I just received in the mail my first Chieftain. It is a pre owned older Low C. It is easy for me to supply the air needed since my first low whistle was a howard, and then also an Overton low d. When I laid them side by side there is only about 1/4’’ extra finger reach top and bottom but I do not notice it when playing. I use the pipers grip on all three. The tone of the Chieftain is close to the Overton. I have played Copeland and Burkes but I will not try to say one whistle is better than the other. That is what whoa is for when you like them all. The praise band I play with prefers my low whistle to the highs and I use highs when I do not have a low in the right key. Now with the Chieftain low c I will be able to play also in f.
So when did you buy your first Chieftain?
I bought my first and only Cheiftain from a board member a while ago. It’s a high E, and I don’t much like it. LOADS of backpressure (the most of any whistle I own), and the sound is… odd.
My first Chieftain was an OS high D. When I found out that phil had made whistle in Brass (Golds) I bought everyone I could get me hands on, but have since sold all but a Gold Low D.
Great whistles!
First Chieftains purchased were “Golds”. I now have Chieftain “Golds” in the keys of:
High D
High C
B Flat
Low A
Low G
Low F
Low D
The latest purchase was a new Chieftain Tunable Mezzo A. A fabulous
whistle, beautiful full tone, tuning is dead on.
James
NS Low F purchased on this board in June or July.
I bought a multi-colored OS high D Chieftain in late 2001. I later bought the same multi-colored OS in Low D in 2002.
To be frank, I didnt like the Chieftain high D much the first few years because I never mastered the high notes on it. It is now one of my favorites. Whistle control is a wonderful thing to achieve.
I got my first chieftain low D in early 1996…I was still living in the apartment I shared with the girlfriend who I later broke up with, but it was after the girl I later married had given me my first tinwhistle…so that helps me remember when it was 
I got it from Lark in the Morning. I was so excited, I opened it at the apartment office and dropped it and dinged the head taking it back to my apartment.
I ended up geting a couple of Chieftain high whistles (Eb and D) from McCabe’s Guitar shop a few years later when I was in California on business, but I didn’t like the high breath requirements at the time, and ended up selling them. If I’d have kept them, I’d probably be able to do a lot more with them now.
A ways back I got 3 of them (all non-tuneable) around the same time probably all from Lark in the AM. The Low F was really good, the G sucked more than any whistle I can recall, and the high C was fine, but real loud. I sold 2 and gave 1 (G) away.
Recently I had the opportunity to try out a new Chieftain tuneable high D at a shop in Manhattan - just not my cup of tea.
Are the Gold ones that much different?
Philo
Tommy,
My first Chieftain was (and is) an older low D. It’s a workhorse, and I love the sound. It has the usual warming and condensation issues that aluminum whistles do - I soap the windway from time to time. I like this whistle very much.
I briefly owned a newer brass Chieftain in A, that was out of tune, and didn’t ever come into tune, no matter how warm it was or how long I played it. That one went back to the seller.
If you haven’t yet, check out www.praisewhistlers.com and the board at http://praisewhistlers.proboards57.com/index.cgi
Mark
I just ordered a low D tuneable from Lark in the AM. It will be my first quality whistle. I’ve been playing a Generation d, and Clarke d pennywhistle, as well as one I can’t identify, again in d. They were great for whetting my appetite for this instrument at a super affordable price, but it was time to step it up a notch! I can’t wait to get this! Right now they’re out of stock. Hopefully it won’t be too long before they get 'em in.
I got a non-tunable low F from Lark in the AM a couple of months ago. Couldn’t be happier with it–it’s a beautiful whistle and well worth what I paid for it.
I got my low D about 9 years ago. Nice, throaty sound with a healthy dynamic range. Not the most pristine sound but it’s certainly Old Faithful and we’ve bonded quite nicely over the years… 
[quote=“Unseen122”]NS Low F purchased on this board in June or July.[/quote
Have you played it in its other key of Bb? And how does it compare to a Generation Bb?