I'm lusting after a new whistle or two.

Has anyone had experience with Gene Milligan's whistle in A?

Local shop has one in red DymondWood and it sure is a looker.

brad

Uh, so play it then, and decide for yourself...

Time for a deep breath and another pint...

Not the same whistle, but here is a detailed review of Milligan's work:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=68583

They're carried at Whistle and Drum, so they must be pretty decent.

Thanks. I should say I have a Milligan in D, and it is a really lovely and fun instrument. I am hoping someone with more experience with the A whistle and more than a quick toot in the shop could chime in.
(I'm also a bit of a prude when it comes to blowing a whistle that isn't mine--irrational personal hangup. )

Sorry for earlier post. I'm unnaturally surly today. Perhaps I should take up the pipes?

Ewwwww.... You don''t really want to hang out with the pipe guys, do you? Ick...

Actually I wasn't trying to be a jerk... you Sir, on the other hand, were. The point was that nobody here can tell you anything about that whistle in your local shop. Now, I could say to you, "I have one and I love it!" Or, "My friend has six, all in A, and they all suck!"... But I still wouldn't be telling you anything about the particular whistle you are interested in. Nor would my ability on any whistle tell you anything about your ability with the same whistle.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'...

Get yourself a couple of alcohol preps or whatever and go down there and play the thing... that will tell you everything you need to know.

Ah, but you were being sarcastic, so his reaction is not entirely surprising. I've found that I have to be a bit careful when playing snarky online; people don't know me personally and so cannot tell that 99% of the time I'm just joking and mean no ill will.

You are quite right about the advice, though. I have been watching the thread on the Dixon Traditional in Nickel and see responses all over the map for a 'mass produced' whistle. Unfortunately, the only music store that carries whistles near me has a strict "you blow it you bought it" policy, so I find myself soliciting advice in the same manner as OP. This type of question has a long precedence here and, if asked sincerely, deserves a sincere answer. It's always known that YMMV, but what is a whistle forum for if not to talk about whistles?

This is from Gene Milligans web page;


Maybe the shop will give you a week, it won't hurt to ask.

That alone makes S/H worth paying! Good find!

AvienMael, I apologize for my earlier post, and I apologize to all the members of this forum. My remark was inexcusably rude and only reflects poorly on myself.

I do wish I had instead followed Brent's idea and took a deep breath and a pint.

However, AvienMael, I ask that you consider that your reply, including the smilie, "Uh, so play it then, and decide for yourself... " could be construed in a negative light.

I appreciate your fleshing out the second reply.

By the way, I work with Staphylococcus aureus, and have become a bit of a worrier about transmissible nasties. Personally, I wouldn't trust a couple of alcohol wipes.

I will check with the local shop about their return policy.

It's been hot nationwide... Welcome to the forum Cheers, everyone!

Not trying, but succeeding?

I can think of a dozen reasons why the OP might not be able to, "play it then". Maybe local health codes prohibit try-before-you-buy. Maybe the OP works 16 hour days, and can't visit during business hours. Maybe the OP is physically handicapped or disabled or ill, and without transportation to the shop. Maybe the shop thinks Dymondwood is made from real diamonds (er, dymonds), and won't let anyone touch it. Maybe "bradley" is really Justin Bieber, and can't risk being mobbed by paparazzi.

Or maybe none of that matters if the OP just felt like asking a whistle opinion question on a whistle discussion board, and he's willing to risk an untried purchase.

As another wise poster wrote:

As for me, I'd be celebrating that there is a local shop with a selection of whistles. All I find around here is the occasional rack of Gens dusted off and displayed in March just before St. Patrick's day.

Best wishes.

Steve