Your first?

Just curious to know, what was everyone’s very first whistle? When did you get it? Do you still have it and play it? How does it sound?

I got my first whistle in June (I think). A Clarke Orginal D. I only have two other whistles (Clarke C and Dixon low D), but my Clarke D is still my favorite.

Though it requires a fair amount of air to play, the sound of my Clarke D is sweet (I think that’s the word), with just a little bit of chiff to remind you of it’s humble simplicity.

My first whistle I got was almost 2 years ago. It’s a brass Acorn and it sounds great. It’s been one of my best whistle’s so far. (I dont know if its fair to compair my Generation’s as they are all Nickel and have a sweeter sound) But my Acorn is just as loud as my Susato vsb and probably one of my best tuned whistles in both registers.

And I definitely still play it and prefer it over my Meg and Sweetone’s and my Feadog (which currently is a peice of junk)

These threads have been done before, but my first was a brass Walton’s D, about 11 years ago. I still have it.

Oak C. It’s the only whistle I didn’t order online.

It’s an ok whistle, I suppose. Don’t really like the sound. I still have it, though. :slight_smile:

I assumed as much, but everyone enjoys bragging about their whistles, so I thought no one would object.

My first whistle was a Susato high D I got in Halifax after hearing a lot of great music on Cape Breton Island and at the Lunenberg Folk Festival—none of it on the whistle. It was probably about 10 years ago. I played it a few times and put it away. I started playing it again about a year ago. Since then I have gotten two other whistles—a Burke and a tweaked Generation—and my needs are satisfied. I didn’t like the way the high notes sounded on the Susato and it is very loud so I don’t play it. I think that it could sound much better than it did given a more experienced player, so I certainly intend to keep it.

My first was behind my girlfriend’s father’s toolshed…

oh wait, nevermind
:blush:

My first was a Clarke Original D. I soon after picked up a Susato and threw the Clarke in the trash.

The search for perfection has not relented. But I am getting closer.

Mike

Acorn

My first was like most others, Clarke Original D with the gold diamonds. Still play it, even after almost 2 years. Not very long, but seems long. I think the wood fipple got warped and ruined when I took it to California last year, and the climate changes from dry phoenix air to humid ocean side screwd it up. Still plays, but the high notes aren’t as great as they once were. I don’t think it was trash though. I think the waltons little black D I bought is a piece of crap. Thing couldn’t even play more than 10 notes. I threw that one away. But, I love my Meg D.. I’d like to get a burke D, and a good A and Bb whistle if I could find some. I like the Syn C, but it clogs too easily and in no time flat. But anyways, For now, I’m stuck with the clarkes for the cheapy whistles. Haven’t found anything better, at least not for the key of D.

My first was a plain silver Sweetone which I got at a music store in West Virginia.

My last was a bamboo whistle which I got at a craft store in Kentucky.

A Generations D and a C.

bluefipple generation D. Many years ago. Bought it in Edinburgh. Didn’t play it for a very long time, it just didn’t work. I think I tried to play along to a bagpipe-tune on the D-whistle, which, of course, isn’t possible. But I didn’t know that at the time.
Still got the Gen. :wink:

I bought a Clarke original D and an Acorn D on the same day about 5 or 6 years ago. (I’ve been playing other instruments for decades.)

I still like the Clarke but rarely play it. The Acorn sits around unplayed. Since the fingering is similar to saxopohone which I’d been playing for nearly 30 years, I made fairly quick progress and moved on to Susatos and Overtons within a couple of months.

Generation bequeathed to me by a friend of my mother.

My first whistle was a non-tunable Overton Low D. I don’t have that particular one, but I now have a tunable version of it, and just a few others as well. :smiling_imp:

The first whistle I played was a nickel Generation D, but I bought a Feadog Pro shortly after that… then I got a Meg D, a Dixon High D and a NT Water Weasel High D, wich is the whistle I play more often.
I used to like the sound of my Feadog’s, but now that I have the other whistles for comparison, I found that I like better a purer sound… the WW has not a really pure sound, but it’s “purer” than the Feadog… and I’m buying a Burke soon anyway :slight_smile:

A Gen C I bought in Berea, Ky. (Bria, Kintuckuh, Cranberry?) in the late 80’s. This was one of the good Gens, with a beautiful, chiffy tone. I still play it. Other Gens I’ve bought since haven’t been so nice.

I got my first whistle when I was 8 on a trip to Mount Vernon. I believe it was a Cooperman.

First whistle was a joke Christmas gift a few years ago - a “D” Irish Whistle, common is gift shops. Brass body, green mouthpiece. (If anyone knows who makes these I’d love to know.)

The interior edge of the mouthpiece had cracks from the manufacturing process. Later I put a Mack white cap on the brass body and it was pretty good. It now resides in a truck for unexpected chances to practise.

Next whistle (less than a week) was a Sweetone D.

Today I mostly play Burke D - Brass, session.