I’d played mainly the bog-common D whistles (mostly Generation) for a decade or so, and at various points picked up a C and a high G. Then whilst mucking around in Newfoundland I found the need for a new D, and while I was at O’Brien’s Music down on Water Street, I decided to grab a Bb whistle for CAN$13.
Over the last year or two, I’ve come to really enjoy the tone of the Bb. Then, for the first time ever, I started to seriously consider the low whistles. I’d tried an Overton years ago, didn’t like it, and had banished low whistles from my thoughts for some ten years. The Bb was an easy jump to make, since it costs less than even a semi-okay bottle of bourbon, but spending 10 times as much to go ever a half-step lower to an A whistle seemed unreasonable.
I’m over here in Afghanistan doing some work, and had some ready cash and a need for a little spice in my hobbies, so I ordered a Low F (with two keys) from Susato, which made it out here in a record six days. Initial reactions: I’m really digging the low breathiness, the keys make the reach easy (and there’s almost no key noise to my ears), and overall it’s turning out to be a fascinating whistle.
So it looks like my $13 Bb ended up forcing me into the arms of a $130 Low F. And now I’ve got my eye on a $150 Carbony carbon-fibre Low A. I figure I can still make the fingering distance on a Low A, maybe even a Low G, though I have pretty tiny hands for a guy. The Carbony is appealing for its unorthodox look, and the fact that all my other whistles are cylindrical. Also, since I have the Susato M-bore headpiece, it’s tempting to buy the 3-key Susato Low C body to chunk onto it…
Anyone else used the Generation Bb cheapie as a jumping-off point for the Low Whistles?
I did similar, jumping from high D to C to Bb. Then I took the plunge and ordered every Dixon poly up to low D, just to sample the tones and the finger spacings. You may even find A and G managable, I only started to stretch and turn my hands (pipers grip) once I got to E, F, and the mighty low D.
The delightful thing is the richness increases as the whistles get longer!
The Bb Gen is one of the great buys-- better than some of its expensive competitors. Not only is the tone great (trad sounding), the ornaments have a certain pop, and you can lean into the notes too. Playability can’t be beat. I can’t remember for sure but I think this one doesn’t even need the blue-tack fix.
Though I totally agree the off the shelf Gen Bb sounds great, at the risk of giving Mr. Freeman a big head I must add that his “tweaked” Bb isn’t all that pricey and, like all his tweaks (imho) sounds/plays great, in my case even better than the off-the-shelf!
I also have a Mack Hoover blacktop for a Gen Bb, and it’s also very, very nice, and wasn’t that expensive. A bit quieter, breathier, mellower than my JF tweaked, so a different sound. I can almost get away with playing it with my family around though…cool!
Going a little higher end price-wise, I have a Sindt Bb that sounds and plays great. I like it better than the D, probably mainly because its lower pitch makes it sound mellower.
And I asked David O’Brien to sell me a Bb body to go with an existing mouthpiece from one of his older copper whistles that I had and he was kind enough to add in a white delrin mouthpiece (because he said it’s a much better fit)–maybe the most beautiful sounding of the bunch (admitedly that’s super-subjective) certainly a different, rounder, more bell-like sound. I would highly recommend that as another not terribly expensive alternative.
As you can see, I like Bb’s :>) I can play the low D, so it’s not even just a gateway for me…Maybe I’ll swallow my pride and try to record a short piece on each of them to post on one of the file sharing sites the C&F-ers have kindly turned me on to, if that would be of any use to anyone.
Best,
Jaydoc
I just looked at Hoover’s site; does he not make the Blacktop heads anymore? All I saw there were his Whitetop heads. Different/modified product that replaced his earlier line?
Yup. If you want an A whistle without paying A whistle prices, take a Gen Bb, loosen the head and slide it back a semitone. Voila - a reasonably in tune A whistle, which can be tweaked with a little tape over a hole or two if you’re that picky about intonation.
I got my Bb blacktop from Mack a couple of months ago. He makes them to order, so maybe send him an email? I’ve always found him very responsive.
Best,
Jaydoc
I just ordered a “Whitetop” Bb mouthpiece from Mack, so that should get out to me in a week or two. Looking forward to seeing the difference that makes.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with Mack’s, though I’ve only had blacktops and he seems to have stopped mking them for now (there were pretty labor intensive I gather). I just ordered a whitecap A from him, and have blacktops for a mellow D, C, gen d-e-eb-f, and of course the Bb. I;'m a fan.
And David O’Brien is awesome. He tweaked my copper high d and the copper/whitel delrin capped Bb and C sound wonderful in my ear. Will you let me know how you like the telescoping one? It woud be great for travel, esp if it’s not too loud…I’d love to get one of his woods, but the other sounds very interesting!
Best,
Jay
I have a Hoover Grey top (#1227) on a Generation Bb tube. I’ve heard mention of Black tops, and White tops. Is the Grey some sort of mating of the two or is it another beast entirely? I don’t see any mention of Grey on the new, improved Hoover web site.
My trail’s a bit weird, having started whistling with a C rather than a D because I purchased a Bill Ochs book that came with a Clarke C as they had oddly stopped making D for a while. By the time I started lessons with Bill, the Clarke D was back in and we always then used “cheapie” Ds like Walton, Faedog, Gen. I had great luck with Gens overall and long ago got 2 Bflats - one nickel and one brass - and they are indeed probably still the best bang for the buck in all whistledom. The Bflat was indeed a nice bridge between easy playability and that lower haunting tone, suitable with pipes.
I’ve never really taken off with low D whistles although I have several, and find that I’m most comfortable and get most joy up to low G, which I love.
i have a blacktop that i use on several d whistles, and it also fits my gen Eb. i love it; it really helps fix some of the weak bottom end issues that cheapies seem to have.
i also have a whitecap that i use on a gen c whistle, which i have to say, sounds good–and i think it’s made to be quiet; nice for playing at home. but it tends to clog, so i’d never play it out anywhere… but i also just got a whitecap on a low d whistle, and it’s fine (no clogging, still on the quiet side–which i like and asked for).
but i’d also like to know the difference btw the black, gray, and white… i send him an email with a link to this thread; maybe he’ll respond.
hi… he emailed me back directly; this is what he says:
Blacktops is that they are more expensive to make than I want to sell them for so I quit making them for the general public. Grey and white are just two colors of the same size tubing of PVC so that’s the only difference in how they play.
That’s absolutely fine with me, I quite like Donegal …
(And when my recently ordered Generation Bb arrives, tweaked by you Jerry , I know which lovely tune I will attempt to learn , very much looking forward to it.)
I recently played Rob’s low-g and low-d whistles, as well as his whistle with highland pipe fingering.
I found the low-d to be a pretty big stretch, but the low-g wasn’t any harder to play than a generation Bb. It’s longer, but not that much longer.
Make sure you hear one in person before you buy. I found the tone to be really soft and breathy. Kind of like an original Clarke (by way of comparison). It had a really appealing tone that I think would make it a great instrument for solo recording (or just playing tunes at home on), or for use in a band with a microphone. I think it might not work so well for acoustic playing with other instruments (I had harp in mind). To be fair, I did not have the opportunity to try it along with any other instrument, so I might be wrong, but that was my impression.
Bb whistles are most definitely a gateway drug! My first ones were a Susato that was part of a DCBb set and a Gen Bb. Now I also have Susato and Ethnic Wind low G and A whistles. I’ll have to do Susato with keys if I go any lower. I like the G and A because I play with old time musicians, sometimes at Civil War reenactments. Fifes are Bb, but haven’t yet whipped out my Bb to play with the fifer yet. Enjoy being totally sucked in!
. And maybe my fingers can manage a Low D some day …
I must add that his “tweaked” Bb isn’t all that pricey and, like all his tweaks (imho) sounds/plays great, in my case even better than the off-the-shelf!
, very much looking forward to it.)