Hello everyone…I am about to start playing tin and low whistle and i am very unsure about what whistles to get as there are SO many different makes, keys etc 
I play ITM on my fiddle to a good standard and I am a fast learner. I’m still only 18 and I don’t want to leave learning a fab instrument till it’s too late!!
So…any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated 
Dan
You should start with a whistle in the key of D because it’s the most common to play ITM.
Regarding to the brand.. you can go with a cheap Clarke Sweetone, Walton’s Mellow or Oak (among others).
Welcome to the boards!
Martin
Thankyou!
Yes I thought D would probably be best!
I am quite serious about learning this instrument and I (or my mother in truth!) am thinking of spending about £100 on a low whistle and £30 on a high whistle…it may sound a lot for someone who can only play half of the first section of one tune on the whistle…but I know I will persevere!
it is never too late to start a new instrument! generation has good reviews for cheapies and clarkes too.
The only way you’re gonna find out what whistle works for you is to get out and try them. This may mean buying lots of whistles, maybe not, if you hit sessions, ask to try somebody’s whistle there, ask them what they think of it. For me, I personally enjoy the regular Feadogs and Generations. Others will swear by their designer whistles, which is fine, again, you have to find what you like.
If money is an issue, a good beginner whistle is the Clarkes. The Original Clarkes with the wooden fipple blocks will take a bit more air then the Generation fipple type whistles, so if wind requirements are a problem, I would suggest the Clark Meg or Sweetone in D. They’re a very forgiving instrument, and the cheapest, under 10$ out the door, in fact you might spend more on shipping then actual whistle itself!
If money isn’t an issue, I’d suggest a Burke narrow bore brass (in D of course) or aluminum. Personally I find the brass has a warmer and therefore more characteristic tone over the bare (or pure) sounding aluminum. Again, because I find the burke to be a very forgiving instrument, easy to play in that respect.
Just my 0.02 cents…
Cheers,
dan,
I am a beginner too, and wasted money money on several cheapies and then got an amazing Freeman Tweaked Mellow Dog for £27. This is my best whistle and I’d recommend it to anyone.
order from Jerry Freeman himself on these boards or from www.bigwhistle.co.uk
As for a Low Whistle I also wasted money on a one piece plastic dixon, which although it is nice, it can be very easy to overblow. After that I got an Alba Q1 Low D for £90, from Stacey at http://www.albawhistles.com/
Great whistle indeed.
John,
Yes I thought that if i spent less money i’d get less of a bargain coz the whistle woudn’t be very good!
I’m leaning towards the Burke Low D…but of the high whistle you suggested, I will look into that.
Thanks,
Dan
Eighteen, eh? Yep, may be too late…I started when I was about 42 and loving every bit if it. Enjoy.
Philo
I would suggest going with a D (high) Shaw or Clarke Sweetone. Shaw is way better, but Sweetone is less expensive.
I have a bunch of whistles and I have found out that price isn’t always a good indicator of the sound that I like out of a whistle. Most high priced whistles are too pure and sine wavey for my taste (ears).
My favorite suprano D whistles are the Clarke original design, the Every whistle with just intonation tuning, Generation brass tube with a Whitetop fipple and a Michael Burke blacktip brass session pro.
Some people think that the Clarke takes too much breath, but I mostly play an untweaked one. I just ordered a tweaked Clarke original design from The Whistle Shop to see what it is like as I have gotten used to my Mack Hoover whistle collection’s air requirements.
My favorite low whistle is my Michael Burke AL-PRO (made in 2000, he has a newer design now).
I recommend the Every whistle (just intonation) from Parks Whistles as I can play louder than my Burke and quiet as a whisper. They are great when you have to play but might disturb the neighbors. It takes about the same breath as the Clarke.
Regard the whistle as you would any instrument. That is, establish the sound you want and then buy the best whistle you can afford.
Here are two sites that have whistle reviews and sound clips:
http://www.tinwhistler.com/index.aspx
http://www.tonyhinnigan.com/moviedl.php?group=29#
In high D whistles, my faves are: Oz, Reyburn, Abell, Overton, Copeland, and Burke.
In low Ds: MK, Overton, Burke, and Alba.
Good luck, Cyril.
I would get ready to buy a lot of whistles. Once you buy one, you can’t stop buying them. Right now I am waiting for a Vargas tweaked gen, and as soon as I get more money, I want to buy an everywhistle.
Just buy as many as you can and eventually you might settle on a few as your favorites 
I second that.
I’m waiting an EveryWhistle, a Clarke Sweetone, a Susato in E and a Susato low D, lol
A couple of thoughts here.
First, start with a high D whistle and forget low whistle for now. Low whistle is much harder to play and control and you really need a solid foundation on the high D whistle first.
I personally like Oak whistles a lot. Feadogs are also quite nice. Either one would be a fine whistle to learn on.
I would recommend your priority be on getting solid on these inexpensive whistles while you listen to as much good whistle playing and ITM music in general as you can.
By the time you are developing some skill, if you are still wanting a more expensive whistle, you’ll have a much better understanding of what you are looking for in a whistle.
Also, then you can start looking at low whistles, and have a much better experience with them.
Just my $.02; your mileage may vary.
–James
I’ll second the waiting on the low whistle, and sticking to the soprano for the very reasons peeplj listed.
Another thing to consider is how serious are you about the whistle and do you really think spending hundreds (if not thousands God forbid) of dollars on high end whistles is really wise? Just about any cheapy will suffice, Clarkes, Generations, Feadogs, Oaks and Susatos are all fine in my opinon, and the nice thing is they’re cheap, (under 30$ minus some of the larger Susatos which you should be staying away from!!) so if you decide the tin whistle is a waste of your time and you’d rather be fiddling, not too much damage is done to your wallet.
Again, just my $0.02, but I would ask to try (if possible) before you buy the more pricier whistles. Another option is you can buy whistles used.
Cheers,
Also, you can sign up for the whistle tours and check some of them out.
Just be aware that lots of folks end up with a pile of cheapies they never play; and then end up buying a quality instrument that will be a keeper.
A no gamble quality whistle is a Sindt. The last time I checked; about a month ago they were selling for $105 USD with a two month wait.
A good compromise is any of Jerry Freeman’s tweaked whistle’s that you can get for less than your £30 budget for a high D.
BTW, I started playing whistle seriously about 8 years ago on a Burke Low D. I didn’t find a low D difficult; probably because I started with a quality low D.
Also, be aware of Doc Jones’ Irish Flute Store http://www.irishflutestore.com/newsite/ a good source for used whistles.
My guess is that if you have the discipline and patience to play a fiddle, you will have no problems with either high or low whistles.
All the best, Cyril
I’ll second the recommendation for a Mellow Dog. I would also recommend that you order straight from Jerry Freeman, and pay an extra $5 for a C body. You’ll end up with a great C/D set for under $50.
Another option is to try a few cheapies, then order a Whitecap or Blacktop from Mack Hoover. That will turn a good cheapie into a really nice whistle.
Jason
Well, as many here can tell you, it’s never too late, especially at 18!
There are as many opinions on which is the best whistle to learn on as there are whistles and players. “Quality” is subjective, as are many of the aspects that go into defining a whistle. (a little time spent in the archives reading the heated arguments over them will prove that!:lol: )
Your best bet is to just get one and start. Then, if there is something you end up really disliking about it, look for another. You’ve got to start somewhere, and there are good things to be said about nearly every whistle, and bad as well.
I do recommend getting a Jerry Freeman Tweaked whistle, just because you are not going to break your budget and you will get a whistle that has been hand tweaked to give the best it can, but just about any whistle will do for starters. If you want to jump in at a higher price, of course, just look at the reviews on the Chiff and Fipple main site http://www.chiffandfipple.com/
Welcome to the madness!
Also, it’s not good starting with a ‘‘high-end’’ whistle like a Burke, because the funny thing is just buying from the cheaper to the more expensive. Be EVOLVING. 
Anyways, sooner or later you should have them ALL! 