Taking a poll: Which would you choose?
1. MK Kelpie in low F (not tuneable)- used
2. Sheerwater tuneable in low F
3. Kerry Optima tuneable Low F

All others are outside price range.

Looking for easy blower and air efficient. Sounds nice without a lot of roar (rushing air sound) Quiet eough to play in home without annoying house mates.

Thanks;

Patti

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Stay safe and hopefully healthy;

Patti Burns

Hi Patti, I'd rule out the Optima. It's a great whistle but on the louder, windier, and less air-efficient end. I had a Shearwater that oddly took lots of air and was still clear as a bell and quiet.

-Peter

I had the Shearwater but sold it. The tone was almost too pure for my taste. I like some breathiness in the tone. I also had the Optima F. It was rather loud and the head cracked. Now I play the Optima F body with the head of a Qwistle low D. Of the three I'd take the MK. Or spend a little more and get a Thunderbird from Phil Hardy. I have the Thunderbird low D and it's lovely.

I don't have any of those three, but just listened/watched to all three on YouTube (for the Nth time). All three have some breathiness going on, showing up more in the second octave, but sound very musical to me, without the breathiness effect being apart from the tonal character. Not quite as ideal as a Burke, but quite passable, at the lower price point. They all pass that test, but selection is subjective to each player's preferences. I saw a comparison between the MK Pro and MK Kelpie some time ago and clearly preferred the Pro for tone.

So of the three whistles mentioned, I'd narrow it down to the Optima and Shearwater. To my ears, the Optima has the more full-range tonal character, while the Shearwater has a tone more rounded off in the higher frequencies. Myself, I'd take the Optima, for more ability to manipulate the tone either as a player, or by fiddling in EQ later in recording. That's also possibly subjective, as you might be able to crank up the 3000Hz/6000Hz levels on the Shearwater later? I don't know for sure.

I can't add anything from experience regarding their air demands.

That would most likely be the Shearwater.

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Keith.
Trying to do justice to my various musical instruments.

I like the Goldfinch F. Its large bored for an F enabling a dynamic style of playing. Reasonably cheap for a custom-made whistle and light too.

You could also check out the standard series PVC low F from Nick Metcalf. It is very light blowing, and plays almost like a high whistle. It sounds soft, pure, and well balanced. Don't expect it to play loudly though. They run for just around $80 from https://www.theirishwhistle.com/

I have a sound sample of mine here: https://youtu.be/HWClokjyWWk

I see you're including both used and new whistles on the list.

Allow me to put a twist on your poll: If a used MK can be found far enough under its new price to become affordable, so too might any other make.

The case being that any make might be found within your price range, I have to say that my new Goldie F is fantastic, by far the best F I've ever played, and one of the best whistles of any key I've ever played. The low notes and bellnote are very solid, yet the 2nd octave is surprisingly sweet and civilised. I thought it would be much louder!

But Goldies are too expensive, people might say. Yes I bought this F new at Colin's full price. But my other two Goldies were bought used, in perfect condition, for quite reasonable prices.

That's the thing: people here were talking about the long wait for new Sindt whistles and the absurdly high prices that used ones were going for, yet at that very time I picked up a few Sindts for reasonable prices. You just have to keep an eye out and be patient.

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Richard Cook
1978 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle