Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

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BigBpiper
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Tell us something.: I have grown up surrounded by Irish music and culture and have played the whistle since first grade. I love playing the various instruments I have aquired over the years and would love to help others with their instruments in any way I can.

Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by BigBpiper »

Peter Duggan wrote: In a C or Bb, perhaps (I've got the full set), but not in a D for a sweet top. It's bore and simple physics.
Yeah, you're right, I should have clarified. The Bb in particular should fit the bill perfectly.
Dan A.
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by Dan A. »

awildman wrote:Personally, i like the look of brass patina, and I like the texture of brass in my hands.
My Walton's has started to develop that patina. Perhaps the look of it will grow on me in time, but it also seems to have received a clear-coat that is peeling. That is a little more annoying to look at...
busterbill
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by busterbill »

A Killarney is twice your budget, but I can pull out a good attempt at The Golden Eagle on it, which is all the third octave and half holing most of us will ever need. It comes in both brass and nickle. It feels good and solid. It is shipped fairly fast. (Search The Golden Eagle Hornpipe played by Donncha O'Briain and you'll see what I mean about the difficulty of the tune, although Donncha O'Briain had passed before the modern makers of high end whistles was a thing-- there is a link that also includes a recording)
BigBpiper
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Tell us something.: I have grown up surrounded by Irish music and culture and have played the whistle since first grade. I love playing the various instruments I have aquired over the years and would love to help others with their instruments in any way I can.

Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by BigBpiper »

busterbill wrote: A Killarney is twice your budget, but I can pull out a good attempt at The Golden Eagle on it, which is all the third octave and half holing most of us will ever need. It comes in both brass and nickle. It feels good and solid.
I agree, the Killarney is an excellent idea. Especially in the second and third octave as you mentioned. I know it is almost twice the budget ($90 USD, I believe) but once you have it you have a whistle you can play in front of anyone anywhere without being embarrassed :) and in all honesty, it's really not that expensive as far as High-enders go. Would the nickel perhaps be a better option since it might resist corrosion?

I, myself, prefer the sound of wooden whistles over the traditional, pure-drop, generation-like tone. However I definitely can appreciate such Instruments possessing that tone in their own right.
Cheers!
tstermitz
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by tstermitz »

Yes, the Killarney plays sweetly in the upper octave. I prefer its sound to that of wooden whistles because I like the crisp rather than mellow tone. I don't think you can beat the quality vs price; maybe a Freeman tweaked whistle is your next best choice.

I personally prefer the silver color, but the plating wears off around the holes fairly quickly from the oils and acids or whatever of your fingers. I guess you can polish the brass one if that matters to you.
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Mr.Gumby
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by Mr.Gumby »

(Search The Golden Eagle Hornpipe played by Donncha O'Briain and you'll see what I mean about the difficulty of the tune, although Donncha O'Briain had passed before the modern makers of high end whistles was a thing-- there is a link that also includes a recording)
I assume you saying earlier :
I can pull out a good attempt at The Golden Eagle on it, which is all the third octave
was a slip of the pen but as the OP was looking for recommendations for a whistle to play the third octave, let's be clear the version of Golden Eagle recommended by you does not move beyond the second octave so playing it doesn't tell you anything about a whistle's ability to reach the painfully screechy notes (for whistles used in that register : look up videos of the St Stephen's day wren in Dingle).

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nicx66
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by nicx66 »

Dan A. wrote:Clarkes, if I recall correctly, are made of tin plate. Tin in its pure form is not a ferrous metal, and while it is subject to tarnish and/or corrosion, anything made of tin will not rust. For rust to form, an iron-based material must be present. Perhaps another member can confirm or deny if a Clarke is made of pure tin or an alloy.

All metal will tarnish and/or corrode if it is left in its as-refined state and exposed to the elements...those processes are the metal attempting to return to its natural state. To hinder or prevent this process, the metal must have a coating applied; polish, plating, and paint are the most common.

Please note that I am aware that Hawaii's climate is not friendly to metal, and I am not saying there is no way your whistle is not suffering as a result of that climate. That said, if the sound of the instrument is not affected, I see no reason to toss it. I will run a paper towel through my whistles if they clog badly enough, and that may be worth doing to help stave off corrosion, too. If you're having a big problem with metal tubes being adversely affected by your climate, a PVC whistle is probably one of your better options.
modern tin-plate is made from sheet-steel that is covered in a thin (measured in 1000th of an inch) layer of tin, which is applied using electro-plating. The process originally used sheet-iron and was plated using a hot-dipped method, where the sheet was submerged in a vat of molten tin.
Dan A.
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by Dan A. »

nicx66 wrote:modern tin-plate is made from sheet-steel that is covered in a thin (measured in 1000th of an inch) layer of tin, which is applied using electro-plating.
Yes, if a Clarke is made of of electro-plated steel, it is subject to rusting. Thank you for setting me straight on that.
BigBpiper
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Tell us something.: I have grown up surrounded by Irish music and culture and have played the whistle since first grade. I love playing the various instruments I have aquired over the years and would love to help others with their instruments in any way I can.

Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by BigBpiper »

tstermitz wrote: Yes, the Killarney plays sweetly in the upper octave. I prefer its sound to that of wooden whistles because I like the crisp rather than mellow tone. I don't think you can beat the quality vs price; maybe a Freeman tweaked whistle is your next best choice.
I can understand that :) . And as I mentioned I still like them in their own right. I find that the mellow, hard-blowing, wooden whistles are most responsive and complimentary to my style of playing, but I certainly respect other whistlers who prefer that crisp tone you mentioned. In any case, I also agree that a Freeman tweaked whistle would be a great option. I recall the original post said "no plastic mouthpieces", but I think that would be very difficult to cooperate with. I just wish Jerry Freeman still tweaked Shaws; then we might have a really good option right there.
Cheers!
moonlitnarwhal
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by moonlitnarwhal »

Tyler DelGregg wrote:
ytliek wrote:See Hermit Hill Folk Instruments economy model for $45.00.

http://www.hhfi.biz/products.html

You just need to know where to look. :)
I just checked out the Hermit Hill link. The economy model really is attractively priced. I wish he had sound samples for the economy model high D. I'm going to do a little searching on youtube.
Hello,

Thanks for your help and advice. Do you have any first-hand experience with that Hermit Hill whistle? It looks great but I was curious if you (or others) have played one.

Thanks again for your reply.

Rich
moonlitnarwhal
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by moonlitnarwhal »

Aloha all,

Thank you to all who responded to my original post, it has been very helpful and set me on an internet pilgrimage to a whole bunch of whistle makers that I had never known existed.

At this point, I recognise that my initial $50 budget was overly optimistic, and $100+ seems more reasonable for what I'm seeking. The Kilarney whistle certainly got a lot of recommendations and looks great, the Hermit Hill may be good option (but I'm curious about the sound and quality), and I have to admit that I'm intrigued with the look and sound of the Chieftain Thunderbird Mezzo D - what a beautifully machined whistle! If anyone is sitll reading this I'd love to hear your opinion on that Chieftain (and the Hermit Hill).

Again, I'm a raw novice, living in a non-whistling corner of the world, but I'm playing everyday and loving it and I strongly suspect that anything will be better than my (now heavily rusting) Sweetone. I live in the 'country' with no close neighbors and I do really like playing loud (in the second octave), however I think I overstated my need to reach that third octave in my original post... I'm so new to this that I thought it was common to play in the third octave and I wanted a whistle capable of that, but I starting to suspect that may not be the case... anyway, I'm excited to invest in a more refined instrument and progress with it.

Many thanks to you all for sharing your ideas and your wealth of experience!

Rich
BigBpiper
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Tell us something.: I have grown up surrounded by Irish music and culture and have played the whistle since first grade. I love playing the various instruments I have aquired over the years and would love to help others with their instruments in any way I can.

Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by BigBpiper »

moonlitnarwhal wrote: The Kilarney whistle certainly got a lot of recommendations and looks great, the Hermit Hill may be good option (but I'm curious about the sound and quality), and I have to admit that I'm intrigued with the look and sound of the Chieftain Thunderbird Mezzo D - what a beautifully machined whistle! If anyone is sitll reading this I'd love to hear your opinion on that Chieftain (and the Hermit Hill).
If the Chieftain floats your boat, I'd go for it :) In the case of the Hermit hill, you might email the maker, Alex DeWilde, and see if he can manufacture a whistle to meet your needs. He's a great guy who's very easy to work with. I think there was even a thread comparing the Hermit Hill to the killarney, but I'd have to dig it up.
Cheers!
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ytliek
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by ytliek »

moonlitnarwhal wrote:
Tyler DelGregg wrote:
ytliek wrote:See Hermit Hill Folk Instruments economy model for $45.00.

http://www.hhfi.biz/products.html

You just need to know where to look. :)
I just checked out the Hermit Hill link. The economy model really is attractively priced. I wish he had sound samples for the economy model high D. I'm going to do a little searching on youtube.
Hello,

Thanks for your help and advice. Do you have any first-hand experience with that Hermit Hill whistle? It looks great but I was curious if you (or others) have played one.

Thanks again for your reply.

Rich
Actually, the economy whistle I was referring to doesn't appear in the Economy Products webpage. I have several Hermit Hill whistles in various materials and price brackets. The economy whistle I'm speaking about was $45.00 a couple years ago, and all brass with a wood block. Not a loud whistle so not considered a session whistle. This whistle compares to any of the mass produced, less expensive Clarkes, Gens, Feadóg, or Waltons. The HHFI all brass whistle has a good and comparable amount of chiff common to similar brands. For $45.00 I found this whistle to be a real joy to play at a very reasonable price.
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Yes, please do contact HHFI and refer to my purchased whistle or refer him to this thread.
http://www.hhfi.biz/index.html
Enjoy your whistling.
Dan A.
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Location: Detroit Metro

Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by Dan A. »

Based on aesthetics alone, the Hermit Hill whistles seem to be offered at a good price. I'd be ordering one with a hardwood head and engravings if I had an extra $120 laying around.
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Mr.Gumby
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Re: Looking for a Whistle Recommendation...

Post by Mr.Gumby »

The economy whistle I'm speaking about was $45.00 a couple years ago,
If I recall correctly he sold those through ebay. I had a peek at them at the time but decided I do not want any more whistles. His new economy line looks nice too, if perhaps a bit top heavy. Would need to give them a whirl to see if I'd like them but so far, so good.


[fixed spellling error]
Last edited by Mr.Gumby on Thu Feb 22, 2018 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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