Your Favourite?

Whistle
1

Hello,
I just have a two questions for you, please answer…

What is your favourite low D?

and

What is the easiest low D to play?

Thanks,

2

hey Stefpat,

thought you had settled on an Alba?
Anyhow, just own a Kerry (black plastic fipple), but from the one’s i’ve played, favourite = alba, easiest to play = Kerry

3

OK :^]

favourite: Overton

easiest: Dixon

Get both and experience happiness :sunglasses:
cheers,
Jeroen

4

Not yet…I read that Alba low D has a problem of air requirement…

5

KERRY LOW D - KERRY LOW D - KERRY LOW D!

(my experience has been with owning Kerry, Burke, Cook, and playing briefly Shaw, Overton and Copeland)

6

Favorite: Overton
Easiest: Overton

Easiest to get the distinctive Low-D whistle tone I like.
Favored enough to get Overton Low-F and Mezzo-A to go with the Low-d. I’m looking for an Overton Regular-D.

7

“Kerry low pro” or “Standard”???

8

It is not difficult to play an Overton? I have a Dixon and I am a beginner…

9

Of the ones i played:

Favourite: the sterling silver Copeland (no, i don’t have one).
Easiest: Burke, no competition there (don’t have one either!).

I prefer my whistles high; the only low D i have is a Howard, which is really not a bad whistle either.

10

The Holes are not too big???

11

I had a Burke EasyLow-D and tried the Dixon, the Overton was easier on the hands than any low-D I’ve tried. A couple of years ago several members here measured the spread and Overton had the easiest numbers. But for me that’s not what makes it easiest. Overton have what is referred to as back pressure. This means that you blow harder but don’t user more air. This back pressure lets me lean into the first octave without it jumping up to the second octave. Second octave is still easy to reach. This made it much easier for me when I was just picking it up because it was forgiving of my breath control. The other thing that made it easy was this same back pressure incouraged me to put on (fake) more confidense than I had. Funny how that works a self-fullfilling prophecy. Also I was looking for a whistle with timbre that separated its sound from flutes in the same range. I found this to in the Overton.

So easy reach, forgiving breath control, confidense enhancement, and a timber that is rich enough for my tastes, make it my favorite and my easiest. I’m an accomplished musician, but if you’d like to hear an Overton in the hands of an amatuer, I have two clips on Clips and Snips played on an Overton Low-d

Whatever you choose, I hope your experience helps you …

12

The holes on the Howard are huge! I have never seen such big holes. But, as the only low D I have or will ever have I am pleased as punch with it. Lots of harmonics and totaly fun to play with. My preferred low D is a flute. In fact I am in love with the flute, and now after 8 months of pure hell I can actually get music out of the darn things, and I can`t stop playing it. It or they have taken over my life and my lips feel like I just got out of a dentists chair, and my horse is screaming at me, and my dog is howling at me and I am out of clean dishes and clothes and gas and oil and breath…

Tom

13

Favorite: Copeland
Easiest: Burke

(I’ve also played Shaws, Dixons, Susatos, Overtons, Chieftains, and possibly a few others.)

I’m not exactly sure what it is about the Copeland that sets it apart from the others, but it has something that no other whistle has.

The Burke (I have and AlPro) is not the one with the easiest reach. The thing that makes it easy to play is the same thing that makes all Burkes easy to play. It does exactly what you want, when you want; the octave transitions are easy, it takes plenty of breath but not a ton, it offers some backpressure but not a ton, and it never does anything unexpected.

14

Standard Kerry, not Pro.

15

The only widely-available low-D that I’ve played is Dixon, and I must say, I like it.

16

Kerry Pro
&
Kerry Pro

I do have others, but the Kerry is The One

17

They’re pretty big, but not a problem for my fat stubby fingers. I’m with Blackbeer, my preferred low D is also a flute, but i’ve been playing mostly piccolo these days.

Hmm, one more thing about the Howard, it’s not a very good whistle for playing long mournful notes; the sound is a little agressive compared to most. But it plays tunes well. Jumping the octave can be tricky, and mine has a tricky second octave e, that likes to squeak.

18

Here is a vote for the one I bought after playing a friend’s large collection of famous and not so famous low D whistles. I liked his Bourke composite low D but the holes hurt my hand.

I ended up buying the Bourke AL-PRO Low D. He makes the barrel in two sections, allowing me to rotate the holes for each hand so I could play with my elbows dropped to my side. That made it much more ergonomic for me.

He has excellent workmanship, tuning and that reedy sound to die for.

19

The Susato low D. That is because it is the only one I have ever tried.
It sure sounds nice though.

20

[quote=“fancypiper”]

I ended up buying the Bourke AL-PRO Low D. He makes the barrel in two sections, allowing me to rotate the holes for each hand so I could play with my elbows dropped to my side. That made it much more ergonomic for me.

[quote]

Interesting, Piper…I’m doing more and more getting my elbow AWAY from my body. My fingers seem to work better that way. But I’m talking about my standard D, not the low D.