Well, time to fess up…how bad has your addiction gotten? What whistles do you currently own and what you do prefer to play when?
Currently here is my list…
Burke DWWB (old style)
Copeland Brass D
Copeland Brass Low D
O’Brien D (Serial Number 1)
Water Weasel Eb
Water Weasel Set (Low A/G)
O’Brien Rover D
O’Brien Set (C, D, Eb, E, Bb)
Oak D (the only absolutely perfect cheap whistle I’ve found)
Chieftan Low D
Of the bunch, I can see myself playing the Burke a bit less (as I like the new fipple David sent me with my whistles for airs). The Copeland is my favorite for faster tunes. I’ve always liked my original O’Brien for the fact that it’s the quietest whistle I’ve ever owned (for when I wanted to play at 3am when I can’t sleep and waking the wife wouldn’t be wise).
Alas, the Oak has gone the way of all my cheapies (few Sweetones and Susatos) and my 22month old has claimed them…he loves them too much for me to take them back).
To be perfectly honest, the Copeland Low D isn’t in my possession yet…it should arrive tomorrow (they shipped it Friday). It will replace my Chieftan Low D (which I just never got a good feel for…it’s not the whistle, which is fine, it’s just not the sound I personally want from it at this point in time).
Chieftain low D
Overton low D
Susato low F
Susato set: D, C, Bb
Weltmeister D (2)
Burke composite Bb
Burke composite D
Impempe C
Dixon D
Water Weasel D
Jerry tweaked Shaw D
Jerry tweaked Sweetone D
Syn aluminum D
Syn lancewood C
Thin Weasel blackwood D (on the way)
Laughing Whistle (on the way)
Antique flageolet, converted to keyed D whistle
and a few O’Briens, naturally
Right now, I’m playing the Burke Bb, the Chieftain and the Impempe, but I switch around every few days. By the way, I’d trade one of my Weltmeisters for something interesting. Drop a PM.
Sindt D
Sindt C
Bleazey Blackwood High D
Water Weasel Eb
Cheiftian High E
Cheiftian Low F
Merlin Low D
Alba High D
Jubillee High D
Lots of LBWs
Fomerly Owned:
Burke DASBT
Syn Full Set
Dixon High D
Hoover Whistecap Oak (also Fit a Gen and a Clare body)
Various Cheapies (Gens, Feadogs, Clares, Clarkes…)
The Bleazey and Sindts get the most time followed by the Weasel and the Low F followed by the Low D and High E and the rest don’t get much if any play.
Very small collection. I’m happy with what I’ve got (and with what I’m going to get very soon! )
Dixon Soprano C w/ BTS
Walton’s C Nickel (My Absolutely Best Whistle)
Clare 2-piece D
Generation Nickel G
Syn Full Set A-E (On its way)
Various homemade whistles and flutes of various keys (Bamboo and PVC)
Formerly Owned:
Clarke Meg D
Acorn Black D
Walton’s Mellow D (Why did I give this one away???)
Hoping to “sell” the rest of my collection as follows:
Generation Bb Brass
Generation Eb Nickel
Oak C Nickel
Clare D Nickel
Walton’s D Regular Brass
Walton’s Little Black D (Not Avery Tweaked)
Yamaha Soprano Recorder C
6-hole Heavy Nickel Fife C
Full set of Generation Brass
Generation Nickel D
Generation Nickel Eb
Susato D/C/Bb
Susato low F
Susato low C w/crooked neck
Clarke Meg D
Clarke Meg C
Clarke Original D, no paint
Oak D
Oak C (my first whistle)
Clare 2-piece brass
Random Bamboo C
Walton’s Brass C
Walton’s Little Black
Walton’s D
Walton’s Mellow D
Feadog Brass D
Dixon Aluminum D
Syn C/D/Eb
Burke DAN w/Cn
Rose Blackwood D
I haven’t played any other than the Burke and Rose for a few weeks, now.
I also own a Tipple flute in G. I wish I could play it…
4 years on, it aint addiction as much as accumulation of the whistles I like:
Dixon tunable C
Chieftain OS Low D
Chieftain NR tunable Low D
Kerry Songbird Low D
Kerry Pro tunable Low D
Chieftain NR E-flat
Chieftain NR E
Chieftain NR tunable F
Chieftain NR G
Chieftain NR A
Chieftain NR B-flat
Tweaked Gen B-flat
Chieftain NR C
Tweaked Gen C
Waltons C
Busman tunable D
Custom Jerry Freeman D
Dixon tunable D
Chieftain OS D
Chieftain NR tunable D
Tweaked Gen D
Waltons D
Oak D
2- Guinness Black whistles in D
Tweaked Shaw D
Tweaked Gen E-flat
Tweaked Gen F
Tweaked Gen G
I sold:
Overton Low D
I gave away:
Copeland D
With the D high whistles, I prefer to play the Freeman Custom and the Busman. For E-flat (playing along with Mary Bergin), the Freeman tweaked whistle is unsurpassed. For volume, I take the Chieftains.
Depending on mood in low D, I select different Kerry whistles due to their different interpretations.
Obviously I personally like Phil’s whistles because they seem to fit me. To each his own.
Susatos Eb,D,C, Bb, Low G/A, Low D
Clarke Original D,C
Clarke Sweetone D,C
O’Brien set (E, Eb, D, C, Bb) and D Rover (5 different fipples)
Feadog D
Generation Bb, D, Eb, F
Whitecap (fits Feadog D, Gen D & Eb)
Hoover Whitecap D
Blacktop with Bingamon Tonebodies D/C/A
Shaw C and D (both Freeman-tweaked)
Water Weasel D (nt) and Water Weasel A (tuneable)
Walton’s C, Mellow D, Little Black D,
Soodlum’s D
Asakar B and G
Bamboo Low D
Jubilee Plastic Low D
Calmont (practice) Low D
Syn D/C set
Burke Composite Low G
Abell D, Bb, G (A, Eb, C on order)
Various other wooden whistles/flutes from different countries
I try to rotate playing (though some of the cheapies don’t get much if any time). The Abell and the O’Briens see the most play.
Four years on; I’ve passed through the worst of WhOA and am teetering on the brink of the concertina equivalent.
Meg D
three Laughing Whistles in D
Feadog D with Hoover head
Nickel Generation Eb with Hoover head
Two piece Doolin D with Hoover head
Jerry-tweaked brass Generation F
a lovely PVC Hoover D with woodgrain finish
Worm you seem to like cheapies, or just put most of your money into Flute (what I should do but I need every key ) khl that is a lot of freakin whistles nearly 40
Generation D (Nickel)
Generation Eb (Nickel)
Generation G (Nickel)
Acorn D (Brass)
Clark D (Natrual)
Clark C (Natrual)
Meg D (Painted Black)
Walton’s Little Black D
Yep, it’s a lot. A few of the cheapies I don’t care for much any more and I’m finding ways to get them in someone else’s hands. But with the other whistles, I like the different sounds on so many of them that I don’t want to get rid of them. I play solo most of the time and the different qualities on different tunes are enjoyable. For instance, something like “The Fields of Athenry” sounds best to me on my Syn C. Something else may sound best on the Burke Low G. The Abell(s) and the O’Briens really are the sound I like best and what, for the most part, I’ll play publicly when I have occasion.
Because I live far away from where I might get to hear the various whistles (though I’ve recently found out about an group on the island), I’ve wanted to get a sense for how they sound/play in person rather than just on a recording. (This is also why I like the whistles/flutes from other cultures as well.) While there are some brands and makers I’m not really interested in, I hope to keep collecting from a few makers. I’ve also got a few keys to fill in with time.
Here goes! I’ll probably forget some older ones.
Gen G (special occasions only)
Gen Eb, Walton head
Gen D, tweaked (keep it in the truck)
LBW body (tuned) with tweaked Gen head (loud and fun outdoors)
Susato Dublin D (outdoors only)
O’Brien D, C, Bb set (most played)
Jerry Mellow Dog (at the office, acoustic sessions)
Gen Bb, nickel, tweaked (in front of the computer)
Meg A (meg head with 1/2in copper body, great player!)
Meg D (soon to become another Meg A)
Ocarinas, quenas, a decent shak, and about 20 other ‘ethnics’ I don’t play.
Box full of whistle-making ‘learning experiences’.
Overton-style low D (plays great, and I’m not just saying that 'cause my Mommy gave it to me)
O’Briens, Mellow Dog, and the Bastard Low D get daily play. I’ll get a real Low D one of these days.
Susato: D & Bb/A/G set
Clarke Original: D tweeked
Sweetone: D, C
Meg: D
Feadog: D
Generation: Nickel D, Brass G-Bb set
Hoover: PVC D, Katrina PVC D & Whitecap E
O’Brien: D, Bb
Walton: Mellow D
Jerry Freeman: Mellow Dog D
Syn: D/C set
Black Diamond: D
Laughing Whistle: D
Greenwood: D in cocobolo
Silkstone: PVC D
Burke: 2 Ds, WBB (old style), DBN (black tipped)
Dixon: D, Bb, A, G, Low D … 3pc polymer flute in D
Alba: D, C, Low F
Casey Burns Folk Flute
Sweetheart fife in D
homemade whistles
I’d sold or traded 2 Water Weasels, an Overton, a Chieftain, a Sweetheart Pro, a Susato … and tons of ‘cheapies’ have been given away (spreading the addiction ). What do I play? Greenwood, Dixon, Alba, BD, Laughing, homemade … whichever is closest one to hand, ususally.
Whistles:
Bleazey: Mopane High D, C, Bb, A Low G, D
Overton: High D, C, Bb, A, Low G, F, E, Eb, D, C, Bass A (looking for Bari Bb)
O’Riordan: High D/C Traveler set
Syn: Alum High D, Lancewood High D
Hoover: Redwood High D
Weston: Sapele High D
Whstlesmith: High D (in the process of being traded)
Grinter: Cocobolo Low F
Unmentionable: Low F
Newest addition
Rose: Blackwood High D with gold trimmings
Flutes:
Bleazey: Mopane Rudall Low D
Hall: Low D
Ninja: Low G
Misc:
Kawai: Baby Grand
O’Connell: Bodhran (for sale)
Burke -
Eb Al-pro
D Al-SB
C Al-SB
B Al-Pro
Bb Al-Pro
(the above are all “black tip”)
low G composite
Sindt -
E
Eb
D
C
B
Bb
A Overton -
D
Bb
A
low F
low D
bass A
Lots of cheap whistles (incuding some darn good Generations)
The whistle I play most these days is the Burke Al-Pro Eb. Keep in mind, however, that I don’t have all my whistles with me since I am living in northern Uganda, I play what I have. That said, I think the sound of the Burke Eb is just right (I can’t say that for all my other Burkes). It plays like a perfect, in tune Generation, which is just what I was looking for.
The only time I whistle is a) to learn tunes in the car or b) when there are a bunch of fluters in a session and no whistlers. Occasionally I’ll pull out the Bb for fun but I’m much more of a fluter.
The Oaks/Acorn were all acquired because a friend of mine has an Oak that I really like playing, and I want one like it. All of mine have the redesigned garbage mouthpiece . She also has a Murray, whereas I’m schlepping around my MERR. Yes, I have gear envy. OTOH I do have that monster low A-McGee on order
)
) khl that is a lot of freakin whistles nearly 40 
