Dixon DX-Trad Review

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s1m0n
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by s1m0n »

For those mystified by the above, the anti-expletive software on this board substitutes "Oh, my goodness! What in the world?" for a three letter acronym that begins with the letter W (for "what").
Last edited by s1m0n on Sun Jan 21, 2018 7:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
And now there was no doubt that the trees were really moving - moving in and out through one another as if in a complicated country dance. ('And I suppose,' thought Lucy, 'when trees dance, it must be a very, very country dance indeed.')

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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Mr.Gumby »

You probably do say YMMV all the time but I have no idea Oh, my goodness! What in the world? that means. As a newbie it seams like a good affordable whistle that helps to transition into the better instruments. I guess that it all comes down to personal experience and preference though...
I do say YMMV all the time these days. To indicate I am giving an opinion and that it's fine to disagree with that.

The Dixon trad is a mid price whistle and readily available. Some will like it for that reason, others won't. I initially thought it was OK-ish when it was new but over time found I didn't want to play it, I didn't like the way it handled and the tone wasn't in any way special either.

We could talk about 'transition to better instruments'. I still play most at ease, and perhaps my best, on whistles that cost me a around a fiver. On most days the Cillian O'Briain that cost €25 is hard to beat (it handles like a dream, has a lovely round tone without the hard edge, coldness if you like, that is part of the sound of Killarney and Sindt type whistles) and yet on other days, depending on the context, I may resort to the Killarneys or a Sindt (the Sindt blends very well with other instruments). I don't go for the notion that more expensive whistles make people better players, they may create the illusion for a while (you put down your money so it must be better, doesn't it?) but at the end of the day, you will have to put in the work to sound any good. But then again, YMMV. :P
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Peter Duggan »

bigsciota wrote:Now, like I said, Killarney seems to have take a bite out of that market share. But I still see a good few of the alloy Dixon (I think DX206 is the model number) around, and have friends who love them.
The DX206 (alloy) and DX204 (solid brass) models use the same head as the trad, so the upgrade's all in the body, whereas the old-style DX203 had a different head. I still love my DX203s.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by s1m0n »

Peter Duggan wrote:The DX206 (alloy) and DX204 (solid brass) models use the same head as the trad, so the upgrade's all in the body, whereas the old-style DX203 had a different head.
Upgrade to what? If the body material (as is often said) has no effect on sound, then who cares what the whistle body is made out of? At best, it's a meaningless upsell, and a solid giveaway that you're being cheated.
And now there was no doubt that the trees were really moving - moving in and out through one another as if in a complicated country dance. ('And I suppose,' thought Lucy, 'when trees dance, it must be a very, very country dance indeed.')

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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Tyler DelGregg »

s1m0n wrote:
Peter Duggan wrote:The DX206 (alloy) and DX204 (solid brass) models use the same head as the trad, so the upgrade's all in the body, whereas the old-style DX203 had a different head.
Upgrade to what? If the body material (as is often said) has no effect on sound, then who cares what the whistle body is made out of? At best, it's a meaningless upsell, and a solid giveaway that you're being cheated.
The Trad body has a narrower bore and a thinner wall than the DX206 and DX204. To my ears, they sound better than the Trad, and the tuning mechanism appears more precise. The bore of the tuning slide on the DX206 and DX204 is the same bore size as the Trad body, which allows for the use of the same head.
Last edited by Tyler DelGregg on Sun Jan 21, 2018 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Peter Duggan »

s1m0n wrote:Upgrade to what?
That's kind of my point, s1m0n. The DX206 and DX204 are basically Trad heads on thicker-walled (and, in the case of the DX204, much heavier) bodies. But, while I'm not excited about this, nobody's being cheated when Dixon's site openly lists the same replacement heads for Trad, DX206 and DX204.

Some may prefer the feel of the different body; I like my heavy brass whistles and can see things like outside diameter, hole depth/finishing and weight all contributing to player feedback/experience, but don't doubt the different head as the primary source of their different tone and response.
Tyler DelGregg wrote:The Trad body has a narrower bore and a thinner wall than the DX206 and DX204. To my ears, they sound better than the Trad, and the tuning mechanism appears more precise.
From a quick check with ruler rather than calipers (which are out in my workshop), the Trad and DX203 internal diameters look similar. But, yes, the more expensive bodies are probably all tooled to a higher standard and the heads are probably better fitted to their slides than the Trad tubes.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Peter Duggan »

Your mileage may vary.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Tyler DelGregg »

YMMV
Interesting how people across the Atlantic refer to mileage while mentally calculating in kilometers. I stll can’t get past miles and yards. Ok, that was way off topic.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Polara Pat »

Peter Duggan wrote:Your mileage may vary.
Oh good to know. Thanks.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by ytliek »

My limited experience tells me that the tube/body does have an effect on the sound, maybe not much, but, nonetheless some effect.

I too like the heavier brass body and prefer it to the alloy tubes.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Chifmunk »

I really like my brass Dixon Trads. They have a lovely sweet hollow-ish tone that none of my other whistles have, and they seem pretty nimble.

YMMV = Yapping Mealy Mouth Verily :lol:
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Polara Pat »

Chifmunk wrote: YMMV = Yapping Mealy Mouth Verily :lol:
haha, good one. You should write children's books.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

Post by Tyler DelGregg »

The wide bore Brass Dixon I had before switching to the alloy was a fine whistle, but it was a bit too heavy for me. The alloy I play now has a certain hissing sound that I like. The hissing is more pronounced in the C. The Dixons, as I play them, are the least clog-prone whistles in my stable.
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Re: Dixon DX-Trad Review

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