I would like some good advice on a great whistle for purchase. I have always used the tin whistles, but want a nice sounding excellent made wooden whistle. I have looked at Abell and really like the maker, but is there a little less expensive whistle out there of similar quality? Thanks in advance…
The Busman is nice. 
… never seen this topic before… should be interesting to follow.
(gonna run out to the truck and get me a fire extinguisher…)
be well,
jim
No!
If you buy and play enough handmade wooden whistles what you will find that they are all different from maker to maker regardless of price. Abell whistles are fairly unique, well conceived and well crafted. The Busman is well deigned and well made as well and a little less costly than the Abell. We could say that for quite few other whistles too like Anderson, Milligan, Bartlett, etc.. I could point to a few whistles that are even more expensive than the Abell. The Oz whistle is nicely made and a bit more expensive than the Abell.
The point is this. If you like the Abell buy an Abell. You can buy a more expensive or less expensive whistle but it won’t be an Abell. If you like a Busman, buy a Busman. If you like an Oz whistle buy an Oz whistle. They are all different in how they play and how they sound. Just my two cents.
Feadoggie
Here’s the problem - I don’t know of any store fronts that have any of these whistles. I don’t have the money to buy a few $400- $500 whistles to try out. Is there a place in the Bay Area (California) where I could actually see and try out whistles?
Welcome to the world of whistling. That pretty much describes most of the folks here. And welcome to C&F.
Save your pennies and buy the Abell, if that is what you want. Or I could ask why you want an Abell in the first place. Have you played one? Do you know that it will meet your needs and playing preferences? It’s a good whistle. But there are a lot of good whistles out there as well, just different than the Abell.
If you get out and about in the Irish music world, attend sessions, play in workshops go to festivals, etc. You will inevitably run into most every type of whistle available. Takes time but that’s how it goes. Whistle players are famous for sharing their whistles with other players (interesting epidemiology study). You learn to play on what you have in the mean time. When your present whistle comes up short you should have some experience with other makers to make a decision about what to move on to.
Otherwise, history tells us that if this thread goes on long enough you will have someone suggest every wooden whistle made (as well as some in other materials). That’s how these things go.
Feadoggie
Ya - I understand - I thought maybe I was just in the wrong part of the world where NO one plays a whistle and everyone around thinks only women play flutes (nothing against that! i know some wonderful women who play the flute better than I will ever). So - I will probably go with the Abell - I have heard it before and it is very nice. But I love the idea about going to some gatherings - though I don’t know where they hide out at. I guess a little research wont hurt. Thanks for your advice!
James…
;0)
So many great wooden whistles, which one to choose?
The question hurts my head worse than a brain freeze.
Tommy Dion makes very nice Whistles of Wood in the keys of D, C, and recently in the key of B. Here is a link to a video of the B. http://praisewhistlers.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=6300
There seems to be a divide between the US and Europe over this issue. In Europe, people seem to go for Ormistons, Bleazeys and Roses. Over there, it’s all Busmans and Abells apparently. The OZ whistle bridges the gap by being far away from either continent. Then there are the exotics, with long waiting lists wherever you are (Philippe Bolton in France makes whistles with an 18 month wait at the present time, for instance, although I’ve never heard of one mentioned anywhere). They’re all good, all different, imo. In my case I had to buy a few before I made up my mind, which is probably how most people do it.
You might contact The Irish Flute Store or Whistle and Drum. Both will allow you to return a whistle that proves to be the wrong choice for you. Something that can usually be decided pretty quickly. Of course this isn’t always the case, I’ve had whistles that at first I didn’t care for that became favorites after some familiarization.
People often talk about “breaking in” a whistle, flute, or recorder when, in reality, I think it’s the player the gets broken in.
JD
OK Friends - what about a Gene Milligan? Does anyone have experience with them - I see they have a nice blackwood Hi-D. Thanks HUGE - for the two sites mentioned for checking out whistles. I think I found these sites some time ago - but forgot they were out there.
Of course. It is another good whistle. It is not a Chris Abell whistle. The question is, “Do you have experience with a Gene Milligan whistle?”. I would humbly submit that you should not necessarily pick a whistle based on someone else’s preferences unless you “have the money to buy a few $400- $500 whistles to try out”. Get out and play some whistles and figure out what you really want.
You might want to read reviews of some whistle. Like here: http://www.tinwhistler.com/reviews.aspx
Google is your friend.
Or use the search facility here on C&F. Follow this link. You’d be hard pressed to find a whistle we haven’t discussed here before.
Feadoggie
I wouldn’t say there is any divide. Well except perhaps those that cause the fluctuation of the value of currencies around the globe. I think folks buy good whsitles when they have the funds to afford to do so regardless of the country of origin. I know I have. And when, as an example, the value of the US dollar is weak against the pound or Euro, those in the states may tend to buy American for the perceived higher value for their expenditure.
Otherwise it may just be a matter of thinking global but buying local. I do like it when I can “meet my maker” as it were.
Feadoggie
See if these sessions are still active, and maybe there will be whistles to be tried.
San Francisco, CA
http://www.thesession.org/sessions/index.php/search?country_id=173&areaname=CA&town=San+Francisco&day=Any&search=Search
Berkeley, CA
http://www.thesession.org/sessions/index.php/search?country_id=173&areaname=CA&town=Berkeley&day=Any&search=Search
San Jose, CA
http://www.thesession.org/sessions/index.php/search?country_id=173&areaname=CA&town=San+Jose&day=Any&search=Search
Santa Cruz, CA
http://www.thesession.org/sessions/index.php/search?country_id=173&areaname=CA&town=Santa+Cruz&day=Any&search=Search
I have both an Abell and a Milligan. I prefer the Milligan. Mouthpiece is very short on the Abell. Since I’m a “wet” whistler, that’s a problem. The Milligan is louder, important for acoustic public performances. Also, the Milligan has a slightly flute-like (“fuller”) sound. Not that (slightly) flute-like is necessarily better than whistle-like. But I can get a whistle sound out of any whistle. The Milligan sound is special, and works very wlll when playing with a small combo. Also, when playing acoustically with the trio I don’t like having to “lean into” the high notes in order to keep them in tune. It gets too loud and I get complaints. You can get the high notes in tune with less wind on the Milligan. I worshipped the Abell until the Milligan came along.