http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0qR5esbBpk
If you can look past the flubs, I think can give a decent idea of the difference in sound between the two. The MK has a more powerful tone, while the Chieftain is softer and breathier. Feel free to give me some feedback on my playing, if you think of anything that could help.
Here’s the older video with the MK and Shearwater comparison, if you’re interested. I didn’t record all three together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS2LaSwEnU0
The high B on the MK sounds like it doesn’t want to speak. Was that just a fluke or is that note a problem?
I have a V3 and like it, except for the middle D, which is quite flat, even when the whistle is warmed up.
The high B note is a problem for me only because I’m used to using the bottom hole to support the whistle. This doesn’t bother my Chieftain in the slightest, but it kills that note on the MK, and it even affects it in the lower octave (though it is much less noticeable). You can see that when I take my finger off the hole, it works a lot better.
To me, there are two things I don’t like about this MK: The high A and B really need to be pushed to stay up there in the second octave, with the B feeling like it wants to drop down, and if I don’t give it enough air it growls a bit. Even when I do, it’s not really a nice sounding note and it can be piercing in a smaller space. (the no touching the bottom hole doesn’t really help either)
The other thing is the harmonics thing I spoke of in another thread. The mid D flips into the A way too easily. I have to blow very softly making an unvented cut on the mid D or it kicks it into the upper A. Again, not a problem with the Chieftain.
Someone said that the Chieftain is a toy compared to the MK. I disagree. If you need a loud whistle for a session, the MK is much stronger than the Chieftain, but I still see the MK as just a small step up from the Chieftain. Stronger tone, slightly louder, slightly more responsive, maybe. I played my MK a lot for about a week, then my Chieftain came back and I played them side by side. I take the Chieftain to school with me and play it at home. I like the tone better. It reminds me of wailing winds, whereas the MK brings crispy onions or dry leaves to mind (it is not surprising that people have troubles describing tone qualities). The only thing I don’t like about the Chieftain is the very upper end. The high B seems to go a bit sharp, but I’ve been working on shading it to bring it in line, and the MK isn’t much better. People talk like they are wildly different whistles, but I just don’t see it (or hear it).
I’m sending the MK back to Misha tomorrow and I’m about to finalize a deal with Mr. Goldie for a D/F set. I get to find out what “Cosmic Drain Pipe” is all about, and he’s going to specifically try to find me a whistle that has the nicest high range I can get, so it will pass the “wife test” which means I can play a sustained high B without being kicked out of the house. The Freeman Generations that I own have passed that test, and the Shearwater does okay. MK’s just too loud and harsh up there.
The high B note is a problem for me only because I’m used to using the bottom hole to support the whistle. This doesn’t bother my Chieftain in the slightest, but it kills that note on the MK, and it even affects it in the lower octave (though it is much less noticeable). You can see that when I take my finger off the hole, it works a lot better.
To me, there are two things I don’t like about this MK: The high A and B really need to be pushed to stay up there in the second octave, with the B feeling like it wants to drop down, and if I don’t give it enough air it growls a bit. Even when I do, it’s not really a nice sounding note and it can be piercing in a smaller space. (the no touching the bottom hole doesn’t really help either)
The other thing is the harmonics thing I spoke of in another thread. The mid D flips into the A way too easily. I have to blow very softly making an unvented cut on the mid D or it kicks it into the upper A. Again, not a problem with the Chieftain.
Someone said that the Chieftain is a toy compared to the MK. I disagree. If you need a loud whistle for a session, the MK is much stronger than the Chieftain, but I still see the MK as just a small step up from the Chieftain. Stronger tone, slightly louder, slightly more responsive, maybe. I played my MK a lot for about a week, then my Chieftain came back and I played them side by side. I take the Chieftain to school with me and play it at home. I like the tone better. It reminds me of wailing winds, whereas the MK brings crispy onions or dry leaves to mind (it is not surprising that people have troubles describing tone qualities). The only thing I don’t like about the Chieftain is the very upper end. The high B seems to go a bit sharp, but I’ve been working on shading it to bring it in line, and the MK isn’t much better. People talk like they are wildly different whistles, but I just don’t see it (or hear it).
I’m sending the MK back to Misha tomorrow and I’m about to finalize a deal with Mr. Goldie for a D/F set. I get to find out what “Cosmic Drain Pipe” is all about, and he’s going to specifically try to find me a whistle that has the nicest high range I can get, so it will pass the “wife test” which means I can play a sustained high B without being kicked out of the house. The Freeman Generations that I own have passed that test, and the Shearwater does okay. MK’s just too loud and harsh up there.
You’re going to like the Goldie. Are you getting an easy blower? On mine I can get up to third octave E without too much problem but he’s going to pick me out what you’re after too, a soft blower with the most relaxed second octave. I would like a little more ease up there too. I don’t know if you a fan of Davy Spillane but his modified Overton had virtually no back pressure which meant it took a lot of breath but he could get those really high notes (third ocatve E on the opening to Riverdance) and they didn’t scream.
I know exactly what you mean about leaving Finger 6 on the E hole having an effect on High B.
I’ve always fingered whistles the way I learned back in the 70s, using a partially closed system. This works great on Irish flute and also on the sorts of whistles we used back then, Generations and Clarkes.
But when I became a full-time Low Whistle player a few years ago I had to relearn my fingering, keeping the lower fingers off for notes in the 2nd octave. For whatever reason High B won’t speak on many new Low Whistles if you have that E finger on.
Richard
Interesting, that’s good to know and worth checking out when buying new low whistles. My Goldie is very obliging. I often finger B & Csharp with all three right hand fingers down depending on what other notes I’m playing. Indeed they seem to help me get those notes in the second octave, so I would be a bit upset if another low whistle wouldn’t do the same. Do you have specific low whistles in mind when you say that about the sixth hole?