Hi all, new to the forum after deciding to get back into low whistle playing having sold my 2001 Chieftan low D five years ago due to it just not being played. I do guitar more, but want to get back into playing low D again.

Based on max budget and knowing Phil Hardy's whistles, I'm looking at either a V5 or the newer Custom Low D. Does anyone have experience of both?

Cheers for your experiences and thoughts.

Hi and welcome,
I have the V5 and tested the Custom in a store. I much preferred the V5. The backpressure of the Custom was too high for my taste. It felt "stuffy" when playing it. Like blowing through a straw. But that's personal preference of course. I also don't like the newer hole distances. It's more asymmetrical now and the hole size has been slightly reduced. That's fine for small hands and slim fingers but I never had problems with the larger holes.

Thanks Sedi

I'm going to try both and see how it goes. As you say, personal preference is key.

Thought - I'm way out of practice, and want to be able to compare the two whistles as well as possible. Any tips for things to do to check the parameters of the whistles? What sort of things am I looking for or trying on them, apart from general feel and personal impressions?

I'm sure most of it is common-sense, but if anyone could give me some tips from their years of experience, I'm all ears!