Maybe I should introduce myself first… since people seem to be doing that on this forum. Umm… my name is Casey and I play Irish music in Portland, OR> Whistle is my main instrument (and favorite) but I also play the bouzouki. I am a youngling though - only 18 - but I have been playing the whistle hardcore for about 2 years now and my mom and I went to Ireland for 3.5 weeks this summer and OF COURSE we went to the Willie Clancy Festival. It was absolutely awesome… but packed to the brim… the sessions were insane (those who have been there know Crosses is the place to be). I also perform in town with a youth Irish band, and play around with different people… fun stuff. Well… on to my whistly question:
My favorite whistle is the Chieftain High D - it’s what I have been playing, it’s what I started on, and it’s what I like. I know there’s a clogging problem and it’s too loud, but go figure, it’s fun to play. Also, the tuning design (I have an older model) is faulty (I guess) and I need to replace the cork as soon as I can since I am using scotch tape to remedy the sealing issue - but I found someone local to fix it I think… I hope… OK, anyways, I am wondering if there are any other whistles that play like a Chieftians. I don’t mean the sound or volume, but I mean the air pressure requirement and even whistle size (I like slightly wider whistles). Since there isn’t a good local whistle shop and my instructor plays only the Chieftain, I haven’t had too much a chance to try other makes of whistles. While in Ireland I was able to play a dixon and a new model of Cheiftain, but that’s it . I have a feadog and shaw, but they are un-tweaked and troublesome. The feadog and dixon aren’t really my type because they require so little air it’s almost uncomfortable to me. I am a sax player and love to blow… The Chieftains whistle takes quite a bit of air and I like it a lot. I think it would be nice to find a whistle that plays like the Chieftains, but has a different sound to it. Also, it would be nice to find a whistle that is a little quieter (it is hard to play indoors with people close sometimes and hard on recordings with my friend). One of my teachers during Willie Week actually implied that it was louder than a susato (hehe), and he wanted me to play my feadog. Any ideas?.. Any advice?.. Any comments?.. Any "hello"s even…?
Welcome. Clarke originals take a lot of air and are on the quiet side. They are not wide though. I don’t have another whistle as wide as the Chieftain. I agree with the volume judgement, my Chieftain is significantly louder than my Susato.
If you’re happy with your Chieftain, why not check out Kerry Whistles, also made by Phil Hardy? He’s good to work with and can most probably voice one the way you like it.
Any more advice…? So far I have these ideas: Clarke, Overtone, and Kerry. Maybe this image will help: I add this because the design of the Chieftains whistle I play is unusual because it was a transition idea in the tuning design - it is smaller than the older AND newer models of the whistle. This makes it slightly quieter than the other models (the other Chieftian whistles I have heard are louder). I am adding this picture of my whistle next to my other whistles to get a size idea. What I am really looking for is a whistle that blows like the Chieftains… anyways… how do wood whistles compare? (I have never even touched one ). Thanks to those who posted!
I would suggest a narrow-bore D by Gary Humphrey (raindog1970). Quiet, versatile, stable, very much fun to play. It will be a nice contrast to your Chieftain.
Well, I’ll repeat myself again but Susato, Chieftain, Overton and Copeland whistles are very loud. It can be very useful but if you want to play with other people in small, indoor sessions and want to make sure you won’t offend anyone with too much volume the least you can do, at least for their sake, is to learn to play a quieter, more responsive whistle. My “loud” whistle is a narrow bore Burke, which is louder than your average Feadog whistle but not as loud as other big guns. My typical small session whistle is a tweaked O’Briain whistle (too soft blowing for many), but there’s many good “quiet” whistles out there. The Sindt “D” and the Humphrey are very good, too.
If you want something that acts like the same animal you have right now, the Overton would obviously be a good choice. Don’t forget about the Syn, its cheap, has similar backpressure requirements and is probably a bit more quiet than the Chieftain (but not by much). I echo the Humphrey, although it will be a different whistle altogether. I started out on whistles that warranted larger amounts of backpressure, but I have slowly started leaning more towards the cheapies and Humphrey’s (although not a cheapie by monetary standards) are this par excellence. I’ve been considering getting the Humphrey.
i would not get too hung up on wanting something that plays like what you have. for one thing, reality check, it will not be quieter. for some options on quiet whistles, write to mack hoover, you can search “mack hoover whistles” on the net and you will get right to him. he makes a quiet whistle, not too pricey, well worth the money, great sound but different. don’t you want some variety? for you and your audiances.
Hey all… thanks for all of the posts. I understand the whole thing about variety, and I am going to just buy a completely different whistle and play-around with it. The problem that I had was I bought and tried to play un-tweaked cheap whistles and I didn’t get any keepers… It’s not that I don’t like whistles that are different - I was just wondering what whistles were like the Chieftains whistle. I’ll probably order a whistle tonight… I am looking at Humphreys, Syns, Black Diamonds, etc… Still I may just pick up a Freeman or O’Briain tweaked cheapy to see what a nice cheap whistle plays like. Sounds like fun to me!
I have been looking around and listening to different whistles thinking about what whistle I want to jump for. At this point I think it would be really interesting to play a Freeman tweaked Generation, since I like the sound of it in Tony Higgins’ recordings on “Clips and Snips” and I think it would be nice to play the ideal traditional instrument. I know this is a much different creature than my Chieftain, but I think it’s worth a go, how about you? Thanks!
Well, some would argue over your description of it as the “ideal traditional instrument” however I doubt you could go wrong with that.
But, really, you may as well get going on your feadog. Those are about the same that you’ll get for feel as any other of the “cheapy” types.
The more you play it, the more you will get the hang of the breath requirements needed, and the better you’ll feel about a Freeman, or something along that line.
The reason I said “idea traditional instrument” is because that is how it is described… not meaning to anger anyone now… I have no problem with playing the feadog (I am an experienced player), I just never really liked the way it plays - the one I have is not of one the finest feadogs out there.
I was bugging you… some would say fiddle, pipes, flute, concertina are ideal.
As for not the best… well, is it one of the new professional ones? it looks like it. From what I’ve heard, Feadogs are pretty standard, and that one is pretty much what the other cheapies will play like. It really is a matter of getting used to it and learning to blow it properly.
Ah well, I’m sure you’ll get on with whatever one you get!
Thanks! I get you were bugging me… no problem But anyways… isn’t the whistle pretty much the most “traditional” Irish instrument. I mean - the fiddle, pipes, flute (I think… don’t know much about the flute actually), and concertina all came later from other cultures. The whistle has roots in Ireland hundreds of years before the other instruments. I mean, hey!, the fiddle was introduced in the 1700s… and isn’t the concertina originally Italian or something! From the looks of it the whistle is what to go with for traditional stuff… but I guess the most traditional thing to do would be make noises that sound like a tune with your mouth… oh wait that’s singing… and hit yourself - or something else - to make a beat… Well, whatever.
Anyways… the feadog I have is the cheapy one - It’s not a new one - I got it like 1.5 years ago. Thanks to everyone for their posts!
I just joined the forum because I remembered this thread. I just got a serpentmusic.com Village Smithy whistle. It is awesome! I hope to write a review. It is wide bore, with a wide windway and fipple. Excellent chiff and just the right amount of breathiness, making a very whistle-y sound. And I need to remind myself to take bigger breaths, because this whistle takes more air (than my Syn whistle). But the sound is worth it.
Phil
I really like the Oak D I picked up this summer at Pike Place Market.
It requires a bit of attention, but nothing you wouldn’t be able to master quickly. I was able to choose, it was only the second one I tried, it suited, so that was it.
Lots better than any of my other cheapies, including my tweaked Feadog, in my opinion.
If you just want something higher-end that you can wail away on, but with a bit different sound than your chieftain, though, I would suggest a Copeland.
M
ooooppss I see that this was an older resurrected thread. What did you end up with?
. I have a feadog and shaw, but they are un-tweaked and troublesome. The feadog and dixon aren’t really my type because they require so little air it’s almost uncomfortable to me. I am a sax player and love to blow… The Chieftains whistle takes quite a bit of air and I like it a lot. I think it would be nice to find a whistle that plays like the Chieftains, but has a different sound to it. Also, it would be nice to find a whistle that is a little quieter (it is hard to play indoors with people close sometimes and hard on recordings with my friend). One of my teachers during Willie Week actually implied that it was louder than a susato (hehe), and he wanted me to play my feadog. Any ideas?.. Any advice?.. Any comments?.. Any "hello"s even…?
Sounds like fun to me!