i’m pretty sure this has been covered before but its gets a little tiring after awhile sifitng through the long list of search results on this topic, anyways, i’m thinking of buying a susato low D, how’s the sound quality, tone hole spacing, playability and breath requirements for this one? links to relevant threads are also appreciated..
These both point to the same thread… is that what you intended?
thanks denny, if i ever need to hit someone with a whistle i know exactly which one to use! 
I love playing my Susato low D and my new Burke Viper as well, but NO WHISTLE is a more formidable striking weapon that my brass Copeland. I truly believe I could escape a pub crawling with brawling rugby players, cracking skulls all the way, and my Copeland would still play sweetly afterwards…
My low D Susato is easy to play with piper fingering, has a medium breath requirement, has a nice tone, is lightweight and is in two parts which make it great for carrying around. It is a good first low D IMHO.
In my opinion the Susatos get better as they get lower.
I don’t care for the high D for example. I only play it when I have to blast out maximum volume. I don’t like it’s voicing, the way it’s difficult to negotiate the gamut.
But my Susato Low C is the most expressive whistle I own. My Susato Low D is very nice.
I went out and bought, at one time, low D’s from several makers and put them through extensive testing. I also recorded them (playing the same air and reel on each) so that I could hear what they all sounded like to an outside listener.
To my surprise, when I listened to the recordings, all the Low D’s, regardless of how much character their voice had in the low register, had plain, colourless second registers, except for the Susato. Only it retained character. It was by far the most flutelike in tone. I’d guess that that’s the result of the Susato’s greater wall thickness, I don’t know.
The Susato was also the best at something that’s crucial to my playing style, but that’s hard to verbalise, and that’s the ability to “play between the octaves”.
On some whistles you can play low G OR play high G but you can’t play the sound between, a tone which has both low and high G present at once, like you can on a flute.
I found that when I played the Susato I actually would, after a while, start playing more like I did on the flute, with musty honking or whatever one might call it.
Yes, and the Susato low D has moderate air requirements.
But for sessions the Susato doesn’t have enough volume, and I play a Burke Pro Viper instead. The Burke is the next-best at this “between the octaves” thing.
I suppose it’s just the “luck of the draw”, but the Copeland low D I bought was simply terrible. Bought new. It’s low notes were extremely feeble. But it did have a nice enough 2nd register, however just as colourless as all the other metal low D’s I tried.
By the way I have the angled neck on my Susato Low D and Low C. I like the feel, having your arms not reaching down so far.
twit isn’t he…
fixed here and the original