Due to the many VERY positive reviews of the Susato high D, I went looking for one and was sucessful. I at the same time got the C and Bb with it in a set and got a Low C with a bent head and low F. Today they came and I’ve spent a few hours with them and have to say for the record…I like them. Thet have a quality that I never would have imagined from plastic.
High D, Bb, C set - VERY tight. Consistant volume through out. In tune and sound great. Alittle light in weight for my taste and I see why they include a thumb rest, when working on the second register, especially the C# it really is too light. The tone is not as pure as the copper made O’Brien’s but the tonal quality is still very pleasing, very little chiff. All in all I will be keeping them in my bag.
Low F - Warm, especially the low end, in tune, a great quality not always found in a less expensive piece. It too is light but really not an issue as I found the weight enough for working throughout it’s range. It’s tone reminded me of a clarinet I used to own, woody and bold. Little chiff. I haven’t a low F to compare it too but my Chieftain low G is way more “playable” taking a greater air requirment. The Susato low F’s low end is VERY easy to over blow and not a piece I can really “lean into” but when I got used to it, the tone was worth it. My Chieftains are my favorite hands now but the Susato has a very different tonal quality, well worth it for secondary options. It’ll stay in my bag as well.
Low C with bent head - My first look was a feeling that something just isn’t well with the whole “bent head” thing. I gave it a blow and instantly over blew it and it honked like my fellow Canadian geese. After laughing to myself and making sure no one heard me I continued. In a minute I got the feel and up and down the scales I went. In tune and a very warm low end. Very little air requirment but VERY easy to overblow in the bottom end. My Chieftain Low D was a real nut to crack with the distance of the holes from each other but this Susato Low C was a snap for fingering, I use finger tips and my pinkie for the bottom hole. All and all I like the tone but I have to hold it “away” from my usual position because of the bent head so I’m not excited with this. For now it’s my only low C so I’ll keep it but due to the head my sence is at least at this point to replace it.
Over all these are great pieces and I would gladly recommend them to someone looking for a “different” sound in their bag as an alternate to metal as their price is very hard to beat for quality or to someone just getting started and doesn’t want to spend alot until they now they want to go long term with the instrument.
Hmmmm-pinkey for the bottom hole. Interesting. Reyburn makes his low whistles with low hole offset so you use pinkey also. I’ve got a Susato low D with the added key that Susato offers. I know it eliminates half holing and slides associated with that hole but that’s not much to give up. I have found that using the pinkey here also works best for me. Could be a trend starting.
I have found all my susatos to be very easy to overblow into the second octave. i have 4 of them.one tunable the rest nontunable..two high Ds a low G and a low A. They do have a decent sound but overblow real easy. Especially after playing my Kerry low D.
I’ve put another 6 hours in with them and still loving their tone. Yes, VERY easy to overblow, its ok with just a mic but to do session work with them I imagine would be next to impossible…
I took afew minutes and recorded a bit I wrote called “The Battle is Over”. I’ve added some reverb as I wrote the song to have it, this is a quicky so mind the lack of production, the gain is slightly high as well…
William, please try not to take this personally, it is meant simply an observation:
I honestly can’t see the point of praising a whistle publicly, and then posting a demonstration clip that is so altered as to completely obliterate any remnant’s of the instruments original tone. I can’t imagine how this helps either potential buyers, or the maker…
I didn’t post the song to help people buy anything, just to show something I created with it… I see your point though, many do upload clips to display the actual tone of the whistle, I guess I could have said something to that effect…Nooo what a minute, I did… I’m really not very good and all this forum stuff sadly but I hope to get it all figured out one day…
Susato’s are a lot like Generations in one way.. People tend to be at either end of the spectrum with thier opinions on them. Love em or Hate Em. Very few in betweens. I don’t hate mine but I don’t love them yet either. My Kerry low D…love it.. The Susatos are decent whistles but they are not really a begginner whistle in my opinion as they do take a pretty decent degree of breath control.
My lower keys are harder to control than my higher keys for sure, I find my D, C and Bb to be fairly easy though. I wonder how they are for consistancy from whistle to whistle in the same key?
So, here’s an interesting thing. I have a D/C/Bflat set that I’m not really fond of. Actually, it’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just that I don’t play much whistle anymore and when I do I play my Sindt. How much would these being going for these days? And, is anyone interested?
If they are in good shape, and if you’ve still got the thumbrests and the pouch, and if the O-rings are good, and if they are black, you could PM me once you decide what you want for them.
The issue is that when most people play them they sound like recorders. . . not whistles. In the hands of a master player with a great grasp of ornamentation and phrasing they can sound very “trad” but the basic timbre of the instrument is very different from other whistles.
They also work well in outdoor sessions because they are loud.
Boy, I’m easily swayed.