Hi guys I am relatively new to the world of whistles but I have to say I really love them. I also really love the music written for these instruments. I started off with a cheap whistles and I eventually wanted to get a very solid instrument. I ordered a Susato High D as well as a Susato Low D with 2 keys. I like the high D very much, it is loud, clear, and I like the tone very much. I am however somewhat disappointed in the Low D. First off all the reason I ordered it with the keys is because my left hand almost fell off after playing my tenor recorder. After looking at whistles for a long time I learned about the pipers grip and I am trying to learn it. Most of all I am disappointed in the tone and the shift from first to second octaves. To me my tenor recorder and the Susato sound very very similar. I knew about this beforehand but I hoped in person it would sound more chiffy I suppose. I also am not thrilled with the air requirements for the higher octaves.
I would like to return the Susato Low D but I have no idea which whistle to get instead. I have done a ton of research and reading thread upon thread about low whistles. If I was made of money I suppose I would get an Overton, Burke, or Mk. Alas as I am a graduate student I am not made of money so I am looking to really spend no more then $150. I have looked at Dixon, Alba, Howard, Shaw, Kerry, and Chieftains. I really want an Irish Whistle, not a recorder, not a flute, I want the Chiff and the raspy sound that I love about these instruments to begin with. If someone could tell me which of the moderately priced whistles could do this and of course be good otherwise I would greatly appreciate it.
I have a PVC low D from here that was only $31 shipped (my first low D). Even the aluminum and brass ones are not super expensive ($80 tunable, $65 non-tunable)
http://www.tinwhistles.us/jubilee/pagesmith/1
also, check out ethnicwind.com and see some of Nick’s work. a little more, but you can listen to them on the site as well.
www.ethnicwind.com (that should link)
also, to answer your question about chiff, i really like the chiff of the PVC low D.
Well I can speak to a few of the low D whistles you’ve mentioned. I’ve owned low D’s by Susato, Dixon, Howard, Chieftain (including a Kerry), as well as several Burkes. I’ve played Shaws, Overtons, Copelands and several others. I have yet to see or play an Alba or MK so I can’t speak to those whistle.
First I’ll make the observation that the Susato low D will sound like a tenor recorder if you play it like a tenor recorder. I have been able to get the Susato to growl and do all the “raspy” things you might expect from a low D. But it does take some technique to get that out of the Susato. It wants to sound purer by design. Other whistles just sound like “cosmic drain pipes”, as Dale would say, with little effort. It’s just part of the whistle’s design and character. You could hold onto the Susato and see what you can get from it after you’ve had a chance to play one or two other low D’s. But that’s iffy, right? So I’d suggest selling the Susato and adding the proceeds of that sale to your stated budget towards buying another low D.
If you want raspy, save up for a Goldie(Overton) and tell Colin that’s what you are looking for. He’ll deliver what you are looking for.
A Chieftain or the new Kerry low D might give you what you want. The new Kerry can be heard here: http://www.kerrywhistles.com/movie.php?pageName=kerry_D.mov. It’s moderately priced too.
A Dixon might also be a good choice to start. I frequently suggest the Dixon tunable polymer low D as a first low D. It’s affordable. It sounds like a low whistle(whatever that is?). It’s readily available. and the finger spacing and air requirements are modest. You want raspy!!! Here’s a YouTube example of a Dixon low D. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mNmI5FhRoU 
Seriously though, there are a lot of decent Dixon low D examples on YouTube. You can search through those.
I play composite and aluminum Burke low D’s mostly these days. They may sound too pure for your tastes. I’ve found them to be flexible enough for most settings. They are really nice whistle to play though.
Based on the description of your Susato experience I’d suggest taking a pass on a Howard or a Shaw at this point.
Hope that helps.
Feadoggie
Hi, and welcome to C&F!
Given your price range (under $150), I would suggest a used Kerry Low D (with plastic head), or an Old Style (OS) Chieftain, preferrably a non-tunable Chieftain (all aluminum), for the strongest tone. Both have a good amount of raspy chiff (usually anyway-but that varies from whistle to whistle often), and as has been pointed out, technique plays a part in the tone too.
You can always place a WTB post on the used instrument forum or whistle forum (better-both) and see if anyone has one to sell. That usally works-as there are many used whistles out there just sitting unplayed for the most part. Yes, a used Overton will give you similar characteristics also-but ask if the tone is chiffy or more pure to be more certain. But, you will make it sound differently, depending on how you play it also, and how much back pressure it has (effort to blow). I prefer low back pressure, but many prefer moderate to high-just personal choice.
Look for a good deal, and just go for it-and see how it works for you. If it’s not the “one”, then sell it and get another. Or hold onto it and really learn to play it well, and more expressively.
Lots of fun ahead for you-have a blast!
Thanks for the advice. I am wondering how I can obtain the raspy tone I am looking for from my susato. I know it will not happen overnight but I am willing to give it a shot.
Basically, you have to push the Susato with lots of air. The mouthpiece on the Susato is so generously sized that you can also play with the “embouchure” by adjusting how you deliver the air to the blade. It’s a big, bad whistle.
But really, listen to what Barry has advised. You sound like you want an Overton. Aspire to that and make a plan to procure one. A Kerry Pro will sound similar (if you can find one). The OS (old style) Chieftain will work too and the new model of the Kerry low D with the plastic head will also give you a lot of the sound you are seeking. Haunt the C&F Instrument exchange; set up some searches on eBay and stalk until you find one of these whistles at a price you can afford. Good luck.
Feadoggie
Coincidentally, I was doing the same search and just recently bought the Kerry low D with plastic head, for £50. It’s my first and only low D whistle, and I’m still getting used to it, but here’s a sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELuc8nJI690. I’m not pushing it as hard as I could, so there’s more chiff in reserve, so to speak. I’m planning on getting one or two more low D whistles in the near future, and then seeing which one stays. I’m very interested in the Dixon, because the Dixon low G is so damn good.
Ubizmo
A great point.
To my way of playing at least, there are two seperate issues with Low Ds potentially going on here:
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the timbre of the whistle.
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the action of the whistle, that is, the manner in which the voicing effects how you can move between the 1st and 2nd registers.
With the first issue the Susato is perhaps more recorderlike than most Low Ds. With the second issue, your Susato (if it plays like the two Susato Low Ds I have) should be able to be played VERY differently than a recorder. That’s because on the recorder there’s a quite distinct demarkation between the 1st and 2nd registers (aided by thumb action), but on many Low Ds (and on flutes which are adjusted properly) the demarkation can be played so that it is vague and “dirty”. You can, on whistles and flutes where the octaves are just right, play “in between the octaves”. The Susato Low D does this better than any Low D I’ve tried. Try this: play a 1st register G on your Susato Low D and steadily increase the pressure. If it’s like mine, instead of at some pressure point suddenly clicking over to the 2nd register, more and more of the 2nd register note will gradually become present within the tone of the 1st register note. At some point the note will be 50/50 1st register and 2nd register, in between the octaves. Keep gradually increasing pressure and eventually all of the 1st register note will disappear leaving you with a pure 2nd register note.
If you listen to a lot of Irish fluteplayers you’ll notice that part of many of their styles is using this “in between” zone, playing notes and entire passages which are not purely in either octave. My Susatos are great at this stuff. Playing in this style won’t sound remotely recorder-like.
Ironically after reading the answers I spent about 15 minutes just playing with amount and the force and of air. I discovered exactly what you said which is what I am looking for. I was surprised by how much I could push the notes without going into the next octave. It seems like it will take much practice to be constantly in that zone but Im going to try it. It is also funny that dirty was used to describe the sound, I think that is exactly the word I was looking for. Maybe one day I will get an Overton once I become a Special Ed Teacher (hopefully).
Great!!!
That’s a wonderful tune, another “Ashokan Farewell”, if you will. Here’s a nice version. It really takes off! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6lvXlcCDw0
Feadoggie
Im on the verge of buying a used Overton Low D from a fellow member. I just feel like I cant pass up on such a great whistle. If I do I suppose I will list my Susato for sale?
I love my Dixon Low D. I tried all the low whistles in our local music shop (Chieftain, Kerry, Howard, Susato) and found them all harder to play, more expensive and most of all didn’t like the sound as much.