It seems to me that although some trends come and go such as the latest Dixon craze. There seems to be some whistles that you either love or hate, and maybe some animosity toward recorders. For instance The Sweettone, this whistle seems to be fairly easy to play with a jolly round sound almost like a Susato vsb. It seems to me that with this whistle in particular there is either a love it or hate it mentality. Sure it does not have a traditional sound. But that is whoa is all about isn’t it? Having a diverse grouping of whistles all unique in their sound and playability. For instance I have a little black that occasionally throws temper tantrums. She will squawk and make all sorts of noises if I am not in a certain mood, or when I try to play slow airs. On the other hand I have a Oak that sounds beautiful for slow airs, probably my favorite whistle. Then there is my Dixon which is ok and to me is a cross between an Oak and a Sweattone. Then I have my trusty Clark original. I don’t play it as long as other whistles because the wood tends to saturate on me. But for really fast reels I love my Feadog with its very hoarse and chiffy classic sound. The Generations I have not had the pleasure to play yet but have heard good things about there new ones. My Clare is also a favorite for jigs along with my Walton little black. I just purchased a Sweettone and I have to say I like it. It is not good for everything. But when you love whistling as much as me you find that certain moods tend to make you reach for a different whistle. My oak is definitely a favorite for its clear sharp sound that I find settles me when I am in the mood for a slow contemplative air but can quickly change tune to a romping jig. But my new Sweettone I must say is finding a special place in my playing because it seems to have a different bite than the Oak which may make it ideal for some airs and other songs. Overall I am saying two things.
A) I have a bad case of Whoa
B) Each whistle while some are easier to play with my hands than others, they all have a unique personality that I have come to enjoy. Whether they are stubborn or mild mannered they all are very enjoyable to play.
What are your current favorite whistles and for what tunes!
[ This Message was edited by: bufo on 2003-02-04 15:02 ]
My current favorites are my Elf Song D, particularly (but not exclusively) for slow airs…the sound is absolutely seductive! I like to play my O Briain “improved” when my hands are giving me grief…it’s so small and light (probably the lightest of my whistles). It has a sweet, delicate voice that reminds me of a lark. I’m also enjoying my new Dixon, particularly when I don’t have a lot of time to play, and hence don’t want to take time to warm up one of my metal whistles.
On 2003-02-04 14:53, bufo wrote:
The Sweettone, this whistle seems to be fairly easy to play with a jolly round sound almost like a Susato vsb.
Wow. I couldn’t disagree more. I like both, but to my ear they are as different as whistles can be. But anyway, I agree that many whistles have desirable characteristics and it’s a great thing to have a chorus of whistle voices from which to choose.
On 2003-02-04 17:02, JessieK wrote:
Wow. I couldn’t disagree more. I like both, but to my ear they are as different as whistles can be.
~Jessie
Really what whistle would you say sounds similar. I am always interested in comparisons. Everyones ear is a little different. It is one of the fun things about playing in a group.
Sweetones are breathy and sound similar to Clarke Originals (though not as breathy as those) and breathy Abells (not all Abells are breathy). Susato VSBs are pure and sound like O’Riordans, Weasels, Seery whistles, etc.
On 2003-02-04 16:55, paulsdad wrote:
I certainly love my well-worn Sweetone.
What color is yours, and if you have the natural finish does it show finger hole wear like the origionals?
I have two…a D in “Emerald Gold” and a C in “Starry Night.” Nice paint jobs on both…even prettier than on the website (not surprising…there’s no way even the best web photography can capture the depth of color).
I often describe my Elf Song as well-trained, mature sopranos (I’m primarily a vocalist, and think in terms of choral music)…pure, rich, with a distinctive timbre that shines particularly well on slow airs. Not at all shrill. Less “airy” than my Dixon (which almost sounds like a wooden whistle), more “color” than my O Briain “improved” (which reminds me of a boy soprano). Much “purer” in tone than my Meg, and much sweeter than my Generations.
For me, it’s not just the type of song I’m playing, but also the environment, etc.
My Chieftain Golds sound very good, but they want to be pushed. Wonderful for a session in a noisy pub, not so good for solo playing in a more subdued environment where I don’t want to be the center of attention. If I don’t push them hard enough, they break badly on the upper octave.
My Dixons, OTOH, are the easiest to play gently. They don’t like to be pushed very hard, and the low-D is very quiet.
My Soodlums performs very well for fast pieces, played “confidently”. It is very unforgiving if I’m at all tentative in my playing.
I simply like a whistle which has a beautiful tone, good intonation, and is easy to play. I have a Burke brass pro narrow bore for practice at home and a Burke brass pro session for playing with groups. All of my other whistles are gathering dust; most of them will be sold or given away sooner or later.
Right now I have a Reyburn low G in my hands. Ive had it for almost 2 weeks now. Just cant get it out of my mind. If there was such a thing as a “Pratten” style whistle this would be it. Big sound, with more ability to express then any whistle I have ever played. (of course thats not saying much) I am lucky enough to own a couple of realy good whistles and my daily playing seldom envolves just one. But that is whats so cool about whistlen. There is a sound for every mood. I love my cheap whistles for the complexidy (?) of the sound they produce. I just got a Clarke original the other day which I like very much. I`ve never had one but had read so much about them here that I thought I should at least try one. It has actualy changed the way I play all the songs I play on it. I have to breath in completly different places. It changes the rythum and the feeling of the songs. They are all new again. Heck I love all my whistles.
I am new to whistle compared to most people. I have been playing for a while now discovered it in my senior year of highschool. Now that was about 4 years ago. But I must say that I am a happier more calm person now because of this whistle. Maybe its just me but I play my whistle when ever I have a chance, especially when there is work to do. And when I am in class or at work all I think about is that new tune or something new to do with the whistle. I will sometimes sit up on the roof at night look up at the quiet sky and just play for hours. Although the Cnat note is a challenge when your laying on you back at a 30 degree angle.
On 2003-02-04 19:32, bufo wrote:
I will sometimes sit up on the roof at night look up at the quiet sky and just play for hours. Although the Cnat note is a challenge when your laying on you back at a 30 degree angle.
So I’m not the only one! Something very calming about playing the whistle under the stars. Since one of my other hobbies is astronomy, it seems like a very natural sort of thing to do.
Still, I probably confuse the local beasties - some of my favorite observing sites are in parks well out in the hills. The coyotes and raccoons must wonder what the #$%#@ that noise is . . .
On 2003-02-04 16:55, paulsdad wrote:
I certainly love my well-worn Sweetone.
What color is yours, and if you have the natural finish does it show finger hole wear like the origionals?
Mine is the silver-colored natural finish. The finger holes have no plating left around them and overall, the whistle looks fairly disreputable. A couple of years ago I filed and sanded down the ridge along the seam on the back of the whistle.
The whistle still has a lovely sound, and I fully expect that it may “become real” any day now.
On 2003-02-04 19:32, bufo wrote:
I am new to whistle compared to most people. I have been playing for a while now discovered it in my senior year of highschool. Now that was about 4 years ago. But I must say that I am a happier more calm person now because of this whistle.
Six weeks, baby, six weeks. But I agree about the calm part. My husband the other day said, “I’m really glad you’ve found the whistle”–now THAT’s saying something, considering what he’s had to suffer through!!!
For playing slow airs and such, and around the house playing: Definatly my Clarke Original. For playing at Church: My Clarke Sweetone, which I love and everyone calls a recorder my worship leader doesnt like the fact that I’m out of tune with the band though (I’m a nontunable woodwind, YOU tune to ME!) I am waiting, waiting, waiting for my Elfsong D/C set and slowly saving for a Water Weasel in A, Both of which will probably take over in the “most often played” title
On 2003-02-04 17:19, JessieK wrote:
Sweetones are breathy and sound similar to Clarke Originals (though not as breathy as those) and breathy Abells (not all Abells are breathy). Susato VSBs are pure and sound like O’Riordans, Weasels, Seery whistles, etc.
~J
I agree about the purity of Susatos as, I think, do most people who’ve played them.
There seems to be a lot of disagreement about Sweetones though leading me to wonder if they vary a bit. I have one I’ve liked (D), which, when I got it, seemed nothing like my Clarke original D which is very breathy. It had a sound like no other whistle I’ve ever played, before or since—sort of over-ripe and fruity. That was 18 months ago, now when I play it, it just sounds lifeless and boring—maybe I’ve blown it out. My Clarke Original still sounds just like it always did.
my worship leader doesnt like the fact that I’m out of tune with the band though (I’m a nontunable woodwind, YOU tune to ME!) I am waiting, waiting, waiting for my Elfsong D/C set and slowly saving for a Water Weasel in A, Both of which will probably take over in the “most often played” title