Greetings. New whistler, new forum member, first post. I’ve had my Susato D for a week. Great fun, but high and low register are not in tune unless air pressure is varied. Sounds great, though.
Anybody have experience with a Susato Low D? I’m hooked, going to get me one of them Low Ds. Would like a quality, tunable instrument. And don’t tell me that beginners don’t need quality. “Buy this and get something better later” is not my style. But then again, I really don’t want to spend over $150 on a Low D whistle.
I also have a Susato low D–it was my first low D. I like it fine as well and I haven’t found it to be particularly bad regarding intonation or balance. The one big weakness of the Susato low D I have is that the low E is weak compared to the notes around it and easily flips up, whereas the D right below it is strong and does not.
The Howard has a good reputation (and it’s well-deserved IMHO). It does take some getting used to, as it takes quite a bit of air to hit the upper end of the high octave.
I have also tried a Copeland low D and it was quite nice, though I believe my Howard to be a bit more projective.
I’ve got a Susato Low D and love it! It does take variable air to hit the low D, but especially the second ocvtave D - no question. However, don’t give up. If you have only had it for a week, I would suggest giving it a bit more time. I had a bugger for the first week or two, but then (like learning how to ride a bike), it just came together one day. So long as I don’t have too many pints of whatever is on tap at my house that night, I can usually always hit the notes.
I have a non-tunable Susato Low D. The stretch for the lowest note makes it difficult to play that note quickly. If you peruse the board, used low D whistle’s come up for sale often, many times at a significant discount from the new price. For those on a budget, that is a route to consider.
I had a Susato low D… Very strident sound and good intonation but quite a big stretch. I’d try a Dixon tunable low D if you can get hold of one. Intonation doesn’t tend to be as precise as the Susato but better than Howard. Nice easy stretch and sound!
