Yet another "help me select a low whistle" thread

Whistle
1

So far. my only low whistle is a Dixon tunable Low D Duo.

Nice quiet tone, easy reach, low air requirements - nice for playing late at night, but not so nice for volume. Though I can get a louder first-octave D than when I first started playing it, the volume difference from the same note played with the flute head is remarkable. (The flute head is, generally, louder, but the difference is far less marked as I go up the scale).

So I’m thinking about a second low whistle, in the mid-range (A-G-F), and I’d like one with more overall volume and a good bottom end.

Shortlist candidates are Overton, Kerry/Chieftain, and (possibly) Serpent (I haven’t seen enough reviews of the alto Serpents to have much feel about the volume/sound).

Any comments or suggestions, about makes, keys, or both, are welcome - I know that this is as much a subjective as an objective decision, but I’d like as much data as I can get before I follow my emotions. :laughing:

Thanks!

2

If it comes down to Kerry/Chieftain vs. Overton, I would recommend going with the Overton. You are getting a better whistle, and you are doing the right thing ethically. And once you have an O, you’ll never look back. :slight_smile:

3

My favorite whistle, ever (so far) is my Goldie Overton Low F. Excellent, even tone through both octaves, complex overtones, responsive and agile. I find F to be a very nice key on whistle, satisfying and comfortable, somehow (and easy access to Bb, too). And you can play along with lots of Lunasa tunes, if you’re so inclined. It takes some getting used to, playing an Overton, but once you learn what they need, they’re very rewarding. All the usual Overton characteristics apply: good supportive breath pressure required, wrm the whistle up first, etc.

The other whistles I have in the mid-range are a Burke Low G Al-Pro and a Water Weasel Low A.

Burke: I’ve had several Burkes, and kept only this and a high D (which my wife likes more than I do, but is quite nice). Low G: pure-ish tone, very pretty upper register. Bell note could be louder, but is solid. Easy to play, good octave transition, I find the breath demands quite reasonable. Less “character” than the Overton, but a nice change of pace when I’m looking for a pure-but-not-high-pitched sound. Excellent quality instrument. Less volume than the Overton.

Water Weasel: very nice Low A. Somewhere between pure and chiffy; enough chiff and air-noise to give a distinct whistle sound, with some complexity. Responsive, excellent voicing, cool plumbing code right down the front. I had offered this one for sale on the board a while back because I haven’t been playing it, but it’s been sitting beside the computer lately as I waited for a buyer, so I’ve been playing it and I think I might change my mind; a very nice Low A (I like it better than the Burke Low A I had and sold, and it was considerably less expensive).

The other low whistles I might consider getting in future are Grinter or O’Briain, both of which have a distinctive, nice sound. I think PhilO has or has had both of these, so you might check out his previous posts, or send him a PM. I’m spending more time on flute these days, though, so I’ll probably save for a keyed flute first. (That’s your other option, trying flute. Good wooden ones are pricey, but a polymer or bamboo flute will be louder than a low whistle, usually. Great fun, once you train your embouchure.)

I don’t know if any low whistle is going to give you “loud”, but these will all be louder than your Dixon. My McGee Ruddall flute blows away even the Overton for volume, though; low whistles aren’t going to cut through a session without amplification, unless it’s a pretty quiet, small session, I think.

Have fun looking,

Aaron

4

Okay, I’ve played literally 200 + whistles at this point, and I have to say, without a doubt or a moment’s hesitation, that the Goldie Overton Low F is my very favorite whistle in the world, ever, period. How’s that for a recommendation?

Loren

5

…please tell me you still have it :sniffle:

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If you go for an A, I would recommend the Water Weasel over all others – many A’s have a sound that’s kind of bland. The Water Weasel is not confused, it really is a low whistle. I agree with herbivore’s description of the sound.

I also LOVE the Burke low-G AlPro. I played one at Song of the Sea and totally fell in love. Mine has a really solid bellnote, big sound, possibly a little too pure a sound for many. But, gawd, it’s easy to play. The WW low-G is also a fine whistle, but a little tough to play, and a little touchier toward the bottom of the first octave. It has very big finger holes, which absolutely necessitate a piper’s grip.

I am waiting (seeming endlessly, although it’s only been a few months) for a Grinter low-F. I’ve never played one, but I’ve never found an F that I like, and I KNOW I’ll like the Grinter. Now if I could only play it like Paddy Keenan.

7

No, I’m afraid I don’t :cry: Someone out there has it though, I sold it here and I think it’s changed hands once since then, last I heard anyway.

I would have taken that whistle to the grave with me but the truth is, I have an unusual problem with some whistle “beaks” (mouthpieces), particularly on Low whistles below say…Mezzo A: If the beak is “normal” or long, and somewhat thin, I often smack my front teeth with the thing :boggle: Guess my hands move around to much while I’m fingering the notes. So, in the course of playing that Low F (and my Overton Low D as well), I’d hit my teeth hard enough at least a couple of times each session that I was worried I’d crack a tooth, really! Often one or both of my front teeth would be sore for weeks, and I can actually see hairline cracks in the enamel of my front teeth, but that could be due to previous fillings, I’m not certain.

Anyway, I finally decided, as I was selling off whistles, that much as I loved this one, I loved my front teeth more, so I sold the whistle :sniffle: I also sold that Overton Low D as well, for the same reason.

The good news is that Colin was kind enough to make me a tuneable Low D with a shorter beak, which solved my problem :slight_smile: It’s a lovely easy blowing whistle, sort of the opposite of the whistle I gave up, so I still miss that one, but again, not the sore teeth. At some point, when I’m up to it financially, I’ll order a short beaked Low F from Colin as well.

Still, I loved that particular Blue Low F, and in retrospect, if I could do it all over again, before selling the whistle I would try to bond a block of delrin to the bottom of the fipple, and then shape it so that I essentially had the proper size and length beak. Who knows, perhaps some day I’ll chase down the current owners of my former Overtons and buy the whistles back and do just that…

Anyway, there’s the whole sordid story, a bit longer answer than you were expecting I imagine :laughing:

Loren

8

A Foolish question :slight_smile:

Why don’t yer just saw a bit off the ‘beak’.

Everything else would be the same, distance, size etc.

Mwha ha ha! It worked on a Gen that was doomed to be sacrificed on the alter of experience :smiling_imp:

Would any whistle maker differ with the above?

9

What, you think that didn’t occur to me? :smiley:

Unless I’m mistaken, a whistle’s windway to blade length is at a particular distance for a reason - chopping off a bit of the mouthpiece would shorten that distance (obviously)… I believe I asked Colin about this at the time and he told me (as I recall) that I wouldn’t be too happy with the result. Heck, I could have just sent the whistle back to him for that sort of job, if it would have helped, but I believe it simply ruins the whistle for all practical purposes.

Loren

10

Not to mention that tweaking cheapies may be a load of fun, but messing with an Overton or Copeland or any of the great whistles would merely be vandalism.

11

I have Overton mezzo-A, low-F, and low-D. I think they’re great!

I find the Low-f is especially nice for playing along with singer’s. Many find the key of D a bit too low, or conversly the key of G a bit too high. For example, Deante’s album title song, Ready for the Storm, is sung and played in F. The low F can play in F and Bb, both keys are popular for folks song and most slow air’s started out as folks songs. So if your looking for a low key other than D, I’d second Loren’s choice of an Overton Low-F.

On the other hand, my mezzo-A overton wails, it is perhaps my loudest whistle. I just don’t have that many tunes I can play with it, mostly because I spend more time with the Low-D and Low-F.

Of course you could just give in to your WhOA and by both a the A and and F :smiley:

In what ever, key the Overton will let you …

12

Overton, hands down. If your feeling a little frisky, these are some cool looking whistles: http://www.jazzwhistle.com/ they will be coming out with an F whistle soon too.

13

I beg to differ.

My first Low D was a Dixon, and I still have it and use it when I need to be quiet(er) but want to practice/play e.g. late evening at home.
I wanted something louder, and with quality, for session playing, so bought an Overton non-tunable low D, 'cos it’s what I could afford at the time.

Good whistle, everything Overton-ish was there.

I had the need for a tuneable Low D, but a) didn’t want to wait 2 years for one, b) tried a Kerry Pro.

I bought a Kerry Pro low D, and only used the ‘O’ now and again, usually lending it to friends at sessions etc. The build quality of the Kerry is every bit as good as the ‘O’.

Without going into politics of commercialism, I rate MY Kerry Pro as the best whistle of a best bunch of whistles. Out of all the whistles I have, if I had to choose 1 to save, it’d be the Kerry Pro.

There are plenty of other good makes out there.
If you can go to a pub/gig/session/what-ever talk to people playing the whistles. Ask if you can try their whistle. A pint usually helps :slight_smile: Time & place considerations etc need to be thought about, but I have tried loads of whistle inc Grinters, Shaws, a Swayne (?) etc before I met the Kerry, the prices always being unjustifiable for my pocket.
I even tried an Alba at a session, thinking it’d be crap to be honest, and boy was I wrong in my prejudgement. They are great whistles (Waves at Stacy :slight_smile: )

My not-so-humble advice would be to try, then buy what you like to play for sound and playability. If it be an ‘O’ then good, but it could easily be something else too.

My 2p worth

14

Wow! Thanks to all of you for the helpful advice. It sounds like there are many good choices out there in the direction I want to go.

Though I doubt this will be my last purchase, I’ve decided to take advantage of Bill Whedon’s half-price offer for raffle participants and have ordered a Python Low F (with the “Serpent” engraving). (It’s thanks to this thread I came down solidly on the F vs G or A) Bill tells me the voicing on the Python places it somewhere between the Dixon and the Overton, and he can (within reason) vary the voicing to individual taste. This is by no means a knock on Overton (or Kerry) - just taking advantage of a great opportunity from a great guy.

I’m really looking forward to this, and will post a review once I’ve received mine and had a chance to play it a while.

Dana