Hello all. I’m looking for a next step up from the lower of the price range inexpensive models and find that the Dixon high D’s fall in my price range. I see from the Tony Dixon site that there are quite a few to choose from. Are there some better than the others? Is it pretty much the higher the price the better the whistle? I mean, there is a significant price jump from the Dixon Trad, to the Dixon alloy, to the Dixon polymer with brass slide.
Also, am I seeing a similarity between the Dixon new design and Erick the Flutemakers whistle design? Thanks everyone.
I also like the Dixon Trad. It’s a well balanced easily controllable whistle and it can be played quite softly in the second octave which is a quality I always look for in a whistle.
The Dixon Trad would probably be the whistle I played the most if I didn’t have my Thornton. It’s the only Dixon whistle I’ve played, so I can’t comment on the others. I’ve never bought a plastic (polymer or PVC) whistle because I find I can build quite good PVC and CPVC whistles myself. I’m not sure whether this means I wouldn’t buy whistles at all if I had metalworking capabilities…
I second the trad (I have the brass trad). It’s a great whistle. Tuning isn’t perfect on mine, but better than many cheapies, and the sound is as you’d expect from the name: a kind of traditional, edgy sound.
If you’d like a warmer sounding whistle maybe one of the polymer whistles is better, but, like the others, I haven’t tried them.
I really love the trad as well, in fact it 's probably my favorite high d, even though i have a much more expensive whistle. Something about the tone on mine, the sweetness, the oh so sweet sounding high register… really, the only thing about the trad that may be a downer for some is that it is a quieter whistle, but for me that’s a positive feature, as my playing is all solo anyway and the quieter sound is more pleasing to me and my whistle-hating family members.
I have two Susatos - a regular and a narrow and while I do like them the Dixon Trad is much more pleasing tone-wise to my ear. The Susatos have a more “comical” sound to me. The best tone to me is from my Clarke Originals.
The trad is nice I played one a couple years ago. I also like the Aluminum session model which I played when it was on tour. Tony makes a nice Whistle my first foray into more expensive whistles was a Dixon. I do prefer a whistle with a bit more volume that can take a push, but Dixon’s are well made and Tony is a nice guy.
I have read a few reviews that say the poly model is not beginner freindly. They’re a bit on the touchie side.
I have had a D Trad (brass) which I sold and still have several PVC models. (w/brass tuning slide). I did like the Trad, but actually thought that it had a ‘brighter’ sound that was a touch on the harsh side for my taste. Other do like that however. The pvc’s have a tone which I find more pleasing (to me at least). As far as them being “touchie”, I’d have to disagree…
They are probably the easiest whistles I have ever played. They just need a little dicipline on breath control on the bottom bell note. Try and play it too loud and the note will break, it’s as simple as that. Personally, I think that the sooner a beginner learns that breath control, the better anyway.
The Trad had slightly more accurate tuning, but a few passes with some rolled up fine sandpaper in two of the holes on the Pvc’s have made them as good as the trad in that department.
I have the Dixon Trad in brass and in nickel, plus a Dixon polymer with the brass tuning slide. All 3 are nice whistles. Personally I like the Trad in brass better than nickel, but the polymer will always be top of my Dixon list.