Chiff and Fipple Forums

Mr.Gumby wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 9:37 am I believe the reason given, was the appropriate brass tubing became hard or impossible to obtain.

Doesn't explain the lack of plastic whistles though. Gimme all the low whistle keys in plastic and I can die a happy man.

Narzog wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:40 amI bet if you put a big buy order out there someone would bite though. Someone's going to want to sell their spare whistle they got for $20 for $75-100.

Would someone really pay more for a used Dixon Trad than a new Killarney? If so, I'll start rummaging through the pile of whistles on my desk to see what treasures I may have lying around.

Best wishes.

Steve

A few years ago someone was asking about an early DTrad. Got rid of mine pronto. Didn't need the price of a Killarney either.

So, someone else PM'd me with an idea I'd actually had myself but sort of pushed aside-- that Hobgoblin had the brass piccolo and of course one can get a whistle head to go with it. Worked for me... I figured the piccolo might be fun to play with. So I called them today to ask about that. At first they didn't think they had a head and weren't sure whether they were interchangeable on that whistle anyway. But after they told me that and we hung up, they called back a few minutes later and said they'd found a whistle head for me (I thought it was cool of them that they actually went digging rather than just letting it go), and that if I got it and found that it didn't actually fit, I could send them back. Voila! I ordered both and was a happy camper.

Then they called back again and said they didn't have the piccolo (and couldn't get it from Dixon, either) and weren't sure why it was shown on the site. Well, I thought that situation was maybe a bit too good to be true (considering that IIRC, the brass whistle was discontinued some time ago and no way nobody else would've had that idea while the piccolo was still available). So I switched my order to the nickel whistle. I think I'll like the nickel one as well.

Steve Bliven wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 11:39 am

Narzog wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:40 amI bet if you put a big buy order out there someone would bite though. Someone's going to want to sell their spare whistle they got for $20 for $75-100.

Would someone really pay more for a used Dixon Trad than a new Killarney? If so, I'll start rummaging through the pile of whistles on my desk to see what treasures I may have lying around.

Best wishes.

Steve

Oh, I'm sure some people would. Me, I don't want one that badly that I'd pay that much (not with the nickel version being an alternative, as well as the Dixon being only one of the whistles I was considering), but no doubt there are people who would. (If I wanted to pay that much, I could've just gotten the alloy whistle new, plus a couple more cheap Waltons just in case I got a gem-- or bought the nickel version and then the other whistle I was considering-- and called it good.) You could always polish up the herd and see what happens.

I bought 2 of the piccolos when they were being sold off, love them just as much as my whistle.

In fact I think I prefer the little transverse ones....

fatmac wrote: ↑Fri Sep 24, 2021 2:10 am I bought 2 of the piccolos when they were being sold off, love them just as much as my whistle.

In fact I think I prefer the little transverse ones....

I had considered buying one a while back (apparently should have back then, lol). Unfortunately, my transverse-flute playing leaves a lot to be desired and I'm just not sure I have the time to devote to just getting a sound anyone (including me) wants to listen to! I like the little transverse piccolos/fifes, though. They're a more comfortable stretch for my hands than a full-size flute and they're fun to play with.

Of course, a brass Dixon whistle just showed up in the UIE, although you'd have to buy the set.

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=112651

Tremendouz wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:22 am Doesn't explain the lack of plastic whistles though. Gimme all the low whistle keys in plastic and I can die a happy man.

I'm assuming the plastic tubes are harder to make or more costly than the metal ones. If they can just buy the nickel and metal tubes, its very low effort. Just drill/cnc holes throw a molded head on it. If they had to make the plastic tubes, thats a lot more effort.

Narzog wrote: ↑Sun Sep 26, 2021 9:46 am

Tremendouz wrote: ↑Thu Sep 23, 2021 10:22 am Doesn't explain the lack of plastic whistles though. Gimme all the low whistle keys in plastic and I can die a happy man.

I'm assuming the plastic tubes are harder to make or more costly than the metal ones. If they can just buy the nickel and metal tubes, its very low effort. Just drill/cnc holes throw a molded head on it. If they had to make the plastic tubes, thats a lot more effort.

That would make sense, but weirdly enough the plastic low D is cheaper than the alloy low D

Just remembered -- I still have the low D brass model with plastic head. But I don't think anybody would want that one . It's very heavy.

My nickel whistle has arrived! I like it a lot!

Haven't found it slippery so far... and not bad as far as clog-iness.

Congratulations! You will have to post a clip to let us hear how it sounds!

In honor of your new Dixon Trad, I forsook my Killarney and pulled out my own Trad for my one-man session tonight. The neighbors didn't call the cops, so that's as good as liking it in my view.

Average Whistler wrote: ↑Mon Sep 27, 2021 7:54 pm In honor of your new Dixon Trad, I forsook my Killarney and pulled out my own Trad for my one-man session tonight. The neighbors didn't call the cops, so that's as good as liking it in my view.

Haha I just finished my one man session but I'm reading this after so I missed the opportunity to whip out my dixon trad.

Sedi wrote: ↑Mon Sep 27, 2021 12:50 am Just remembered -- I still have the low D brass model with plastic head. But I don't think anybody would want that one . It's very heavy.

I had one. It was one of my favourites. I sold it when I realised that the high notes were not good for my ears....

My guess with that whistle is that Tony D got tired of people asking to repair whistles that got caught in car doors, and decided it was time for the car repairers to have a turn....

The Dixon Brass Trad D I purchased maybe 2010-11 has a different head than the Dixon Nickel Trad D purchased December 2013. If you want the excruciating details search this site for "At what point did the Dixon Trad head design change?" and view my post of March 6 2019.