Disclaimer: I am not a professional musician. Considering myself to be at least a novice, at best an intermediate player of the pennywhistle, I only share this review because this instrument has found it’s way to me and I believe has not yet been widely distributed in my part of the world. If you would like to add something to this thread, by all means, do so. These are my opinions only, offered freely.
Dixon Tunable Whistle with brass tuning slide - Key of D
Tony Dixon has redesigned his earlier model of this same whistle by mounting the brass slide into the head, instead of the body or tube. This makes for a substantially stronger fit. The result is much more solid and durable.
There are two versions, one is all plastic and the other comprises a plastic head with an aluminum body.
I owned the all plastic earlier model and enjoyed it very much. Always surprised at it’s ease of play and sound quality. Enjoyed it so much that I felt compelled to try the model with the aluminum body. I’m glad I did.
Appearance: The head of both models is black plastic. Light, somewhat thinner than say a Susato.
The body is separated from the head by the brass tuning slide. This newer slide is a big improvement over the original. Thicker, more solid
The body is either the same black plastic as the head or aluminum. (No need to worry about putting aluminum in your mouth.)
Sound: This has to be one of the easiest whistles to play. People who have tried mine almost always remark on the ease of playing both octaves consistently.
In my opinion, the sound is pure on both models with the aluminum model having a brighter, crisper sound than the plastic.
The whistle maintains a smooth sound throughout the first and second octave.
The second octave is particularly bright and clear and very easy to achieve. The higher notes are also easy to sustain, instead of just chirping them and hoping they don’t squeak or bark.
The bottom two notes are a bit weak, but certainly adequate. Every whistle takes some getting use to. The lowest two notes on this whistle will be your only challenge. It’s a matter of breath control. You don’t really blow into the whistle, you breath into it to get these notes.
The volume is mid-range, but the whistle can be played very quietly as well. It’s good for a small session, but would probably be drowned out in a large session. The second octave has a great ability to be heard without being shrill at all. One remarkable attribute of this whistle is the ability to play it quietly on both octaves. Sometimes at a session, if I don’t know the tunes being played, I will use this whistle to practice the next one that I call. It can be just loud enough for me to hear, but no one else. It adjusts wonderfully to breath control. You can play it in the park or car and not worry about everyone hearing you. However, when you do want to be heard, you certainly can be.
The whistle has extremely low breath requirements. I have put this whistle in the hands of many a player and the result is almost always the same. The first tendency is to over blow it. I tell people you only need to breath into it and it plays. Very nice for someone like me who is asthmatic. I can also see where someone experienced in playing other brands of whistles would think something may be wrong with the whistle itself, when in fact, the whistle just takes a bit of getting use to. It’s not like anything I’ve ever played.
Another nice feature that I never even thought of on other whistles, is that the curved wind way is so open, you don’t even have to bother taking a breath around the whistle if you don’t want to or if it would save time. You can breath right through the fipple, the curved wind way is that big. I like this because on fast tunes it really comes in handy. It strikes me as odd that a wind way so open can result in a whistle that needs so little air.
The body diameter on both models is a bit thicker than most whistles and for whatever reason, my long fingers seem to prefer this. I find I can play faster on thicker body whistles. Less distance for them to move, I guess. Lends to an easier grip as well. And though a wider diameter, the materials make these whistles very light weight.
C natural is played OXXOOO. Something I’ve come to require from a whistle. I am a creature a habit and resist change. Therefore, I will only own a whistle that features this.
Tuning: I used a Seiko ST757 Chromatic Tuner and found that this whistle is most in tune in the lower octave and becomes somewhat sharp on the second. This was done with the slide approximately 1/8 inch out. That’s the normal position for me to play this whistle. By adjusting the slide in or out, I would assume the tuning would vary.
Overall, I really enjoy the Dixon Tunable D. I wish it had been my first whistle. It is so easy to play, I would have had more time to learn tunes instead of learning to play the whistle. It is by far a great choice for that second whistle. It is mid-range in price and can be found in local shops, online or through the maker.
I only have room for a certain number of whistles in my bag. When I find one that I feel is better than one already in the bag, the one in the bag goes up for sale. I promised myself I would not be a collector. I have just three D whistles in the bag. And one of those is a cheapie for a newbie to try. If you read my only other review, you know what the third whistle is. If you watch eBay, you know what the Dixon replaced. That’s how much I like this whistle. (The aluminum body version has a place in the bag. The all plastic version is my travel whistle.)
Mike Reagan
slowair
I am probably even more inexperienced with the whistle, so it was great to read your post and have my thoughts confirmed. I have been learning for about a year and a half.
