Whistles You Like and Play

All Generation for the “high” Bb - F
Hamilton low D.

My Mellow Dog has an in tune oxx ooo c-natural. It’s also the only D whistle I’ve been playing since I got it.

Clarke original D, Burke brass session D (which I would gladly trade for a Burke aluminum D–I like the sound of aluminum), Tommy Dion Bb in CPVC (sounds great!), Burke aluminum Bb, and most of all–Burke aluminum low A.

Borrowing an Overton/Goldie high D–it’s great and may not make it back to its original owner :wink: .

Other high D I’ve used most: Freeman-tweaked Sweetone.

Both have an excellent OXX OOO C. One just happens to cost 10x’s what the other does.

I haven’t really been bitten by the WHOA-bug, so it’ll be a short list:

Overton Goldie High D - My beloved session- and gig whistle with a great punch and fantastic, albeit somewhat unusual, tone.

Dixon Trad in brass - What I use most for practicing at home as it’s not nearly as loud as the GAP (Goldie Artillery Piece), but with a somewhat similar breath requirement and playing feel.

And the old Clarke Original D still gets i whirl now and again.

Good list!

Wow! that’s a lot of whistles!

Sindt and Dixon Trad, both high D.

Susatos in Low A, B, C, Db, D, E
Mack Hoover Bb
Ethnicwind Low D, F, G
I have an Oak I do not play in high D and a Hoover high D I don’t play because it is way too quiet and I tend to over-blow it.

I plan on getting a Gen A from Jerry and a Susato Low G as soon as I can afford it. I am not crazy about the sound of Susatos but I need something that is going to be solid and strong enough as I do play with a band every week. I guess someday I need to take a risk and modify the shelf for better sound but that is an expensive risk for now.

I guess whistles are not the best instrument for a low income person to take up but dang it, I am sucked in for good. I am going to try to make me some whistles from scratch out of polymer clay (for the head) and metal tubing. I would really like to have some in uncommon scales that are not available to me as I do play some Mid Eastern music. I just got a cordless dremel tool I love and am using it enough making other things to get skilled on all the attachments. Kind of scary to start though on the whistles and I am not sure why.

I like to play a Clarke Original Tinwhistle in the key of D.

I absolutely love the Dixon trad high D for practicing. It’s my new favorite. Generation Eb’s are nice too :slight_smile:


I am quite fond of the cheap-y whistles.

It’s not? :stuck_out_tongue:


In my case, I like to play my Susato in D because of the volume. I play with a youth choir. Even with a mic, I need to be heard :stuck_out_tongue:

I just bought a Chieftain in A (tuneable) that will probably end up being my “main” whistle.

f - Goldie/Overton (a fantastic and fun little whistle)
d - Mack Hoover black top on titanium body(perfect chiff and probably my favorite of all of them), one of my own trads in brass (very bird-like), Goldie/Overton, Freeman Blackbird, Feadog. *
c - Mack Hoover black top - sometimes on a brass Feadog, sometimes on a Gen nickel body.
GG - Goldie/Overton
DD - Goldie/Overton (Sold all the other low D’s in favor of this whistle, including the MK - although I do sometimes miss the shape of the MK’s mouthpiece… the Goldie is just… better.)

  • for d whistles, I also like to play one of Tyrone Head’s whistles, a Lon Dubh Blackbird, and one particular Copeland, at least once a month.

Right now, I only have D whistles, all beginner-type:

Elfsong EnChanter
Walton’s Little Black Whistle
Clarke Meg
Walton’s Irish Whistle
Clarke Sweetone

Now I just have to learn to PLAY the danged things (Well, I can play the EnChanter, but I’m a piper so that doesn’t really count!)… :boggle:

I’m a beginner, but I’ve recently acquired a Gene Milligan D, and it is just plain fun. It is the only whistle I own that allows me to play outside when there’s a little bit of wind.

High F: home-made copper
High E: underblown wooden frula bound with copper wire, from Bosnia
High D: Dixon Trad nickel; Clarke original
High C: Clarke
B flat: Gen brass
A: home-made metal
Low G: home-made copper

There are others that I like, and others that I quite like & play when needed; but the eight above would count as favourites for their respective purposes. The A would probably be the one I would least like to lose.

Abell.

Oh heck, I’ll chime in here …

My fav whistle, hands down, stranded-on-a-desert-island choice is my Alba Q1. I don’t play in sessions (I live too far from any) so volume is not very important to me. When I do play with others I reach for my Alba’s .. Eb, C, Bb (need to get a tunable D!).

I’m also rather attached to my Dixon polymer low G.

Sheryl

The more I play D whistles, the more I love the Clarke original.