Hi folks,
I just wondered if there are any makers who make wooden lowD whistles (ideally with keys?) since I prefer the sound of wooden whistles…
I did some search on this in the forums but didn’t find anything.
Thanks in advance for any hint!
Greetings,
G.
Michael Grinter (Australia) and Yvon Le Coant (France) make absolutely top quality low Ds. Neither (I think) offer keys on their standard models; I’m certain of this in the case of Grinter but not in Le Coant’s case—ask if they are willing to make keyed instruments to order.
I think there are other wooden low Ds, but if I wanted one it would have to be one of these. I have a Grinter low F that is quite spectacular.
Sweetheart Flute company makes this wonderful whistle:
http://www.sweetheartflute.com/lowwhistle.html
I have one and love it. Plus, you can buy an additional head for it and turn it into a flute. It’s particularly easy to finger for a low D- I use standard fingering, not piper’s grip. The Dymondwood looks terrific too (trust me, I know wood!).
I can second this one. I have small hands, and I was able to use a standard grip on this whistle. As with any whistle that’s larger than what you’re used to, there’s an adaptation period, but it doesn’t take long.
An interesting aside…I took my Sweetheart Pro high D to a session last week, and people flat didn’t believe it’s made of a laminate!
Redwolf
And don’t forget Mr. Phil Bleazey and his absolutely wonderful low d. No keys, but my wife can play it just fine (smallish holes and narrow finger spacing) and has not been able to manage any of the other low D’s that have found their way through my hands.
Here is a pic of my Bleazey set:
I have tried the Sweet’s, they are great. I used to have a Bleazey High D which was great but that will soon come back in the form ofa Flute.
Wow, that’s it. Do you know where to get any sound samples of that low whistle? It looks to be exactly what I want.
Of course many thanks to everyone who replied in here 
By the way, I don’t need keys to get the standard notes - I’d like to be able to play Fnat or so for tunes which need them (thinking of Cook in the Kitchen). But I think every woodwind maker could add those keys…or this key. Dunno which other keys I’d need…
Greetings,
G.
Update: Got in touch with Phil, he’d make a special lowD with keys at the prices of keyed flutes, which sounds really interesting to me. A blackwood lowD with 6 keys. Uhh. 
I just need to hear the lowD somehow…
I have needed to arrange for something like a sound clip to share for quite some time now. Let me see what I can wrangle up.
Hi . Being a fellow Aussie, I must agree with Wombat. I don’t know about the other makers but Mike Grinter makes superb wooden whistes. I have a low D a low F (and a couple of others). I swear that if angels played whistles instead of harps, they would be Grinter-made ones. Well worth the wait ! and the money of course !! Jerry
Idawhoa, those Bleazys look lovely! What wood are they made of?? I’ve been hearing the call of a low G recently. 
like I need another whistle…
Those are Mopani. Renee likes them because they are her chocolate substitute!!! 
I also have a flute from Phil that I bought for her.
The low g is my second favorite of the group after the low d.
I can’t wait for my low D in Yew from Phil Bleazey; it’ll be here in January or February!
They say the yew low Ds sound “chocolatey”
(oooohh, whistle chocolate . . . doh!)
–
(that was crap here. 
)
Renee says mine sounds smooth and buttery. If you wanted a chocolate Bleazey you needed to get the Mopani one (see above… )
If you like dark chocolate get the Blackwood. I can’t wait till I get my Bleazey Flute.
… and I can’t wait till I get the money for a lowD from Phil for testing and as a changeover instrument until the keyed one is finished. Browsed the list and google a bit and found only positive opinions about Phil’s work.
And I finally decided to get a absolutely unique lowD instead of a full set of pipes as my main instrument. Had to think about that quite long, but the lowD is simply “my” instrument and the pipes are “only” an instrument I like very much, but…I have no clue. Can’t express that feeling. Maybe you know what I mean..?
I hope the decision was right…but I really think so.
My fully keyed (!) blackwood lowD will be finished in spring/summer of 2007 as an unique instrument with an edition of one piece. I’m looking forward to it.
Thanks for all the tips and hints!
Greetings,
G.