I think i’m set for concert pitch whistles now, with the Burke and the Water Weasel and the Shaw. However i don’t have a decent C whistle. The best sounding one i have is still my first Clarke original, and that’s a temperamental whistle with regards to tuning.
Who makes a good C whistle for less than US$100?
Bonus question: who makes a good Eb whistle for less than US$100?
Tweaked whistles are fair game.
Thanks,
glauber
John Sindt
For Eb, Sindt without a doubt. For C, save up and treat yourself to a Burke Al.Pro: what a whistle! For both keys, Overton for that low whistle sound in whatever key you buy. (But that’s a bit more expensive.)
What’s your taste in whistles? For C, I think the Burke brass is mediocre, but Tyghress absolutely loves hers. For a little over $100, you can get a Harper, which I think is the finest non-wooden C out there. It’s an Overton-style whistle, with some Overton characteristics but less-so – less growl, less backpressure.
Many people think the Eb is the gem of the Generation line. I haven’t tried any, not liking that key, you might want to try a few before shelling out the big bucks.
O’Briain Improved Eb. Sweetest little whistle in the world, trust me.
For C, I dunno, I’m looking for one myself. Reading Tyghress’ impressions of the Burke brass, I was tempted. However, I may settle for a Susato, as the C is reputed to be the best of the line.
Here’s a sound clip of Azalin playing the O’Briain Eb - http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/3-03/HighPartAaronsKeyJigsAzalin.mp3
The susato C is the best susato, IMO, and
a good C. Generaton Cs can be good, too.
The water weasel C is good.
I’ve been pleased with my Walton’s nickle and Gen nickle C’s. I also have a Sweetone C which I’m not so crazy about. I don’t like the tone as well and I have to play the C nat with a oxxxxo fingering which I find a little awkward as I’m used to the oxxooo. I don’t have an Eb.
Do you have a web site, contact info or a supplier for these whitles?
thanks!
glauber
I can’t vouch for the whistle, but I think you can find one at www.whistleanddrum.com
It’s an online store only, I believe, and the person who runs it sometimes posts here.
All the Best, Tom
I’m editing this only to avoid possible confusion. My comment above, where I say, “I can’t vouch for the whistle”- this only means that I have never seen nor heard one, not that I don’t like it.
Sorry if I was being obscure.
All the Best, Tom
Thanks, Tom!
Several people mentioned the Susato C. Which Susato model?
g
Susato Cs do play well enough, as several people have noted, but fall a long way short of my favourites, Burke, Abell and Overton, in most departments, IMO. For some reason I don’t yet grasp, quite a few whistle makers who make a good D seem to have trouble with C.
I think it’s hard to make a good C and also a good D, because makers will tend to use the same diameter tubing for both and one will work better than the other.
I heard good and bad things about the Burke C, though personally i have never seen a Burke (whistle) 
i didn’t like. I see you like the Aluminum Pro.
Abell and Overton are out of my price range for a non-D whistle right now.
g
I play AlPros when I play Burkes. I’ve never been disappointed so I haven’t even tried the others—I’ll almost certainly get around to them sooner or later though just to see if I’m missing out on something even better. There are others here who collect Burkes with something like the mania I reserve for Overtons (and Abells) so I hope one of them chimes in to help out here. One thing I can say is that those of us who like Burkes regard them as very consistent—we’d cautiously recommend them in keys we hadn’t tried on the basis of our general experience with them. I’d recommend Overtons just as enthusiastically but lots of makes are surprisingly variable from key to key and sometimes whistle to whistle, even Copeland IMO.
C seems to be a weak link for many makers,
as mentioned. I haven’t kept up with Susato
models, so somebody can tell you. Given
the low price of the Susato, it’s hard to
go wrong and the whistle, while not as
good as the best, is very playable.
WW has a package of a D, a C and an
Eb for what was 119 at elderlies.
These do sound good.
Under $100, hmm? The two best C whistles I’ve ever played (and there have been many) were a Copeland Nickel C that I was forced to part with (I will forever regret selling that particular whistle), and the Goldie Overton C which I currently have, which is really fantastic.
However, for under $100, it would be difficult to beat a Sindt, which I think are fabulous whistles, I just don’t dig their lack of a decent cross fingered Cnat.
I also had a Burke brass C that was quite nice too, I don’t know what they sell for these days though.
Loren
If you’re thinking WAAAAY under $100:
C - Oak
Eb - Gen
Hey Tom, Thanks for the plug… Just to clarify - We are primarily an online store but we also arrange visits by appointment for those who are in the area. We now have a lovely display room in our 3000 square foot turn of the century (1906 to be exact) arts & crafts bungalow home dedicated for visitors to the Northern Colorado area. Greeley isn’t exactly the “hot bed” of Irish Music Happenings (we’re working on it!), so we haven’t seen a need to open a full time storefront just yet. There has been talk of when we finally get an Irish pub in town, sharing floorspace… Anyway, just thought my fellow Chiff & Fipplers might want to know the scoop! Some day we’ll get around to taking pictures of it…
I’d agree with BrassBlower on this. Though I’d love to try (and probably will, sooner or later) most of the high-zoot alternatives, I’m amazed at the quality of both the Generation Eb (mine’s nickel) and the Oak C.
My Eb is the only Generation whistle I own that I haven’t tweeked (beyond trimming off a bit of flash), and is my favorite out of all the Generations that I own.
If you like the tone (on the breathy side), the Oak C is a very nice whistle indeed, and (IMHO) a bargain at the price. Oddly, it has a much different tone (and is much more forgiving) than the Oak D. It’s become one of my favorites.
Though if you haven’t tried a Walton’s C, you should - I may have had unusually good luck with mine (I’ve seen pretty mixed reviews) but it’s been a very nice whistle for the money.
I’m tending towards the O’Brian Eb because it seems to be basically a Generation/Feadog hybrid. So, hopefully it has the Generation Eb tone without the risk factor.
And probably the Oak C. I almost went for a Susato, but somehow i’m still not in love with the tone of the Susatos i’ve heard.
I gave away my Oak D, but it was a nice whistle. I’ve never seen an Oak C.
I had a Walton’s C and gave it away too. It was a nice whistle, but IMHO still not as good as the Clarke original and a tad less than the Sweetone (the 2 Cs i kept).
Since the whistle and drum shop mentioned above carries both the O’Brian and the Oak, i’ll probably buy both in one transaction and save a little on the shipping. That’s the current plan, anyway.
g
My O’Briain Eb has the same bright, open tone as a Generation. Moreover, the holes in the Gen tube are rebored to improve the intonation.