There used to be an aluminum body with a black fipple whistle made with a James Galway name on it too. It was my favorite after I lost my Fedoga (brass, green fipple) whistle.
After I lost that one, I found some good Generations and they were my favorites for years, then I picked up some old Clarke Original designs and messed around with them.
I have some Burke whistles that I play a little (low A composite, Low G and D AL-PROs and a brass session pro that I play very little.
I have made some money playing gigs, so I am now a professional, right? Or do you have to make more than you spend to be considered one???
Andrea Corrs definetly uses the LBW every place that sells them (online) says that it is the same one she uses. I prfer nickel myself when it is not my Dixon… I know I should do marketing for him or something great high whistles… sorry went off an a rant there doesn’t matter The Pogues are still no doubt one of the best bands ever in my opinion.
Yes, I play Chieftains almost exclusively. Anything pass Low-D I play the Overton in the Lower keys (Baritone C, B-flat, A, G.) as I have had them for years. Best, - Tal St.Claire
P.S. Lunasa does play Susato’s but they have been carefully selected by the band members. I had a chat with Sean regarding the susato’s some yrs ago.
As far as the first LOTR movie is concerned, didn’t we determine a long time ago that the instrument was a (I believe this was the technical term ) “frickin’ recorder”? That would explain the difference in sound.
As far as what the pros play, the only one I know is Will Millar…I believe he plays a Copeland.
Shame on you Jessie: you forgot Cathal McConnell ! When he was here in upstate NY last year, he had a ragtag collection of “cheapies”-- Generations and the like. All looked very well played, with bits of tape here and there.
Bill Ochs is also a major advocate for really traditional whistles.
Last I knew, Tim Britton played Copelands
During a televised Chieftans concert I saw Paddy Moloney playing a Sindt. They just happened to switch to a closeup of Paddy as he was pulling out the Sindt for the next number.
For Glauber
I’m sorry Lunasa did not play Susatos at the concert you attended. But they
have many times, including the one I attended and many, many others on
the board have seen this as well. I hope you are not so caught up in your
anti-susato feelings that you cannot admit to this!
Two years ago MurphyStout and I got front row seats at a Lunasa concert. We were there long before the concert began and all their whistles were right there on the floor of the stage four feet in front of us. We took advantage of the opportunity to closely examine their whistles (without touching them), and the only high whistles on the stage were several Susatoes. There was no question of what brand they were.
What happened to the claim that Alan Doherty of the Irish/Aussie outfit, Grada, played on the FotR soundtrack?
Either way, despite the recorder rumor, several of us found documented evidence to support that a whistle was actually played.
As far as the Lunasa boys, it says in the Merry Sisters liner notes that Cillian plays a low Bb Chieftain. One of the lads plays an Overton (Sean, I think). Then there’s the F Grinters and the D Susatos.
Phil Hardy touts McGoldrick as a client.
Didn’t Dale gift a Sindt to Turlach Boylan? Or was it a Burke?
And we can’t forget the Scots-Mexican whistler, Taco MacKay, who plays a bright green Walton Rainbow with a Hoover whitecap (he’s a Celtic supporter). You can check it out on his CDs El Haggis Grande and Caledonian Caballero.
When I saw the Chieftains in Nashville at the Ryman for the taping of “Down the Old Plank Road”, Paddy used several whistles. The D was definitely a Sindt, and I believe he had a Bb Sindt. He also played what appeared to be a Burke Composite, and a couple others I couldn’t tell what they were. On the “Down the Old Plank Road” DVD, you can see him carrying around a brass Gen (red tip) with tape on it in the studio scenes.
Andrea Corr used to play a Walton LBW, but more recently I’ve seen her play both a Walton Mellow D and most recently, Gen nickel (blue tip). No LBW. Some online vendors still show old photos of her playing the LBW to increase sales. In an interview, she said she prefers the sound of the cheap whistles, nickel in particular because the tone cuts better when performing live. She also has a bad habit of losing whistles, so likes the idea of “cheap”. Yea…like she can’t afford a house full of high end whistles.
Joanie Madden plays O’Riordan, Burke, Overton, Glenn Schultz, and (yes) Susato. But mainly O’Riordan.
I’m waiting to see how L.E. likes his new Burke Aluminum D (still don’t know if it’s the AlPro or narrow bore).
Jeez, i gotta revisit these threads more often. It looks like i stepped on the tender toes of a Susato player. Sorry, it wasn’t on purpose. Maybe some of the whistles they played were Susatos and i didn’t recognize them. I’m not so smart, you know. You shouldn’t assume i know everything.
Out of curiosity: why do you think i even have anti-susato feelings (does this make me an anti-susite?), not so say anything of being caught up in them? Have we even met?
This is OT for this thread, but a few people have told me that Kelhorn Mike is one of the owners of the Susato whistle company, and designs their whistles. In this case, i’d like to repeat that i’m not an anti-susite. The only Susato i own is a low A which i don’t like much, but i don’t hold that against them, since to me the only whistles that matter really are the high Ds. I don’t own a Susato D and don’t have immediate plans to buy one, but i don’t have any opinion formed on them, pro or con. I think it’s fine for Lunasa and for us mortals to play Susatos. I think plastic is a fine material for instruments, and the flute i play is plastic. But i’m happy with the whistles i’m playing now, and not looking for something new at the moment. (I’m always willing to evaluate instruments, though, if you want to send me one.)
Sorry this is such a long post. I don’t want anyone (and especially no major whistle makers) to have bad feelings about me based on a misunderstanding of something i wrote.
) “frickin’ recorder”? That would explain the difference in sound.
