I am just wondering what is everyones opinion of which whistle is the BEST Eb whistle? In your own opinion of course! Bloomfield, I just KNOW you are going to say Overton if you respond to this post..so please make sure to tell me why! I will be glad to hear from all of you. I have an Elfsong E that I really love and am curious about the Eb.
Thanks ahead of time!..AndreaZ
I don’t know why, but every Eb whistle i ever tried seemed to be pitched a semitone higher than the other instruments in the session.
Glauber try sawing off part of the end. You can use your D as a guide. 
The author of this post is not responsible for anyone who actually does the above operation. Thank you
Don’t overlook the O’Briain Improved Eb. The intonation, tone, and responsiveness of mine is as good as or better than any other whistle I own, including my Burkes.
It’s a horrible horrible thing. But I have never yet played an Overton Eb. You can hear what wonderful instruments they are by listening to Floog (Ballybrolly Set, or whatever it’s called, I don’t have the CD here). But I mean, you can’t go wrong with an Overton, as long as you realize that they are fairly loud (not quite Susato, though), and that they take some getting used to because they require the least amount of air, but the highest amount of breath pressure.
My favorite Eb is a Generation Eb, and I really recommend you start there. They can be divine, and everyone you’ll talk to who has a good Gen Eb loves it with abandon (“yes, yes, take the car, take the antique silver tea set, and the autographed first edition Hemmingway, but DON’T touch my Gen Eb!”… that sort of thing). The sound is just so sweet and whistlely.
In fact, I love my Gen Eb so much that I have never felt the desire to get another Eb.
The Generation Eb is indeed wonderful,but my Sindt Eb is just a bit better-I really like the brass mouthpiece,tuning is spot on.
John Sindt’s aim was to built a consistantly reliable ‘traditional’ whistle-I think he probably succeeded with the Eb.
The answer is definitely the O’Briain Improved Eb. It has some “generation” in it, but you can be certain it’s in tune, as it’s been tempered with. A was joking with StevieJ, telling him that to try and tweak a Generation and get a good Eb, he’d need 10 of them, thus making the O’Briain less expensive at 25$US
I just released a clip on Snips, a set of reels, using the O’Briain Improved Eb. The playing kinda sucks, but I think it gives you a good idea on how good the whistle sounds
PS: When I use the words “definitively the best whistle” it’s a shortcut that means “for me, the best whistle is” but I’m just too lazy to be politically correct
My Gen Eb was a better whistle until my little girl decide it was HER best whistle - for teething and blowing. It now has “character”…
Trisha
There’s no such thing as a good Eflat instrument. Eflat is an abomination invented for those whose hands are too small to play a D flute (or low whistle) and get too confused by all those sharps in an E key signature.
Just kidding. Sort of. I had always poo-poohed the composers who have said through the ages that each key has its own feel or emotional impact. I believe it now, because I’ve never found an Eflat or F instrument that I’ve liked (other than the F horn). I have some very nice Eb and F whistles, and I don’t like any of them. I don’t like the discs I have on which the flute player is playing an Eb flute, and I can tell immediately. I don’t like the sound of the alto (except Cannonball Adderly on Kind of Blue) or baritone sax. I don’t think there’s anything bad about it, there’s just something about Eflat that grates on me personally.
Now, E is the key of the gods. E Water Weasel, low-E Burke, all those songs by Joni Mitchell . . . I dunno why, but E just thrills me.
BTW, in case you don’t pick it up from this thread, the Eb Generation gets some of the best reviews of the whole Gen line. Definitely worth checking out; I will next time I go to HMT.
I have never, ever, tried an Eb whistle that I liked as much as the Sindt Eb. It plays like magic, sounds incredible… absolutely amazing. I wouldn’t give mine up for all the piano accordions in the world.
Chris
Mmm, I think that generalization is not quite accurate any more Bloomfield, and I say that in a good natured sort of way: Colin’s whistles have changed a bit over the last couple of years, and while I’m sure you’ve played some of his newer ones, perhaps you haven’t had the pleasure of playing some of his easier blowing, more responsive models. I haven’t been fortunate enough to try an Overton Eb yet, but I do have a newer Soprano C and Mezzo A that are surprisingly easy to blow, and not what I would call loud - Playing either one in a hotel room I don’t worry me that the front desk will get complaints - not something I could say about the Overtons I first bought 3 or more years ago.
It seems to me that Colin has worked quite hard over the last few years to develop a wider range of instrument voicings for his whistles, and I suspect working closely with players like Brian Finnegan and James McNally has had a significant impact on his results: Brian requiring easier blowing whistles that respond very quickly to octave jumps and lots of tonguing, while still maintaining good dynamics, and James, who is more of a power player, needing the “Classic” hard blowing cannon of a whistle. Stretching to accomodate such diverse needs has, I think, led Colin to offer a wider range of whistle voicings that many people are familiar with, or might expect - At least that has been my experience over the last year or so.
As for my take on Eb’s in general: Of the Eb’s I’ve played (and there have not been that many) My favorites have been the Abell and the Sindt. The Abell Eb is a little Firecracker of a whistle - very strong and responsive from the bell note right on up. The Sindt Eb (useless crossfingered “C natural” equivalent aside) is a wonderful, smooth soundinging and playing whistle that probably provides the best bang for the buck in the “Expensive” category. Now if you could just cross finger the damn thing… 
Loren
Loren, that is really interesting. I don’t have any Overtons more recent than about February 2003. 
I remember speaking to Colin about what I wanted for that and then for the C and the Mezzo A I got in December 2002. I specified that I wanted back-pressure, and I did not ask for easy-blowing. I’ve played a few Overtons and some have been easier blowers than others. In short: While I’ve noticed that Colin’s whistles have gotten quieter of the past two or three years, I don’t think I have first-hand experience with the easy blowers.
Even so, I would tend to think that Overtons play differently than say a Burke or a Copeland and that the different breath/blowing is responsible for that.
I’ve got a Syn Eb that is really nice. It has even more of that buzzy-but-clean tone that the D Syn has, read the reviews of the Syn D and just think: “more so”.
PC
Gen Eb.
I have two fine E-Flat whistles, one made by John Sindt and one made by Mack Hoover. With these at hand I never play either of the two Generation E-Flats I have, one of which is brand new (a dumb E-bay whim–decent price for the Gen, but murder on the shipping).
My view about these things is “when in doubt, get on the waiting list of a quality whistle maker.” Knowing that one is coming makes everything better.
Tom D.
Why? The tempered scale involves compromises. Different keys reflect different ways in which those compromises pan out.
I have a Bernard-made Overton Eb that I love. I also have an Abell, but I’m not really used to it yet. I think I’m going to like it very much when I am used to it. My Susato and Generation Ebs haven’t been played since the Overton arrived.
Hi Chas - what about your ‘name sake’ CHAS Parker ? or Ornette Coleman (mind you,he makes the horn sound like E sharp 
)
On Bari- Gerry Mulligan,Ronnie Cuber,Pat. Patrick,Charles Tyler (‘a sound like rich,dark bittersweet chocolate’ is an apt description I can always recall).
Eb whistle just sounds SO much brighter and livelier than ‘D’ to my ears -but then ,I was an Alto player in a previous life!
AAGH!! Just noticed-posting 666- Jazz really must be the Devil’s music!
I was specifically thinking of Bird and Gerry Mulligan when I posted. I should actually give Ornette another listen since I’ve gotten more into modern music. Not familiar with the other Bari players.
Along with the brighter sound is sometimes a thinner sound. My main complaint, though, is I think Eflat gives music, especially music you’re used to hearing in D, a sense of urgency or tension. Some musicians tune a little sharp for songs on which they want that sense – George Harrison did it occasionally. Richard Farina did the opposite; when he wanted a laid-back feeling for a song or a piece, he tuned his dulcimer down to C# from its normal D.
Hi Chas,
One of Charlie Parker’s ‘tricks’ was to play a phrase ‘half a step up’ to give that ‘sense of urgency’ that you mention.
I think Ornette is the ‘sound of constant surprise’
That guy should be given an honoury knighthood or something (we’ve got 'Sir Paul McCartney and ‘Dame Elton John’ haven’t we? )
Totally O.T. ramble;Did you know that Elton John (Reg Dwight,as he was)got his stage name from his ex employer,singer ‘Long JOHN’ Baldry and ALTO PLAYER, ELTON Dean?