Hello there Whistlers! I’m looking forward to buy my first whistle online but I only have a few options to choose from (all in D): Waltons Little Black, Waltons golden with green or red and Clarke Sweetone but I don’t know which one is better. I’ve heard in Youtube some songs played with the golden Waltons and I really don’t like that much how it sounds, I like better the Little Black and much more the Sweetone but this last one is more expensive (like 3 times more expensive than the little black) with shipping costs and everything. Should I buy what is cheaper, or what sounds better to me? Thanks. 
Cheaper, definitely.
Buy one of each - they aren’t that expensive and you’ll save on postage that way.
Hello Azuulada, and welcome to the forum.
What kind of music do you play, or want to play?
How much musical experience do you have, and on what instruments?
Have you ever played a whistle before?
If someone asked you that question, what would you tell them?
IMHO the Waltons Little Black is “different”, very light in the hand. The Waltons “brass”, much like any other similarly priced brass whistle … and the Clarke Sweetone is my personal favourite of the three, both for ease of playing and for tone.
If I was only buying one, I’d buy the one I liked the sound of best, if I could afford it, else I’d get the brass … or maybe the Little Black 
Hi Azuulada
Are you sure that is the only choice you have? Can you find a Clarke’s Original on the internet anywhere?
I suggest this because they are beautifully made, are in perfect tune, are very reasonably priced (well within the lower price range), but, above all, they ARE what the tin whistle is all about. Even though I COULD afford an expensive whistle, which granted sound very nice, they are a totally different instrument from the point of view of essence, and after years of playing, I will only ever buy a Clarke. The tin whistle is, by definition, a basic, rough and ready little tool to enjoy music with, even to a very high level of musicianship. The Clarke will not let you down in any way at all.
Eric
Hmm. I like Clarkes, but I wouldn’t claim that they are the sole essence of what it means to be a tin whistle. They aren’t even Irish for a start 
And if you want to play with other instruments, being able to adjust the tuning is a must, which is impossible with a Clarke Original.
Add to that the airy, breathy sound that’s not to everyone’s liking, and the fact that newer Clarkes have the air requirement of a smallblock V8 
I came across a old worn and torn Clarke the other day, and the aperture on that one was about half that of the newer one i have! The owner agreed that there’s a world of difference between the old and new ones.
The difference is easily remedied by a simple tweak. Thanks to Dale for the diagram.
Feadoggie
Thanks for the tip! Makes me wonder why on earth the made the new ones look like a veritable arch de triumphe?! Or was the old Clarke tweaked? Hmm..
If you can stretch your budget to $30, get a Jerry Freeman tweeked Mellow Dog. Or for $10 more, get the two body set. You won’t be sorry.
I don’t really know, it’s hard for me to say. I started playing whistle on a Clarke in C some 40 years ago and squashing down the top of the windway has always been standard operating procedure AFAIK. If you’ve got one older than that, it outstrips my personal experience.
And to the OP, in my experience, the Sweetone is the more reliably consistent whistle of the three you mentioned and I feel it is a good first whistle having moderate air requirements, modest hole size and spacing. And they are easily made tunable.
The Waltons whistles do have their own unique character though and you should look into those at some point as well.
Feadoggie
Where are you located?
I’m puzzled that you are finding the Sweetone more expensive. Maybe it depends on where you are, but could you try another source?
At the Whistle Shop for example (http://www.thewhistleshop.com) the Sweetone is less expensive than the Walton’s Little Black.
One of our locals stores has a high mark-up. One doesn’t. I haven’t been to the other stores. A long time ago, we discussed a Christmas catalog that had a cheapie whistle for something like $40. A shop charges what they can.
I recommend the Freeman Mellow Dog too.
What a difference a good whistle makes to a beginner like me.
But I’ve read (but not experienced) the Dixon Traditional is almost as good for slightly less money if cost is really a big issue.
http://www.bigwhistle.co.uk/shop_results.asp?prod_id=657
That is the USA page, if you live elsewhere type in your location for local pricing.
I like my cheap whistles, and I have most of them now.
But, 6 months into my whistling, they are still quite a challenge to play decently.
Well, the Sweetone plays well but doesn’t have the bright tone that I like.
I live in Mexico City, and I can’t buy anything from eBay or any other online store mainly because I don’t have a paypal account (or a way to link a credit card to one) and in the end I think it wouldn’t be a great decision, so the only option I have is the ‘local eBay’ in which everything is way more expensive and well, only the whistles that I mentioned on the first post are available to purchase, and also that’s why the Little Black is cheaper than the Sweetone. But maybe I’m wrong and I can buy a whistle (or two) from an online store, so I’ll take a look anyway .
I play the guitar at a basic level with some notions on notes and musical theory, I’m not so good but I’m a fast learner and also I’ve developed a somehow good speed in the fingers so I don’t think I’d have any problem with that, but I never ever played a wind instrument before so I’ll have to learn to blow (is that the right word? LOL). And nope, I never had played a whistle before (or anything like that) but I do have a never-used flute, would you think that I could practice in it so I can have a little of experience when I finally own my whistle?. Oh, and thanks for the welcome 
-EDIT- And I forgot to say, that I’d like to play Irish and Celtic songs, peaceful and quiet ancient music to calm your soul as well as some popular silly songs (like happy birthay xD), Lord Of The Rings, or maybe something happier like Toss The Feathers; pretty much everything that is played in high tones. But of course, I want to start with the easiest things and end up with the hardest, like in pretty much every instrument.
Or you could try making a whistle. Guido has some great instructions online here:
http://www.ggwhistles.com/
I thought about that suggestion too.
But, if you have never played a whistle how will you get a home made instrument in tune and voiced? It could be done, I suppose…
BTW, Gonzato whistle are a very good ready made whistles.
About buying on Ebay.
Many sellers will use snail mail for purchases, just ask via email.
At worst you will get a no, and that costs nothing.
I don’t have a Paypal account either, and I use Postal Money Orders and snail mail exclusively.
I also think almost all the e-retailers of whistles will do snail mail too, again, ask.
I checked the link of thewhistleshop.com and it turns out that they accept credit card, and with those prices I could buy 2 whistles, but also looked at the Dixon and I think it is just perfect, so I’m in the end buying the Dixon and the Little Black through The Hobgoblin Store, I think those two whistles are just fine for a starter like me. Thanks to all that helped! 
