a topic much replied on. And now from my side. I had a Dixon alloy D whistle, of which I liked the sound. Problem was that it quickly overblowed going to the second octave, too quickly. The lowest tones were difficult to play because I couldn’t blow soft enough. Then I traded it in a very good bargain for a Chieftain high D. Beautiful whistle, beautiful sound, but… it’s too loud and it takes a lot of air in the second octave. What I’m looking for is something inbetween. Can anyone give me some advise?
Try a Burke. Nicely balanced and not too loud. Same with a Sindt, but a bit quieter.
I can recommend either a SYN or Black Diamond. Volume is mid-range and no issues with overblowing or underblowing. I have three different Dixons. I like them, but I know exactly what you mean. Right now, I’m playing SYNs, a BD and a couple of Hoovers. My Hoovers are a bit quieter, but very nice.
Burke, Sindt, Black Diamond, new Reyburn, Humphrey should all fill the bill nicely. My personal favorite is the Burke.
Philo
Yes, Burke.
thanks. I appreciate it. I heard some sound samples and Burke sounds very nice indeed. Loudness and pressure and that sort of thing is something I must have advise on from others, because there’s nowhere near where I live a shop which sells whistles. So I’m glad with all the advise and also with trading offers (if anyone seeks a near brandnew Chieftain high D)
Go with the Burke now because they are readily available and put in an order for a Sindt.
Love this stuff, eh? You won’t regret it!
I think you’d be happy with any of these: Burke, Hoover, Syn, Black Diamond, Impempe, or O’Brien. All of these are easy to play and relatively forgiving, and all represent a lot of whistling bang for the buck.
Also I left you a PM.
–James
Don’t forget Gary Humphrey…he makes a VERY nice whistle with a
nice traditional sound. His whistles feel great in the hands and are very
easy to control. If you haven’t played one of Gary’s whistles, you are
missing out on a fine instrument.
-James
A Stor Mo Chroi
Ditto to the above, I would say that the Black Diamond, Burke Brass, or Reyburn would be my top picks from that list. You may want to consider the new Dixon Trad, I played Slowair’s at the NE Chiff gathering and had a hard time putting it down. Mike (Slowair) told me that this model has a wider bore than the other Dixon’s, which would mean it should be harder to overblow. If you see a Water Weasel up for sale, snatch it up as that is something else you may like.
The usual alternative is to practice a bit of breathcontrol Learning to play usually solves a few problems with squeaky instruments.
thanks Peter, true, this is the alternative, I’m not saying I’m going to sell my Chieftain. I love the pure sound, especially in the lower octave, and I know I have to practise a bit as I do already with my Overton low D (every day). I might get over the uneasyness of having to use more airpressure, but still, it’s so loud in the higher octave. I’m doubting whether or not it’s the right instrument for me and right now.
I listened to a sound sample of the Impempe. The purity of the sound amazes me and I love it. Then again, it’s just one sample. Also it’s a beautiful looking instrument. Anyone having some experience with it that is: how’s the airvolume, backpressure, loudness, lower vs. higher octave?
Arnie, have a look at Silkstone. I have one and I think they’re great.
website: http://www.silkstone-whistles.com/
soundclips at: http://tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/index.htm
You can come over to my place and try mine if you like.
I also own a Burke D narrow bore brass, so you can hear the difference.
I actually was referring to you complaining to all and sundry about the Dixon. The Dixon shouldn’t be hard to play at all if you have any basic playing skills. Throwing money at more whistles until you find a foolproof one won’t do you much good if you don’t address the underlying problem and learn to play first. You probably know the old ‘al draagt een aap een gouden ring, hij is en blijft een lelijk ding’ which sums up buying a 180 euro whistle quite nicely if you can’t play it. First things first and all that.
too true, i agree, and i AM a beginner if it comes to SERIOUS playing. I just wanted to specify some things. I want a whistle that fits to me and the more I listen and read, the more I get to know, which doesn’t mean it all has to be of the highest standard for me. It’s just that I can’t play any whistle in about 150km around me, so have to rely on others. I probblay ask more and get more info than I ever need, I just need to make a choice, which I don’t like if it’s not based on what I myself experienced.
Well, I take it the Dixon is history, and IMO, anyway,
the Chieftain D is A Beast–though I much like Chieftains
in lower keys. If you have the money, the Burke is
a very good, very playable whistle, as others have said.