Advice on whistle purchase needed

[papageno]

I have just returned from Dusty Strings in Seattle. I didn't realize that they carried any whistles till I read about it in another thread.
I tried out the following whistles:

Dixon D DX204 heavy brass
Carbony D carbon fiber
Dixon D DX005 plastic with brass tuning slide
Dixon D DX006 Aluminium
Dixon C DX006 Aluminium
Dixon Bb Traditional brass

A very interesting experience. First off I found that I am utterly pathetic on tin whistles. They were all quite different. The Dixon D heavy brass had a nice solid feel to it and I preferred it over the Dixon D DX006 Aluminium. The Dixon D DX005 plastic with brass tuning slide was surprisingly nice and I found it easier to play than the other D's. I really liked the Dixon C DX006 Aluminium and preferred it over the Dixon Bb Traditional brass. The Carbony D was very nice but because of it's high price not really a contender.
Dusty Strings has a few more that I didn't try, I was feeling a little self conscious. I go back again in a few days.

[DrPhill]

I have just returned from Dusty Strings in Seattle. I didn't realize that they carried any whistles till I read about it in another thread.
I tried out the following whistles:

Dixon D DX204 heavy brass
Carbony D carbon fiber
Dixon D DX005 plastic with brass tuning slide
Dixon D DX006 Aluminium
Dixon C DX006 Aluminium
Dixon Bb Traditional brass

A very interesting experience. First off I found that I am utterly pathetic on tin whistles. They were all quite different. The Dixon D heavy brass had a nice solid feel to it and I preferred it over the Dixon D DX006 Aluminium. The Dixon D DX005 plastic with brass tuning slide was surprisingly nice and I found it easier to play than the other D's. I really liked the Dixon C DX006 Aluminium and preferred it over the Dixon Bb Traditional brass. The Carbony D was very nice but because of it's high price not really a contender.
Dusty Strings has a few more that I didn't try, I was feeling a little self conscious. I go back again in a few days.

Buy one. Any of those should do as a first whistle and beyond. You should have change left over from your budget to buy a second one when (not if ) you feel the need for another.

Enjoy.

[PB+J]

Pick the one that's easiest to play!

[psoutowood]

I second the motion on Dixon whistles. I started on an Oak, had a handful of Generations and a Feadog, and all were all over the place on playability. Now with a little experience under my belt I occasionally go back to those whistles to see if it was inexperience or a bad-quality whistle and right away I can tell it's the whistle, not the operator. I think it's a disservice to recommend Generation whistles to beginners because if they get a crap one, and they are DEFINITELY out there, they are going to be tweaking their new technique to fit the whistle when it should be the other way around. Pay a little more for a solid whistle so you don't waste time, and possibly pack it in entirely, because you are working around poor quality. There's enough to do when you are learning without accommodating bad build quality.

Also, for me the Killarney is an extremely low-wind and chirpy whistle. For a beginner I'd recommend a Susato which is bang-on with tuning, nice and clear on the sound, and middle-of-the-road for air requirements.

-Peter

[papageno]

Thanks to all for the advice and suggestions.
I ended up ordering a Killarney D brass this morning.
I decided I rather liked the D whistles after playing a bunch of them. The metal whistles just sounded more like how I want a whistle to sound.

[pancelticpiper]

I checked out the Freeman tweaked Bb. A definite contender.

I bought a Freeman Generation Bb several years ago and it's superb.

It has a beautiful sweet 2nd octave and a good low octave.

It's the best Generation Bb I've ever been in the position to purchase. Over the last 40 years I've played many fantastic vintage Generation Bb's but they have been the cherished possessions of good players and NFS.

For the standard D whistles Killarneys are hard to beat. I've played some Freeman modified D's that were great.

[gbyrne]

Thanks to all for the advice and suggestions.
I ended up ordering a Killarney D brass this morning.
I decided I rather liked the D whistles after playing a bunch of them. The metal whistles just sounded more like how I want a whistle to sound.

D is the essential starter because 98% of everything you will hear to play along with (recorded, YouTube or sessions) will be in D/G/A and all of these playable on D whistle. You made a great choice with the Killarney. It will take you a long way. There's no harm in adding C, Bb and Eb (probably in that order). But if playing in company it's almost exclusively the D that will be used.