Anyone else think Bb is an ideal whistle key?
I’m curious as to what people’s favorite Bb whistle is (and why).
I have a very sweet Chieftain Bb which produces a very nice tone. I use it on rare occasions when I want to try out tunes in different keys other then suggested.
i’ve got the generation Bb, tunable plastic Dixon Bb, and i have a brass copeland tunable Bb.
Need i say which is my favourite?
Generation Bb.
i was waiting for that. that must be quite a genBb you’ve got!
Abell, Sindt, Overton and Generation.
I like all of them. My favourite is the Overton; it has a richness and complexity of sound that pleases me more than the others. When I’m looking for purity of sound, the Sindt is the one I turn to although it can be made to sound a little cloudy rather than just sweet.
Glad you asked. The Generation is very good (and inexpensive). My favorite Bb is the Cheiftain Gold . It is also my alltime favorite whistle regardless of key.
I have a Hohner Bb and an aluminium Syn.
The Hohner has the more haunted and complex sound that a whistle can make (sure, it’s a personal taste).
I hadn’t even seen your post, lol. But yes, it’s a good one: I’ve lent it out for performance. The new Generation Bb’s are iffy, unfortunately.
My Water Weasel Bb is the one whistle I usually play every day. Partially this is because it lives on my desk whereas my O’Riordan D lives in my backpack. But mostly because it is a great whistle, very comfortable in my large hands, plays like a dream, and it’s tough enough you don’t have to worry about hurting it.
Of course, I’m still looking forward to that far off day on which I get my O’Riordan Bb…
Chieftain Gold Bb - very nice 
I have a Thin Weasel in Honduran rosewood that’s among the best whistles I own – this from a person who actively dislikes the key of Bflat. Outside of that, the Water Weasel Bflat is possibly the best in the whole Water Weasel line. It is a hefty whistle that has a lot of low whistle character.
My Generation Bflat is my favorite Generation, and I loved it till I got the WW. Now it’s a good car whistle.
Generation Bb. I have a brass and a nickel the nickel is great the brass is nice but not quite as nice as the nickel. I see no reason to buy any other.
Ron
Oh! I’m still loving the Gen Bb and I find I hardly ever play my Water Weasel Bb/A set. I was thinking I’d sell them but now… 
I have a whitecap Bb on a Gen tube, and I like it. It’s a little quiet and perfect for practicing at home.
Nickel Gen here.
Ditto for me, even though it still needs a bit more tweaking.
Well, I would certainly encourage you to give the Weasels a fair try, but that doesn’t mean you will like them. Everyone has different tastes in whistles, and there are many whistles that people praise endlessly on these boards that I dislike intensely.
I have big hands, so the bigger WW Bb just feels right to me…
The Gen is definitely daintier. If you’re used to the insubstantial feel of Gen-style whistles, the WW will feel clunky. It also taks a bit more oomph from the player to get it to sing. It definitely took me awhile to warm up to it. And, as Col said, it’s not for everybody.
Well, it’s quite interesting. I’ve just been and had another play to see what I really think…
I’ve had the Bb/A WW pair since April 2001, and I’ve played them hardly at all. My WW high D I bought before that as a C/D/Eb set and I play the D all the time - it’s my favourite whistle.
The WW Bb takes less air than the Nickel Gen Bb I’ve got and there’s more backpressure but I STILL pick the Gen up in preference! The guys I play with are terminally stuck in D or G so I don’t have great need of a Bb, except I play it solo for variety and sometimes while practicing as it’s less shrill, therefore the sound carries less, than a high D.
They both (WW & Gen) take a fair bit of air but I grew up playing trombone and highland bagpipes as well as fluting so lung capacity/strength isn’t lacking! I also have big hands so size isn’t a factor.
So, I think if anyone fancies a trade, WW A/Bb for something interesting (but probably D, pure of tone and with backpressure!) let me know… there’s a lot of whistles I haven’t tried yet!