Hi all Im trying to decide on buying a new whistle. I am a beginner but want to get something that is going to last me and something I’m going to learn with.
The type of music Im looking to play is trad play songs like the Gael etc. I even want to when I get better play covers from some albums.
The whistles I have been looking at are Dixon tunable( I think its plastic), Tilbury, and feadog blackbird. I have about 75+ to spend because right now I’m on disability. Let me knob that you think and if you maybe have other sugestions too.
I’ve never tried a Tilbury, so can’t comment, but the Dixon and (do you mean Jerry Freeman?) Blackbird are nice. I like the Freeman Bluebird even better. I also really like the brass Killarney whistle–that’s the one I use. http://killarneywhistle.com/
I have a Tilbury. I like it but it is quite soft and is also very sensitive to the pressure of blowing. I also have Dixons, and they are reliable easy to play whistled, good for a beginner.
Thanks for all that info but now Im really going back in forth between the Killarney (great sound )and the Dixon TRAD and tunable poly they all sound good. The one thing I don’t want is the recorder sound but I’m not sure I hear that with the dioxin poly defiantly not with the two others.
This is going to be taught both sound really good Im trying to tell which ones use less air and don’t squeak when you go to the higher nots. Im a beginner but I learn fast. Im using a mellow dog tweeted but its just not for me.
The Killarney probably uses less air than the Dixons, which probably use similar air to (or approaching the same as) your Mellow Dog. None of them squeak when you go to the higher notes… that’s the players!
So true about the squeeking,
It’s really coming down to the Killarney
Or the Dixon trad in D.
Still a tough decision I want this pipe for a bunch of years.
Okay, one more whistles into the decision. Has anyone ever heard of the Syn (not snit whistle) and your feelings on that one. A little more expensive but like I said, I want it to be a whistle to grow with.
I purchased a Syn A & Bb set awhile back.. Did not find them to be a good match for me at all. I had numerous issues.. The tuning seemed quite off. There was one head and two bodies. I struggled repositioning the head many times. I never seemed to be able to get in tune with my breath control. It felt very clunky and awkward in my hands in comparison to a Gen Bb. They had a nice tone though.
I currently play a Freeman Low A & Bb tweaked generation whistle for those keys. The intonation seems much more to my liking on those whistles when compared with Syn set I have. I also like the narrow bore on the Freeman whistles.
I think those keys where new to Earl when I purchased them. So he may have made changes or the whistle just didn’t fit me. I do know there are people who post here that are quite fond of the syn whistles. I really haven’t heard much here about the low keys.. But, the high D & C Syn whistles have gotten praise here.
NOTE: Also, a more expensive whistle does not necessarily equate to a higher quality instrument in the whistling world.
I have syn, dixon and killarney nickle and brass, and I would definitely go for the brass killarney. It is a whistle that is as perfectly in tune as a whistle can be ( imperfect ) and I prefer the brass sound a little over the nickle one. The killarney whistle has IMO the sweetest less shrill second octave. Just my view.
You’ll find that your experience levels will develop and so your whistle choices may change as well. Play for awhile and gain some experience. The whistles will be around when you need to upgrade, if you need to upgrade at all. Have fun!
Just ordered the Killarney in brass…
Very excited to start taking more lessons and practice,practice,practice,practice…
Then when I think I’m really good ignore my ego and practice,practice,practice…
I am rather late in this discussion, but, I have a set of Syns. I really liked them at first, and played them a lot. However, coming back to them, I found them to be less responsive and bright sounding than several other whistles.
I have the Dixon aluminum body and an Oak. Both are great but opposite ends of the spectrum.Want to bend notes to the pitch you want and play into the third register? Oak. Want a strong bottom octave and intonation that seems to be spot on when you are off? Dixon.
As a transverse flute player I like the Oak. A Dixon is also a solid interment, but I never warmed up to it.
Similarly, my TJ Potter does not do “Session”. The Impempe I am privileged to be borrowing at the moment does not do “Gentle”. Until I’d played both I hadn’t realized how broad the spectrum was.
Hi, I’m a bit late to this post because I literally just got approved today. I’ve played around with bunch of different whistles, and I finally got the Tilbury ones in D and C, and now want to order the Eb and Bb. One thing I discovered about different whistles is that I’m not fond of the traditional plastic fipple that is curved on the top and bottom. For some reason, that shape makes the spit dribble out the sides of my mouth. I don’t have the same problems with the mouthpiece that is more like the Clarkes or ones cut like the Tilbury whistles. I also do pretty well with the Susato ones. All these are flat on the bottom but curved on the top of the mouthpiece. Funny how that fipple shape can be the ultimate deciding factor for me.