Low A whistle suggestions

[BigDavy]

Hi Sirchronique

Looking forward to the review.


David

[tin tin]

I just had a go at a Freeman low G, which was great--I'd guess the A is just as nice.

[Sirchronique]

Hi Sirchronique

Looking forward to the review.


David

The Hermit Hill brass A whistle is definitely up there with my favourites. Quite a good whistle. He also sent along the original prototype head which looks almost identical to the main one, and asked for feedback on them. Not sure which one I like better, as both have nice qualities. I would have been happy with either one, despite some notable differences. I'll only comment on the main head, though.

It has a sweet high end and a nice tone throughout the range, with a bit of breathiness in the high end that blends in perfectly with the root tone (by no means excessively, though. Just a pinch). Quite responsive, low air consumption, sounds and plays wonderfully and evenly, and has a more "traditional " whistle sort of sound (for clarification- I mean as opposed to something like a chieftain, goldie, or burke that is quite different). It doesn't have an intense or screamy sound in the high notes, and the octave transitions have a clear and smooth flipping point. Don't really have any complaints about it.

I haven't compared to other whistles yet, but I feel like the holes are in different spots than they usually are on most A whistles, but I adjusted quite quickly. That being said, the intonation was good. Not sure how his high whistles are, but I'll definitely purchase more whistles from this maker, as they are very fairly priced for what you get. Definitely recommend looking into them if you are in the market for an A whistle.

[ytliek]

I heard one of the best sounding low A whistle tune sets last night. Keegan Loesel played a Tony Dixon low A and the tone was beautiful.

[emmdee]

I've used a fair few As in recording, gigging and sessions over the past 20 years. I had a Susato which I hated, a Shaw which I borrowed to record with and loved (!), a second-hand Mack Hoover with a freaky custom made mouthpiece that requires so much air I'd need a sperm whale's lungs to play it, a Chieftain which was so-so, and then a Jerry Freeman which was nice but quiet. Last week I bought myself a new tuneable one from Colin Goldie. Haven't yet put it through its paces, but initial reaction is that it's absolutely storming - just like the low F# and Low G is already have. I find it hard to believe that any whistle player would be disappointed with Colin's work, and he's very accommodating in terms of breath requirements and backpressure. Expensive gear, but top drawer IMO.

m.d.

[pancelticpiper]

I had a Susato A which was very nice. It had a much narrower bore than most Susatos. I think it was their ordinary bore for high D whistles. It was a great player, very sweet, and right in tune.

Here's the A I play all the time, on the left, a Generation Bb head on a home-made body. I preferred it just a tad to the Sindt A I had.

L-R: A, Bb, B, C, C#, D, Eb, F

[ickabod]

The Freeman Low A is fantastic!! A tweaked (only the way Jerry can) generation head on a custom body! It'sa great player.

[bogman]

Second Goldie. Fantastic tuning, tone and flexibility. Most decent whistles can be played in tune, tone is down to taste but their flexibility is what sets them above all other whistles in my personal opinion.

[pancelticpiper]

Yes I'll second Bogman's Goldie comments.

I have several Low D whistles. All have good tuning but the Goldie has the best, every note spot-on using my normal blowing.

About flexibility, the most flexible Low D I've had was an old Bernard Overton. It was amazing how softly you could blow notes in the 2nd octave without them falling to the low octave. This gave the player a huge range of volume/pitch possibilities.

The diametric opposite was the Burke Low D I had at the same time. The 2nd octave notes just sort of pop out right at pitch (which is a good thing) but you can't do much with them.

The Goldie Low D I currently play isn't quite as flexible as that specific Overton but is more flexible than most, as Bogman says.

I'd like to try a Goldie A. I've not had the opportunity.