Hi Guys,
My fiancee surprised me by saying she wants to buy me a low whistle for as my Christmas gift. So now, I’m asking you what it should be…
I currently mainly play a Clarke Original D high whistle and love it. Of the whistles I have (Clarke, Acorn, Walton Lil’ Black D), I prefer the Clarke sound. I hope knowing that will help a bit.
I also have a price ceiling of 90 american dollars, please keep that in mind.
Suggestions?
Thanks!
Maybe a Susato or a Dixon would be good choices. They’re around that price (90-100 dollars).
I found my Howard a very easy to play and nice sounding low D. They are fairly inexpensive, and sometimes you can get a good deal on EBay. Of course, if your partner has a little more money, the Burke Viper is also an easier to play and lovely sounding low D.
For that amount of money ($90), I’d suggest the Dixon. It was my first low D and I still like it.
I like my Burke Viper much more, but I don’t think you’ll find one of those for less than $100, or even $150.
i also started to try the low whistle recently and i got a Dixon ABS one piece recently.
It could be hard to reach the low D note but other than that it’s great, i have a sound sample on whistlethis (see my sig), you might want to have a listen. 
Thanks guys. Can someone find me a link to the one piece ABS dixon?
Also, what do you think of Susato?
Check over some old threads here and you’ll find quite a range of opinions about Susatos (and every other brand).
Susato low whistles have a good strong bottom D and a more wood-like or flute-like tone, because, I think, of the thick wall and therefore deeper “chimney” on the tone-holes than are present on thin-walled metal whistles.
I did a blind sound test of several low D’s and the Susato had the most character of all in the 2nd octave. All the metal whistles, no matter how interesting a tone in the low octave, tended to plainess or blandness (or purity, if you please) in the 2nd octave.
I did not have a Dixon to try however.
right here, on Tony Dixon’s webpage
pancelticpiper… would you suggest susato whistles in general?
I was also considering getting a high whistle from them.
I’ll order a low D Susato the next week, but I already have a high C, D, Eb, F and G from them, and I highly recommend them. I think they are very worth for the price.
The reach on a Susato low D is so difficult, and the holes so large that they offer it with ‘keys’ to enable the player to actually manage it. Keep that in mind. I would not recommend the keyless Susato low D to anyone who hasn’t tried one out.
Are you saying the Susato is more difficult to finger than another low D? I understanding was that most of the lows have the holes about the same (far) distance apart. Am I wrong?
Hmmm.
As I just wrote, on another thread, I just played an old Susato Low D of mine, after a long abstenence, and was amazed at how much I got out of the old thing! And it was as a result of pancelticpiper’s chat, re the woody sound of the second register, that got me started.
I’m a card-carrying lover of high-end Low Whistles, with their rich tonal qualities, but gotta say that the Susato Low D is currently expanding my aesthetic horizons in this regard.
In tune, and with a thinnish, loudish, woodyish, kinda lightweight-reedy sound. oops…is it OK to give this kind of opinion?
PS I have medium-sized hands. Not large. And have traded off great low Ds because of size problems. But the Susato is narrow and light, which helps make up for the longish reach. Good luck!
Thanks for the input!
Let me ask everyone this… I’m new to whistle (been playing for like 6 months now) and I’m still getting down my technique and using tabs instead of reading music.
Should I even get a low whistle at this point or should I invest the $90 (american) in more high whistles in different keys ( I only have D) or a nicer whistle (I use a clarke original) I was looking at susato key sets which looked interesting.
Thoughts?
My recomendation would be to spend the $90 on music and learning materials at this stage of your career. You can play the same tune on ten different whistles, but it’s still the same tune. Building technique and repertoire will get you farther, faster.
Consider buying a used whistle. About half my whistles are second hand. Your money will go farther and allow you to consider more brands. And if you decide a whistle is not a good match, you can often resell with little loss.
Honestly, I think you’re right about that. My advice would be to pick up a nice C and/or Bb (or any mid-sized) whistle to practice with at home. They’re more mellow, and easier on the ears, and will help you develop your technique. I just bought a low G from Mack Hoover that’s to die for. (And it’s very managable, size-wise).
I’d think about a low D after another year of playing. And even then, you may find they’re not your “cup of tea”. Lots of folks love 'em, others move over to flutes when playing low.
No, not all finger spacing is the same. There is great variation in the size of the bore, size and depth of the holes, and shape of the bore itself.
I have 4 different low D’s, and have played at least that many others. For fingering, the Shaw is much easier than some, and really has a great sound. The Chieftain is the one that got me hooked on the low sound. I have a Burke (FS if anyone is interested) that has a tremendous flutey sound. I also have a lacquered PVC low D…I forget the maker, but I don’t think they’re being made any more. And the Sweetheart Resonance that I take to session.
But NO low D whistle is easy for a beginner. The breath control to get through a phrase is tricky. Before plunking down any money, see if there are whistles you can try out. Or get a lower key (C was suggested and I think is a GREAT idea…or Bb) which will give you an idea of what ‘more breath requirement for lower whistles’ means. 
I really appreciate the help. I think you’ve convinced me to hold off on the low D for now and go with something else instead.
Since I only have a couple D whistles, would you suggest I buy a set of Generations or something? Maybe one set of those and a nice normal high whistle?
If so, do you suggest Brass or Nickel? I prefer the sound of the Clarke Original over a Walton Lil D if that helps at all.
I’ve also read that Generations have such bad quality control that I’m likely to buy a set that is unplayable. True?
Thanks!
You know, I’ve played boxes and boxes of Gens, and NEVER found one that was ‘unplayable’. Some would benefit from some clean up and tweak, but not one of them was unplayable.
I like the feel of the nickel, but the brass looks so nicely trad. There shouldnt be any real diff in the sound other than manufacturing variation.
But if you like the conical bores, maybe try a Sweetone.