Chieftain Custom C by Phil Hardy

[saintninian]

I saw Phil Hardy had some Chieftain Customs for sale, so I took the plunge and ordered a ironwood whistle in the key of high C. Just wanted to share my thoughts on what I received:

The craftsmanship of the whistle is superb. The ironwood is polished to perfection, and goes well with the metal fittings and fipple head. The tuning slide is secure, but not overly tight, making adjustments very easy. The holes are large, but not overly so, and half-holing is no problem.

The sound of the whistle is just wonderful. The bell note is solid, as is the cross-fingered C nat. The first octave is rich and mellow; the second octave has more chiff, without being harsh or shrill. The whistle definitely puts out some sound; there shouldn't be any trouble hearing this whistle in a session, or outdoors. All in all, Phil Hardy has produced an excellent whistle with the Chieftain Custom, and I am very pleased with what I received.

I note that Phil has other Customs in high D and C (I don't know what wood they are made of). You might want to drop him a line if you are in the market for a good wooden whistle. Cheers!