Chris Backhouse high D review

[Herne]

Take a look at Chris Backhouses lovely instruments here :

www.chrisbackhousewhistles.com

Chris was kind enough to send me two of his high D whistles to try out and I have to say they look and sound great . I received the tuneable version made in ebony with aluminium fittings . Unusually the whistle body is wood and the whole mouthpiece is metal which gives the instrument a clean , modern look , a straight cut or curved beak is available on the mouthpiece and both felt extremely comfortable to me . The workmanship is high quality .
The tone has a nice amount of chiff , not too pure but possessing a depth and complexity which enables you to push the notes around a bit and really work with the whistle , this is not just a point and blow instrument ! .
A good amount of back pressure gives confidence and control when playing loud or quietly , the lower register can be pushed quite hard and the whistle is very responsive and quick even with very complex ornamentation .
There is a slight woody , windiness to the tone which gives a feeling of warmth .

Not the loudest whistle I have played , that accolade surely goes to Gene Milligan , but plenty loud enough to hold its own in a session and both whistles sounded great on stage through a P.A with a 5 piece band hammering away for two hours , no problems with clogging either .

Air volume requirement is easy to moderate , I didn't find myself running out of breath at any time and was able to play for long periods with no problem .

Available in Ebony , Cocobolo and African Blackwood with Delrin fipple blocks these instruments are really worth having a look at , Chris is a true craftsman and these whistles can hold their own with any of the big name makers out there .