What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

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atozinco
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What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by atozinco »

I only have one whistle - a Feadog - which I've been playing (and busking with) for 7 years. For the price, the Feadog has been amazing - but it is time to get a 'better' whistle, I think!

I've spent many hours browsing the forums here but I've found it hard to find reviews & comparisons between whistles - I need some quick suggestions, please.

- I want a whistle that sounds good with normal C fingering (0XX000) - so I guess that means not the Sindt.
- I also want a whistle that has a bit of a raspy/interesting tone to it (like the Feadog) - but doesn't hurt the ears on the high notes
- A medium volume or moderately loud whistle is good

What do you think of Elfsong whistles? And what do you think of Mack Hoover whistles? (Hoover whistles are quite quiet, so they could be a good 'second' whistle for me).

What D whistles would you recommend that sound good, and are attractive to look at as well?

Thanks very much in advance!

Amelia
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Hotblack
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by Hotblack »

For a very reasonable budget how about something like the Dixon Trad in brass. Not the loudest of whistles but a wonderful sound.
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Or Maybe the Mellow Dog which is a Jerry Freeman tweak of a Waltons Mellow D tube and a Feadog head. This may be more what you are after.
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Both sound great for the money and the Mellow Dog is available in C and D combi pack for not much more than the cost of the D alone.
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hans
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by hans »

Standard bore Reyburn D, made of thick, strong brass tubing with a Delrin mouth piece
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The Reyburn plays louder and a bit less pure than a Burke Session.
The Burke is great as well and probably my favourite living room high D whistle.
You can get the Reyburn as a D/C set, saving you loads of money on a separate C whistle.
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I.D.10-t
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by I.D.10-t »

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that the Dixon has a raspy sound to it.

To the original post, how far up the scale do you play?
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Hotblack
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by Hotblack »

I.D.10-t wrote:Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think that the Dixon has a raspy sound to it.
Ooops! Correct. Silly me. I should remember what I've just read when I reply to it. Ignore that Dixon recommendation.. :oops:
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by NicoMoreno »

What's wrong with the feadog that you want a better one?

Seems to me like you're describing your feadog in saying what you want. As someone who lost his feadog and found it after a year, let me tell you I haven't found or played a better whistle. I do have another feadog that is almost indistinguishable and a generation and blackbird that are almost as good. But I wouldn't say the last two have the same raspy tone as the feadog.

A Burke would be completely different, not at all raspy, and not really responsive in the same way as the feadog. You'd probably be disappointed after 7 years learning to play the feadog! A Sindt likely would be the best choice for a non-mass-produced whistle. I think you can play Cnat with the typical fingering a lot of the time. I know I've managed it just fine the couple times I've tried a Sindt. Blow a tad softer and you're good to go. Or you could put your Feadog body on it and be done.

Caveat: I've played Burkes, Abells, Greenwoods, O'Riordan's, Copelands, a Sindt or two, Humphrey's, a lot of cheap whistles and probably a bunch of other expensive whistles. You get tradeoffs with every design, so "better" is really just "different".
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by elwalti »

I'm not sure what you're looking to spend, but I went from a Feadog to a Busman in blackwood (about $250+shipping), and I think it would meet all of your requirements. It has an on pitch C natural, has decent volume, and is beautiful. I don't know if I'd call the tone raspy like a Feadog, but it certainly has chiff and undertones; definitely a whistle with character. I have a Harper D, which is a very pure-sounding whistle, and I enjoy that for many songs as well (which I think can compare to a Burke from what I've heard), but the Busman has a totally different sound; warmer, I'd say, which is partly due to the material, I'm sure.
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by BillChin »

I would vote NAY on Elfsong, Burke, and Hoover for busking. The main reason is not enough volume.

Of those three I like my Hoover the best, but again it is not a busking type of whistle. All three, I would say have more of a pure tone than raspy.
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by ChaplainBlake »

Contact Mitch, who makes Oz whistles...you will not regret it. I have one of his gidgee whistles in D (and a blackwood/silver one on order), and it definitely satisfies.

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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by tucson_whistler »

if you like the feadog, i have 2 ideas for you...

i bought a mack hoover blacktop and just used it to replace the head on my feadog. i love it; it's the whistle i play the most now.

also, i got a pm from a poster who said that their main performance whistle is a Sindt--with a feadog body. again, you just take the head off and put it on the feadog body--then you'd have the quality of the Sindt whistle, with the feadog body so you could finger c nat easily.

good luck!
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by PhilO »

I'd like to respond to just 2 parts of your post not yet responded to.

First, regarding whistle reviews, there are at least 2 solid whistle review links that include sound clips - one by Wanderer and one by Tony Hinnegan come immediately to mind. If you can't get the links, I'll forward them tomorrow (a bit zonked from work and wine right now).

Second, regarding Sandy Jasper's Elf Song whistles, which I haven't seen mentioned recently and which I have 2 of. She makes gorgeous unique looking whistles mostly with copper bodies last time I looked. I have a soprano or high D that certainly could not be called "raspy." it's a fine whistle but very bright and pure; also there's a bit of head joint wobble when the tuning slide is in what I deem proper position. I also have a C whistle that she made to my specs which is black and brass and copper with a delrin fipple; it's somehow a bit darker in tone but not raspy. No wobble in this outstanding whistle. The D is moderate plus in volume and the C moderate minus.

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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by GeneB »

atozinco wrote:
What D whistles would you recommend that sound good, and are attractive to look at as well

Amelia
Amelia, I would have to disagree with whoever said the Burke isn't loud enough. I have a new Burke D Session (aluminum) Whistle and it is LOUD. I love it. The tone is excellent, the fingering for C nat works just great and it is a very pretty instrument. I am just learning to play and my playing improved the very first time I played this whistle. I can't imagine that you would be unhappy with it.
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by Ballyshannon »

Let's see.... accurate c-nat....slightly raspy....easy upper register....med-mod loud vol?

Sounds like an Abell pushed just slightly past its optimal air vol. :)

I used to have a high D whistle that fits your criteria perfectly...original Reyburn with Maple head. Nice sound, unique raspy tone, accurate c-nat, good vol, easy player with sweet high end. Unfortunately that whistle got run over and totally squashed but I still have a Reyburn C with Maple head and has that same unique raspy tone. Really nice, unique sounding whistles. Don't know if Ronaldo is still using the Maple heads for anything but I guarantee you he can make exactly what you want since he's "been there and done that". Give him a call.

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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by swizzlestick »

I would also recommend a Reyburn, but the heads are no longer wood. On the loud side and with a complex -- not really raspy - sound. I don't know another whistle besides a Feadog that has that exact sound.

Another advantage that no one has addressed. Reyburn whistles do rather well in cross winds -- an important consideration when playing outside.
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Re: What D whistle do you recommend I get (eg. Burke)?

Post by Ballyshannon »

swizzlestick wrote:I would also recommend a Reyburn, but the heads are no longer wood.
I just had a very nice conversation with Ronaldo (always enjoy talking with him), and he in fact is no longer messing with the Maple heads for various reasons. So at this point, I'd suggest trying to find one here on the forum if you're adamant about a raspy toned whistle. Off hand, I can't think of any other raspy sounding whistles and certainly nothing close to the sound of those old Maple head Reyburns.

You could try and get one of the makers to custom make a whistle with the raspy sound you're wanting...or maybe tell you how to "alter" your Feadog to sound raspy. :D

Good luck and let us know what you end up with.
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