Susato or WW or Dixon or what?

Whistle
1

OK, now I’m looking for an excellent, medium-priced high-D whistle that I won’t have to wait very long for.

EDIT/UPDATE#3: Upon further advice and research, I’m now leaning towards a Silkstone Goldring (quieter than their regular version) PVC D. If anyone has additional information before I finalize my decision, please let me know. END OF EDIT/UPDATE#3

EDIT/UPDATE#2: Ridseard comments that no one’s mentioned the Susato VSB. If you would care to comment, I would be grateful. If it sounds more like a whistle and less like a recorder and isn’t as loud as the standard bore, I would be interested in knowing more about it. END OF EDIT/UPDATE#2

EDIT/UPDATE: Based on what you’ve told me so far, I’ve ruled out the Susato (too loud for my purposes, not as much character/sounds more like a recorder compared to the other two.

So now it’s down to the Water Weasel or the Dixon tuneable. Can you provide any more insight into how they are different/which might be preferable? END OF UPDATE

I’ve searched through old posts and gotten enough information that it looks like maybe a Susato Kildare, Water Weasel or tunable Dixon might be the ticket. I would like to have some way of understanding the differences among the three, and also if there are any other whistles I should consider.

Answers to any or all of these would be most appreciated:

Loudness
Consistancy across registers
In-tuneness
What does it sound like? Is it a “pure” or “complex” sound, chiffy, breathy, etc.?
Air requirements
Subjective judgement (how do you like one compared to the others)
Anything else?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. If I could get all the qualities I would hope for in one whistle, I would be looking for a very in-tune (especially important to me), consistent across registers, non-breathy, moderate or low air requirement, non-chiffy, not too loud whistle.

“This (manifest world) is full, and that (unmanifest source from whence it springs) is also full. Fullness comes out of fullness. Taking fullness from fullness, all that remains is fullness.”

[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-01-15 17:03 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-01-15 17:43 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-01-15 23:37 ]

2

Jerry;
I’ll only comment on the Susato 'cause, unfortunately, I haven’t played the WW or the Dixon. I have the Susato D/C/Bb set and I really like it. Some of the observations are mine and some of read off this board:

Loudness: I think this is the Susato’s strong point. I think it really cuts through in a session. A lot of whistles can keep up with the volume of fiddles and accordions but the Susato pretty much can.
Consistancy across registers: very good.
In-tuneness: ditto.
What does it sound like? Is it a “pure” or “complex” sound, chiffy, breathy, etc.? It’s neither breathy or chiffy. This is probably the Susato’s weak point. Some folks, including me, think it lacks chiff and sounds too much like a recorder. The fact that the body and fipple are plastic probably have a bearing on this.
Air requirements: moderate, doesn’t take much in the lower register- just a little more in the higher register.
Anything else? I think in spite of it’s negatives, the big reason a lot session players choose the Susato is it’s volume at relatively low breath requirements.


[ This Message was edited by: Bartleby on 2003-01-15 15:54 ]

3

Hey Jerry; in your PS you have discribed the Water Weasel to a tee. It fills all your requirements. I haven`t played any of your other choices but my weasel is fantastic!

In My Humble Opinion :roll:

Tom

4

Afflicted with WhOA, I recently bought all three. Playing them, I find I like my Dixon and WW over the Susato…they just seem to have more character (and make me sound a lot better than I really am). You can get more emotion out of their sound. The Susato is loud and that may be a consideration if you live with others. My wife is yelling for me to quiet down from the other end of the house when I play it. Between the WW or Dixon, the WW is a bit more chiffier. Both sound great. Let cost be your guide between those two. Or do like I did…get all three!

5

I’ll second Tom’s opinion. Your ideal whistle description fits a weasel well. I have all three but my Dixon is a fairly old one with a diferent design than he is using now. The tone of the Weasel (at least on mine) is different than any of my other whistles but I’m not sure how to descibe it. Kinda reedy but not in a bad way.

Mark V.

6

That’s extremely helpful, folks.

Based on what you’ve told me so far, I’ve ruled out the Susato (too loud for my purposes, not as much character/sounds more like a recorder compared to the other two.

So now it’s down to the Water Weasel or the Dixon tuneable. Can you provide any more insight into how they are different/which might be preferable?

Thanks again,
Jerry

7

Jerry–

My WW has a slightly more breathier tone than the Dixon, but not much. Volume is about the same, though I think I can get a little more out of the WW. I would really find it hard to choose between the two. However, I’m able to order several new Dixons for the price of another WW. Which I just did.

8

I agree that, if you want something without too much volume, the Susato’s out.

Water Weasels, being handmade, do vary some (I suspect Dixons do, too). They’re generally pretty sweet sounding, and vary from very pure to a little chiffy. I haven’t played many Dixons, but I’ve never found one with much chiff at all. WW’s are more even across the octaves. I would say that in the upper octave, Dixons and WW’s are of comparable volume, but in the lowest three notes of the first octave, Dixons are extremely quiet, whereas the WW’s still carry pretty well.

9

I believe I read somewhere that Dixons have a wood fipple. True?

10

Nobody has mentioned the Susato VSB.

11

Ridseard comments that no one’s mentioned the Susato VSB. If you would care to comment, I would be grateful. If it sounds more like a whistle and less like a recorder and isn’t as loud as the standard bore, I would be interested in knowing more about it.

12

The VSB is quieter than the standard Susato. Intonation is excellent. It has no breathiness or chiff. The response is very similar to a Burke. The tone is hard to describe. Not recorder-like, but slightly reedy. There’s a sound clip at http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/jigs.html
It’s Donnybrook Fair, the fifth tune from the top. Oh the same page there’s a comparison of the regular Susato and the VSB by Gary Humphrey, also playing Donnybrook Fair, but much better than I.

13

I sent an email question about Dixons to hwebbjr, which he answered (his Dixons have plastic fipple plugs, not wood).

He also asked if I’d considered Silkstones. So I read the reviews and listened to a couple of clips. I believe a Silkstone Goldring (quieter than their regular version) PVC D whistle is exactly what I’m looking for. If anyone has other information I need before I finalize my decision, please speak now or forever … .

I played clips of all the various candidates for my wife, and she likes the Silkstone, too. But the one she really wants me to get is Jessie’s Abell.

Thanks, all for your kind assistance.

Best wishes,
Jerry

14

Sure. Save yourself a lot of money and get a Dixon. The non-tunable Dixon. $16 and better than it has any right to be. Sweet across both octaves, easy to blow across both octaves, and spot-on in tune. Not loud, either. I’d almost call it shy. And, since I’ve got the non-tunable, they have to tune to ME at sessions. Ha!

Don’t get me wrong - the Water Weasel and the Silkstone are both wonderful. I have one of each. The WW is rather YIN and the SS is rather YANG. But my Dixon is just as good and right down the center.

15

You can’t go wrong with a Dixon.

16

Here are the clips I’ve been able to find of the whistles in question. I’m still leaning towards the Silkstone because I like the sound better than the Dixon. The Dixon seems “huskier,” while the Silkstone seems purer, more lyrical. This is purely a subjective preference on my part. If you know of more clips of any of these whistles, I’d love to hear them.

Thanks again,
Jerry

Silkstone PVC D:

http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/jig/banishlolly.mp3

http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/jig/tarroadsligo-glm.mp3

http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/slow/quarrellollyc.mp3

http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/slow/sheebeglolly.mp3

Dixon D:

http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/jig/DonnybrookFairBChastain.mp3

http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/reel/LadiesPantalettesPdPiper.mp3

Susato VSB D:

http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/jig/DonnybrookFair-GaryHumphrey.mp3 (compared with regular Susato D)

http://pw2.netcom.com/~ridseard/donnybrook.mp3

http://www.jessiekislin.com/music/SusatoVSB.mp3

The only Water Weasel clip I could find, not representative because it’s a Bb, not a high D: (If anyone knows where I could find a clip or two of a WW high D, please let me know.)

http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/reel/farfromhomebretton.mp3

17

Hi, Jerry, just chiming in here about the Dixon.

I’m pretty new to whistling but not to woodwinds, and I really like my Dixon soprano D with brass tuning slide. The reason I wanted tunable is in case I ever play with anyone else, even if it’s just a household piano or guitar. It’s taken me a couple of weeks to get used to it (I really started playing it only around Christmas), but I find it pretty forgiving. Some of the things I like best about it:

  1. I can use OXXOOO for C natural, which feels better for me than the other fingerings; however, I think OXXXOO give me the most in-tune C natural on this particular whistle.

  2. I can play middle D with all 6 fingers down pretty easily, with not too much squeaking; I find this easier in a lot of passages than with first finger up.

  3. I can play a high D on this whistle, although I’m still working on that.

  4. I really love the tone and feel when playing it. Mine has an almost silky voice, and very supple. I can feel it singing under my fingers sometimes, which is just an awesome feeling. I don’t know if this is “normal” for whistlers, but I really like the way it feels to play!


    So, those are my humble opinions, don’t have any experience with the other whistles…

Robin

P.S., I got it from the WhistleShop.com

[ This Message was edited by: spittin_in_the_wind on 2003-01-16 21:04 ]

18

Thanks, Robin.

I’m very interested in the tunable Dixon soprano D with brass tuning slide.

If I can figure out this Susato VSB blade tweak they’re talking about on another thread, I’ll probably get one of those first. However, Dixons are such a bargain, and I keep hearing good things about them. I expect I’ll have one by and by.

Best wishes,
Jerry

19

Jerry, I can’t help you with the VSB, but regarding Dixon normal tunables vs. brass slides: the latter is purer and less breathy (“huskier” in your words) in tone. This is my personal experience, and I’ve read similar opinions on this board. The brass slide is a newer product, introduced only in 2002. I’m not sure if the Dixon clips you found were for the brass slide or normal.

20

Thanks, Tuaz.

Extremely useful information.

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. I will assume the Dixon clips I’ve heard were all the old-style Dixons.