I don’t like about it is the thin, nasal tone.
Be sure to listen to the excellent comparison done by Gary Humphrey at
http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/jig/DonnybrookFair-GaryHumphrey.mp3
Oreo Phil
The Susato VSB in high D was one of my first whistles. I think it itself is louder than my Generation, Sweetone, Walton, Oak etc. They play nicely in tune and are very “sweet” but I think it is somewhat harder to learn to blow them correctly for new players. At least that was my experience. My easiet was my Generation that was Jerry Freeman “Tweaked”.
So please note the Susato VSB is supposed to be quieter than the other Susatos - but not necessarily the other High D whistles in common usage.
Anyone else with a Susato VSB and another that can comment?
Thanks for the replies. Since posting the topic, I’ve read more about the Susatos. Is it true that the non-tuneable model (that is, the Dublin) is best avoided?
I have no problem with the tuning of the Susato I have. It is the non tunable version. I do not play in sessions as there are none near me. I play along with recorded music and the Susato seems fine. If you have others near you to teach you or play along with, then a tunable whistle would be nice. You can always get one later also.
You may however, find the Susato (at least the VSB I have) a little harder to learn to play well from the beginning. It requires an understanding of breath control to keep it in the right octave. I found other whistles like Generations (Tweaked by Jerry Freeman) easier for me to learn on. They were more “forgiving”.
Now that I can control my breath and all better, the Susato VSB I have is a nice whistle, very in tune, very bright in tone (you may or may not like this). But I prefer others that I have.
I just bought the Dublin S series in D today, and what a nice whistle that is. I don’t know how much quieter the V series is, but I sure like the Small Bore. I wouldn’t recommend it for a new learner though as a first whistle. The back pressure is very similar to that of my Busman, and there is a significant increase of pressure in the second octave, which requires to play with confidence and breath control. As you gain control and confidence however, this is indeed a very nice whistle at a rock bottom price. In my opinion you’d have to spend a lot more money to get a marginally nicer whistle from a performance (very responsive) and consistence point of view. Some don’t like their sound, but it isn’t an issue for me.
The tune is bang on at A-440Hz, and througout, one of the best whistle I own in that regard. I also like the non-tunable over the tunable.
easyer to play, and smoother cleaner tone in my opinion. I tried both in the store, cost wasn’t a determining factor. An excellent whistle for recording (that is what I bought it for). I also find that many folks in the slow jam sessions I play with, always pull out their electronic tuners… so there’s no issue with this whistle being out of tune from that perspective.
If quiet is the predominant requirement, and you’re not too sure of the breath control requirement of the Susato (or don’t particularly like back pressure) I’d go for an Oak-D whistle instead (in that price range). Easy to play for a beginner, and not too loud, nice tone. I’d take an Oak over Generation any time.
That’s good to know about Susatos and back pressure. Other people had recommended a Susato as the ideal beginner’s whistle.
The Generation and Oak are interesting recommendations. I didn’t buy a Generation at first because I heard they had quality control problems. But maybe a Freeman-tweaked version would be worth the extra money. I’ll look into the Oak as well.
I have both of the Ds (and lots of other Susatos). They are quite different in sound and both have a place in my stable. If you just get one I’d recomend the wider bore (SB). I think it is a good choice for beginners, but you can get some cheapies as well.
Freeman’s Mellow Dog is a really nice whistle and easy to play