Chiff and Fipple Forums

I played the high D whistle for sessions years ago, as well as the C
, but have not played any sessions recently or even Whistle for that matter.
I'm looking for some advice on a good sounding whistle in a lower key that D and C, but not as far down as low D
Really something fun to play around the Kitchen Table, responsive and most important pleasant to the ears and not shrill where others may complain
I know there are several keys in between low D and C, so am wondering if one of the keys just stands out
I don't want to pay a lot so am thinking Sosato
Thanks in advance!
Ben Shaffer
GSO,NC

The A is probably your best bet. Still usable in sessions, as it can play in D, but low enough in pitch to sound interesting. There are lots of options for whistles in that key, too. Mine is a Chieftain...

Pat

I enjoy my Sindts in A and Bb and Carbony's in G and F. They are a bit pricey but worth it in MHO.

All I can suggest is to look at what range of notes and keys you want most access to, and then which instruments have the tone and expression you want.

Already having a high D, my own preference is for the alto F, but close second choice being the alto G. Alto A would be third.
That's because I enjoy the rich deep tone and notes of the F, which still has enough higher notes to feel like it has full expressive range (something I think most low D's don't have). The G is so close in key, it's virtually the same as F, but of course whistle models can vary quite a bit in tone and playability between an F VS a G from the same company in the same model name. You have to test things out yourself. The A clearly loses the deep rich tone of the F and many models in G but is still richer tone than most in high D, and a preferable practice and general instrument if the high D is a little shrill or lacking in expressive options.

I would suggest a Freeman tweaked Generation B flat whistle. Very manageable and not shrill at all. When you move to the lower keys the game changes.

Low, but not low 'D' - then I suggest low 'F', you will need to use the pipers grip, but very manageable.

Others to consider would be the low 'G', or maybe the 'A', but the 'A' is very close to a 'Bb', which to my mind are nice general whistles, but you need the 'G' or lower for that 'low' sound.

My main players these days are low 'F', low 'G', & 'A', with an occasional low 'D'.

I agree with the suggestion for the Freeman tweeked Bb, especially since one of your criteria is "responsive."

I have a Carbony G that I play sometimes. I wins on the not shrill criteria, but the Bb is more responsive. Especially if you want to play fast things.

I'm going to second the mezzo 'A' as a great all-rounder. It's high enough to be clear and not disappear in sessions, low enough to be rich and interesting, and lots of hand sizes and grips can manage it. My Goldie 'A' is my Goldilocks whistle--just right!

-Peter

Ben Shaffer wrote: a good-sounding whistle in a lower key that D and C, but not as far down as low D
Really something fun to play around the Kitchen Table, responsive and most important pleasant to the ears and not shrill where others may complain...

Interesting that you should ask that, because I faced that situation today!

My wife and I are staying home these days and today I wanted to practice in the back room without disturbing her.

I got out my whistle roll, which has everything from a Low C to a High Eb, and gravitated towards two of the same whistles people have mentioned in this thread: the mezzo/alto A and mezzo/alto F.

The A seemed the most mellow of all, and I played it for an hour.

My A is home-made. The head is from a Jerry Freeman Generation Bb which I stuck on a home-made A body. It's the best A I've ever played. It out-played (by a narrow margin) the Sindt A that I used to own. Not surprising because that Freeman Generation Bb is just about the best Bb I've ever played.

Here's the A



You can hear the A here at around 3:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-fQhvleWq8&t=88s

Today I also played the F a bit. It's the best F I've ever played, a brand-spankin' new one I just got from Colin Goldie. It's an amazing whistle: the low octave is so full, yet the 2nd octave is so sweet.

There's a special magic in those middle-sized whistles. I've heard many people over the years, both whistle-players and others, say that their favourite whistles are in that A-G-F range.

pancelticpiper wrote:
My A is home-made. The head is from a Jerry Freeman Generation Bb which I stuck on a home-made A body.

Cool. Where did you get the tubing? Is that a Freeman Bb next to it?

highland-piper wrote: Where did you get the tubing?

It's brass tubing from a hobby shop, slightly bigger than the Generation Bb tubing as you can see. Unfortunately not enough bigger to telescope on the Generation tubing! It's why it's soldered together like that, the Generation head won't fit on the hobby tubing.

Since I have calipers to hand, here's the OD

Generation Bb brass tubing OD .603"
Hobby tubing OD .619"

It was pure happenstance, the slightly larger tubing, but it I feel it actually makes the A play better.

highland-piper wrote: Is that a Freeman Bb next to it?

Not a Freeman, but my own modification to a Generation Bb head.

Left, off the shelf Generation Bb, Right, a Generation Bb head I modified by sawing through the winday, thus shortening the window to raise the 2nd octave and also get ideal alignment between the windway and the blade.