I recently asked a question about tunable whistles. I appreciate everyone’s responses as it has helped me in determining my next whistle purchase. Now, I’m curious, what whistles (i.e., brand and model) do you play and like? This is kind of redundant because I would figure if you play a certain whistle you like it. Thanks!
Kye
P.S. And a whistle that has a genuinely in tune “C natural.”
I like all the whistles I play! I don’t play the whistles I don’t like.
Seriously, there are fans for just about every whistle out there. If this thread has the legs you will hear from them all. Every whistle has its own appeal. What makes a difference is your personal preferences, skills and expectations. There appears to be no one perfect whistle for every player. Play the whistle you have. If you find that it no longer meets your requirements or expectations, look for one that does. And then if you can’t find a whistle that performs up to your expectations, start making your own.
In other words get yourself a dose of WhOAD (Whistle Obsessive Acquisition Disorder). Many people here suffer from that, in fact sometimes I reckon this forum is just a support group for whistlaholics . Me, I am immune. I only have five low D’s. I don’t need any more. Except maybe an Onyx. Oh and one of those beautiful Garvie whistles. Blackwood? Mopane? maybe one of each. But thats all… I think.
Yep the cure for the addiction to buying whistles is to get addicted to making them instead… Hey, I can control the addiction, though. I have only made two. (yeah, yeah, yeah, eight heads and fourteen bodies but only two whistles, right?).
Watch out Kye, this man is going to lead you seriously astray. [Psssst, wanna buy a home-made bass A, one careful owner… ]
My high D of choice is from Paul Busman (brewerpaul here on the board). In fact, I just sold off all my other high D’s. If I lost it, broke it, or it got stolen, I’d buy another without a second thought.
Only Fools and Horses - in the episode “Heroes and Villains”, Trigger wins an award from the council for owning the same broom for 20 years. He reveals that it has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles, but insists it is still the same broom. This has given rise to the expression “Trigger’s broom” (more properly known as the Ship of Theseus paradox). For example : “Sugababes are the Trigger’s broom of pop music”, indicating that none of the original line-up remain in the group.
High D - Whitney, four of Tyrone Heads, Clarke Sweetone (Freeman Tweeked), 2002 Ralph Sweet Sweetheart and a brass tunable whistle by Duke Morris (just-plain-duke)
High C - Burke Aluminum Session
Bb - Jerry Freeman Tweeked Generation
I like my Freeman tweaked Clark Sweetone (the C nat is quite in tune). Can’t seem to get away from it. I really like that it only cost me $20 including shipping. But then, I’m not a dedicated whistler. Being a fluter, I like whistles that take a good amount of air. Got my eye on a Goldie high D, but can’t quite bring myself to pay the $250 for it. Haven’t crossed over into full WhOA…yet.
I like to play the closest one to me. It could be a $6 one or $200 one. I like them all. I have never sold a whistle. I do give a few away. I like my Feadog and my Burke and my Alba and my Humphreys and my Gens. Thats just in high D. In Gens I especially like Ebs. If your still in doubt read my signature line.
D : the Sindt goes out with me, at home anything that is handy: Cillian O Briain improved, Feadóg, Generation, Darra or Oak
I have a few Generation Cs that get played occasionally and one Generation e flat, there’s a Sindt B to accommodate visiting pipers but in reality it doesn’t get played much.
There’s a a few more other keys in the vase, a Susato A that was given to me and some odds and ends that are all basically unused. The few designer ones (other than John Sindt’s) that made it in the door have all been sold as I didn’t have a use for them so they were only cluttering up the place.
I play my own D and C (natch!). In my band I also regularly play a Goldie Overton A, Schultz Water Weasel G and Sweetheart Resonance low D.
BTW-- all whistles have a good, in-tune C nat if you’ll just take the time and effort to learn to half hole. Same for Fnat, G#,Bb, Eb…Why would someone not want to learn this simple skill (yes, simple)?
As a collector, I’ve amassed over a 100 whistles. As a player, over the past couple of years, it’s become real simple - Sindt silver high D always, but when traveling, Busman green delrin.
I just play at sessions I don’t find a use for many keys. I play my Busman D at sessions when switch from flute to play whistle. I also have a very nice whislte made by Greg Mahan - The Wandering Whistler. He was making whisltes for a short time some years ago. The one I got from him is a D in Cocobolo that has a nice, soft sound which works great as my “sitting on the couch playing whistle while my wife knits or reads whistle”. I have some others that my grandchildren play.
Guess I’m not a true collector.
Since you play only low whistles, let me just put in a recommendation for the Bleazey low G, which has a unique sound. Lovely, although the upper register needs a bit of taming. I should really play it a lot more than I do.
As for me, I play Rose, Bleazey, MK and Goldie, and like them all.
I own two whistles,both in D, a Walton’s Irish and a Clarke original. The Clarke is awesomely in tune. The only thing I really don’t like about it is that it’s soooooooo quiet. And I thought the recorder was quiet! lol. I can’t play it with my sister’s violin. My Walton’s is louder but doesn’t quite have that awesome tone of the Clarke. It also has a crack down the head, but this doesn’t affect it’s playing. It also has different sound…a rougher edge I think… At least I can hear it with my Sis’s violin, and she has a super loud violin.