Hi,
I don’t have a whistle yet,I play the sax so I know how to read notes and have a backround of music. I’m going to buy soon an Oak, and with it I want to buy another whistle and I’v heared that the Susato and the Dixon are very good. So I’m not sure which one I should get, the Dixon soprano D whistle or the Susato Kildare small bore D.
I heared they’re competitors at this but I’m still not sure which one to buy…
If any of you have played them both and know the differance please tell me.
What lixnaw said. I suspect as a sax player, i. e., someone who’s used to pushing hard and getting a loud sound, you might find the Susato much easier to play then the Dixon or the Oak. The Oak is like the Dixon in that you need good breath control in the lower octave.
The SB Susato has a louder, fuller sound than the Dixon but has a second octave that tends to be shrill if not skillfully controlled.
The Dixon is very similar to the VSB Susato. Both have less strength in the low octave than the SB Susato but have an easier second octave and overall a sweeter sound.
All three whistles have some chiff. You will hear the sound of the Susato described as “recorder-like” by some folks; in my experience actually the Dixon sounds much more like a (good) suprano recorder than any other whistle I’ve played, although a recorder is louder and more projective than most whistles.
The Oak is a different beast; as noted, it requires good breath control but has great lovely chiff and a sweet, mournful sound–some folks consider this a more traditional sound than that of the Susato or Dixon.
All of these are really great whistles, worthy additions to anyone’s collection.
I prefer the Dixon to the Susato in case of D whistles. IMHO, Dixons are more forgiving and easier to control in the second octave, and they have a sweeter sound. If your budget permits, why not try both since they’re reasonably priced? That way you can find the one that’s right for you. Welcome, and enjoy!
I tend to play very aggressively, and I doubt that I would have stuck with the whistle if I hadn’t gotten a Susato early on. I would overblow the more traditional whistles (Generations, Oaks, Feadogs). Later on I became better able to control my aggressiveness and started enjoying the more conventional whistles.
I started out with a Susato regular bore D. It has volume, that’s for sure. It is easy to play and forgiving, and even though I’m asmatic, I don’t have a problem with it’s wind requirements. Compared to other whistles, I suppose it does sound a bit ‘recorderish’. The second octave on the Susato can be a challenge. It’s tough to hold the high notes.
Recently I purchased a Dixon D with the brass tuning slide. It is quieter, and needs control to get the low notes. The high notes are so nice it amazes me. I love to play the tune Innerlight from a Star Trek episode of the same name. It requires me to hit and hold that third octave of D and the Dixon does it beautifully. I have a Sindt D and it plays it well also, but I’m afraid that since the Dixon arrived, the poor Sindt hasn’t seen the light of day. Probably because the Dixon is thicker and easier for me to hold on to with my long fingers.
I’ve played the Dixon at sessions and while it’s not loud, it certainly can be heard. If you want volume though, the Susato would best serve you.
I’ve also owned an Oak and would not recommend it. If you want to go with a real low end whistle, I would recommend the Sweetone. A nice red one. ) For the price, it’s really nice.
) For the price, it’s really nice.