Amid all manner of inter-board feuding, flailing and fernaggling, the thread in queston suddenly took control of its own destiny, and veered back to the topic!!!
Bob,
If you haven't totally given up on this thread (and you thought
playing was frustrating...), here's my $.02 worth: I would recommend trying as many kinds of whistles as you can--inexpensive and otherwise, bearing in mind that whistles vary alot not only between different brands/makers, but also between one whistle and another by the same maker, so it's not always so simple to say "X whistle plays like such and such, and Y whistle plays like such and such," although there are often general characteristics of a particular maker's instruments based on their design, materials, etc. Speaking of the material question, I've always preferred brass and aluminum whistles, but that's just my preference. I find most nickel whistles to not have that elusive quality of chiff that I like. If you have a shop in your vicinity that has a variety of different whistles, I'd just go spend some time there and play as much as you can. When I began playing, I bought as many different kinds of "low-end" whistles (beginning with D whistles) as I could; they're inexpensive, so at $10 or less a piece, you can try different ones to see what you like the most. Personally, the whistle in the inexpensive range I like the best, which hasn't been mentioned yet, is the Clare whistle made by David Le Bas, which I still play, even though I now have more expensive whistles as well. At some point, you may find it beneficial to try out a high-end whistle (though, as many a whistle player here can attest to, you may be at risk of the contagious WHOA syndrome), just to get a taste of the difference between different qualities of whistle designs & workmanship. As for how much of the issue lies in your level of musicanship, of course, as you develop your skill on the instrument, the whistles you prefer may change, along with your quality of playing. For now, try a few different ones, but most of all, just keep practicing, listening to good players, and enjoy your whistle playing!
I MUST REALLY INTIMIDATE SOME OF YOU PEOPLE. MOST BOARD MEMBERS ARE GREAT! ANYONE READING THIS THREAD IS GOING TO SAY. "EVERYTIME TAL SAY'S SOMETHING THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE HAS IT IN FOR HIM!" STOP MAKING FOOLS OF YOURSELVES. THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS THREAD THAT WARRANTS YOUR COMMENTS! YOU DO NOT OWN THE BOARD!!!! 
