Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hi folks!

Did you know that there is an MK low E available now?

I'm very excited and if anyone tests it - I'll be grateful for a short review.

I wonder if it has the same diameter as D.

That's great to know, thanks!

I always need a Low E in my roll, and I think I'm going to upgrade a bit from the one I have now.

True it seems most makers use the same Low D tubing for their Low E.

Colin Goldie, as I recall, offers two sizes tubing for his Low E whistles. Presumably one is his Low D tubing (ID around 21.5mm) not sure what the other ID is.

I used to have a very nice Overton Low E but like an eejit I sold it. It used the Low D tubing.

My current Low E is an Alba and it's made from the tubing they use for their Mezzo F whistles (around 18.5mm).

The bore is, I think, a bit too narrow for E, however the whistle has a wonderful sweet 2nd octave and is perfectly in tune over the entire range.

Richard,

I also tested 2 Albas low E whistles. They were one of the best aluminium whistles I have ever played and I played about a hundred of whistles. Yes, their bore is narrower, but they still carry their tone, stability and "playability" just as well as low D whistles. I also had a Goldie narrow bore E which was fantastic as well (despite clogging ALWAYS), had this "goldish" character, fantastic tounging, slight dirt and complexity. I have never played an E made from a low D tube that behaved well...

I consider low E to be the best sounding low whistles - I feel this register doesn't have the low D issues - silted, quiet, dull first octave and shouty, unbalanced, ugly 2nd one.

18.5 mm seems fine to me for an E. Considering that a boehm flute has 19 mm and goes down to C.

Geebawn wrote: Low D issues: silted, quiet, dull first octave and shouty, unbalanced, ugly 2nd one.

For sure that's a perfect summation of how many Low Ds play!

I've owned or had long-term loans of 30 or 40 Low Ds over the last 15 years and I don't think there was a single one that had the thing you can get with the flute: powerful low octave and subdued sweet 2nd octave.

The closest perhaps was the Lofgren I had: big full low octave with booming Bottom D, yet a sweet easy 2nd octave. Still not quite like the flute can do, but close. The cost was a larger air appetite than I'd like.

Very similar is when I put my Goldie Low C head, which has a wider windway, on my Goldie Low D. The low octave gets stronger, the 2nd octave gets sweeter, but the air consumption goes up considerably, and the tuning is thrown off a bit.

That Goldie Low D, with the original head, is still the best bundle of compromises I've come across.

pancelticpiper wrote:That's great to know, thanks!

I always need a Low E in my roll, and I think I'm going to upgrade a bit from the one I have now.

True it seems most makers use the same Low D tubing for their Low E.

Colin Goldie, as I recall, offers two sizes tubing for his Low E whistles. Presumably one is his Low D tubing (ID around 21.5mm) not sure what the other ID is.

I used to have a very nice Overton Low E but like an eejit I sold it. It used the Low D tubing.

My current Low E is an Alba and it's made from the tubing they use for their Mezzo F whistles (around 18.5mm).

The bore is, I think, a bit too narrow for E, however the whistle has a wonderful sweet 2nd octave and is perfectly in tune over the entire range.

The Reviol E tube I have is for the alto whistle head, so it's the narrowest bore of the altos. It's got a really interesting tone, but takes the most delicate touch. I love the Eb Reviol, and I've long wondered about asking Maurice to send me an E tube for the larger whistle head, just to see how it plays. The only other E whistle I have is the Carbony, and it's a light, airy player, quite different from a Goldie or Reviol.

My Reviol was from the other direction, I had a set with bodies in Low C, Low D, and Low Eb with a single head.

All three were fine players. What surprised me was how the Low C played like a typical Low C, the Eb played like a typical Eb, though using the same head.

pancelticpiper wrote:My Reviol was from the other direction, I had a set with bodies in Low C, Low D, and Low Eb with a single head.

All three were fine players. What surprised me was how the Low C played like a typical Low C, the Eb played like a typical Eb, though using the same head.

That's interesting. While I love the Eb, and the D is okay, I found the C to be a bit too touchy for my liking, which does mean that I haven't used it much. Based on what you've written in other posts, I suspect you like an easier second octave than I do. For instance, you find the Alba bass A optimal for the bore, and find the bass C too stiff, while I feel the Bass A could be a bit wider, and I really enjoy the C, mostly for its strength, which is unlike a lot of other low C whistles I've played. The B is a nice compromise between the two.

As for the Reviol, the alto A is perhaps my favorite of the tube sizes, and it has a massive bore, while the E I've only used once since I got it. The G and F are pretty good too, and the F is easier to play, but I find the all-in power in the A to be a lot of fun. It does feel like it's reaching near the edges of playability. At some point, I'd like to get at least one more alto head, and maybe Ab and F# bodies for it, as I think both of those would be really nice, and I don't have those keys in any other whistle.