This is a topic that is beaten to death but I’d really like to know about the haunting (chiffy and complex quality) of a couple of really good whistles. My current high end low d is a Burke. I want something a little airy-er. My two main considerations are a Chieftain and an Overton. I don’t want to open a whole can of worms but between these two, which tends to be more haunting? Are they both on the chiffy side of the spectrum? I just don’t want to get something too pure.
p3
Have you played a Howard? They’re pretty darn chiffy… or at least every one I’ve heard is. They’ve got something about their tone…an amlost reedy quality too. Pretty different from just about any other low whistle out there.
Since Brian mentioned them, I like Howard too, although I have to say that I play a low C and haven’t tried the low D. If you can afford one, treat yourself to an Overton or a Copeland.
Overton and Chieftain seem to occupy the same market niche. I haven’t tried a Chieftain but I’m thoroughly satisfied with Overtons. For comparisons here though, you really need to pay attention to those who have tried both … especially those who aren’t members of the vocal Chieftain fan club.
I love my Howard, but I’ve only gotten to try two other low Ds… one was just too big for me, but I liked it a lot - the Weston that toured here, and the other, a Susato… I just didn’t care for compared to my Howard.
Assuming my low C is a good guide to the low D, in that price range you can’t beat a Howard.
hmm, wombat, a copeland to my ears is very pure, don’t you think?
Pure beauty. But husky. Seductive. Like Marilyn Monroe singing ‘happy birthday Mr. President.’
Hmmm… Amar… given the nervous twitch parents seem to get when you look at their daughters, I’d try to keep the Copeland away from your ears…
Just my opinions
Have you considered the Burke Composite? A completely different animal than the aluminum models. It’s one of my favorite lows.
I find the Reyburn low D the most haunting of those I’ve had a chance to play for more than a few minutes so I can’t compare it with a Copeland.
I’m getting rid of all my low Ds as I’m spending more time on the flute (and mandolin) so, in the interest of full disclosure, I do have a Burke composite, a Burke Aluminum and a Reyburn for sale. Also tunable Overton but it may have been modified. I’d tell you the same thing about the composite and the Reyburn in any case but wanted to disclose a maybe, and unbeknownest to me, prejudice about low whistles.
take care
jim durdin
I consider myself a Chieftain player with keys in Low D,Eb,F, and G. But like I have stated in an earlier thread, I received a Silkstone Alloy Tunable Low D and it by far produces a deeper (haunting) sound than any of my Chieftains. But this doesn’t mean I’m selling the Chieftains… 
, But Iwill never sell the Silk either.
(grin) funny thing…not too long ago, it was the vocal Overton fan club here. I think Phil’s made great improvements in his whistles over the years.
Not to say Overton’s aren’t great, of course. I think due to the lineage, Overtons and Chieftains tend to be very similar, and both tend to have their fans…so the best bet is to try them both if the opportunity presents.
I agree with this 100%. Very rich husky tone. Different than any other low D I’ve ever tried. I really liked it, but at the time I had one, it was too much whistle for me. I would probably be more able to handle one these days.
One thing to keep in mind, especially at the low D size and lower is the breath requirement. I have tried a dozen or more low d’s over the last year. Some take an extraordinary amount of air (Copeland, Burke Composite) some a medium amount (O’Briain, Howard, Hoover) and some not much at all (Overton, Chieftain).
I’m not talking about the occasional outbreaks of hostility.
There are lots of happy Overton players, but, for the last couple of years the most vocal supporters of Overtons would probably be Loren, Bloomfield and me. We are in general agreement on what the playing characteristics are and what to do if you want an Overton that’s a bit different.
The big difference I’ve noticed is that we also each recommend anything up to a dozen other makes if the person asking specifies desired characteristics that don’t fit the Overton profile. For example, I’m also a big fan of Sindt, Busman, Grinter, Copeland, Abell, Jubilee modals, Burke AlPros and Generations. I would, and do, recommend a lot of other whistles too if I thought they were what you wanted, even if they aren’t quite to my taste. I’d also try to compare any pair of these acknowledging strengths and weaknesses in ways that almost any experienced player would acknowledge as fair. So do the other Overton fans.
Amongst the Chieftain fan club I sense more of a ‘one size fits all’ attitude. I don’t see subtle comparisons being made with other makes in a way that would give me confidence that they have extensive experience playing those other makes. I mean, I don’t see them comparing say Sindts and Burkes in a way that prompts a little leap of recognition—‘yep, that’s a Burke for sure.’ In this regard, it’s nice to see Keith now recommending Silkstones as well as items from the Chieftain stable.
Actually, I wasn’t either. I was just noting that the Chieftain “fan club” has grown here, it seems to me. I think part of that is because his whistles have improved. That’s really all I meant.
Fair enough. I’m personally a big fan of Greenwoods, Burkes, Copelands, but would certainly recommend Feadogs to anyone who hankered for that more down-home Generation-like sound–which I don’t particularly care for myself. I recognize that Abells and Thin Weasels share certain playing characteristics, and Hoovers and Laughing Whistles do as well. It’s not a real secret that I have never played a Chieftain high D that I liked (though I haven’t tried his new-range stuff). So I think it’s may be fair to say that’s a broad brush you’re painting Cheiftain fans with 
That said, I do recognize there’s a couple of folks who who are quick to say “chieftain” when someone asks for any whistle recommendation. I also recognize there are folks who make the same kinds of instant recommendations for Generations, burkes, and just about any make out there
Since my first low D was a Chieftain and my second an Overton (made by Colin Goldie), I’ve had some opportunity to compare the two. I would say that they are both on the ‘chiffy’ side - by no means as pure as, for example, a Burke (a low D Al-Pro Viper was my number 3). To me, nothing comes close to the Overton in sound, it really is what you’d call haunting. This is always a matter of taste, of course. Apart from that, my Chieftain was not exactly in tune, every single note was just a little sharp or a little flat which made the whistle sound a little out of tune ‘all over the place’.
Thanks for the input. I know these questions come up quite often. I’ve found that the Burke AlPro can sound quite “haunting” with the right amount of reverb and mic position. I’ll go with Overton first and maybe later Chieftain. Overton was my first choice but I didn’t want to put Chieftain totally out of my mind (and now I’m thinking Kerry Pro D).
I’m glad no fights broke out (as seemed to happen in previous threads concerning this topic!) 
And I really appreciate the feedback.
picardy
It would be fair if I were talking about Chieftain fans in general. I accept that there are some people here, possibly many, who have bought Chieftains and genuinely like them. I also accept that some of these people might not like any other make of whistle very much. By ‘fan club’ I simply meant the people who tend to recommend indiscriminately. The rest of us are recommending Greenwood, Rose and Burke and someone jumps in suggesting Chieftain. Whatever a Chieftain high D is like, it can’t simultaneously be like an Overton and like a Rose.
I think not to the same extent. To give you just one example, probably nobody displays more brand loyalty than Byll. But I’ve never seen anyone criticise him for muddying the waters. Sure he loves Burkes. But you never catch him recommending them when it is clear that a Burke is not what the person who started the thread wants.
Regarding the Kerry Pros: I don’t like the Chieftains (but haven’t tried the new range) and I’ve recommended the Kerry (plastic head) in the past as a starter low D. I don’t have issues beyond quality and value with those whistles. But to my mind the Kerry Pros are unlicensed Overton rip-offs, made after Overton revoked Phil’s license to make his whistles and (I presume) without licensing fees paid to Bernard Overton. Of course I don’t know very much about this at all, and I am not suggesting that Phil is doing anything illegal. But the little I do know is enough for me not to want to buy Kerry Pros. It doesn’t seem right.
I’m glad no fights broke out (as seemed to happen in previous threads concerning this topic!) >
picardy
Sorry if I just spoiled that for you. I don’t mean to start fights, either.
Well, I received my tunable Overton tenor D from a fellow boardmember yesterday (for a steal, BTW!!) It is an amazing whistle. My wife was in the other room when I started playing it and she walked out and said “Wow! That IS haunting!!” Of course she is used to hearing a little bit purer Burke (especially in the second octave).
I don’t want to do a whole write up on the new Overton, but I’ll just say that I am extremely pleased. I imagine that I will continue to accumulate more Overtons (I have a tunable tenor E nat. on the way in April), but will most likely do some dabbling with Chieftains and Kerry Pros too. I’m not going to argue that any one is better. I think that I couldn’t have gone wrong with any of the choices!
Thanks again!
P3