Will be buying my first Low D whistle, but which one?

[Mr.Nate]

My friend had an overton non tunable low D that I played off and on over several years. It was a hard whistle to play but very rewarding once you get it warmed up and get use to the back pressure. I eventually bought it for 100$ then sold it back to her several months later when I bought my flute.

Even though it was difficult to play I haven't found a low D that I liked better. The hole size and fingerspacing was similar to a Dixon. If you find a used one for a good price, I wouldn't worry that your going to get a second rate whistle just because someone decided to sell it. I haven't played others so I wouldn't know the differences in backpressure. I would love to play a batch of 5 or 10 and pick the one the suites me, then keep it for the rest of my life. Don't think I'll be getting over to Germany any time soon.

Personally I would like to try an O'brien and a new Howard. The holes are pretty big on a Howard and I would need a custom tube with offset holes so I could reach and cover them.

Nate

[Ceili_whistle_man]

Oops, sorry about the cross referencing with flutes, what I meant to point out really is that what ever low whistle anyone gets it is going to have certain demands on ones ability to play it. I play tin whistle, low whistle (make my own) and flute, and I know that they all have different requirements for each in regards to how to blow them and finger them.

Find out if the whistle you are after needs a lot of air/breath to sound it and if you have the lung capacity for this. I bought a Susato low D years ago because it had good reviews. The price was good, but that was not my first consideration. It is a really loud instrument for sessions but requires constant hard blowing to hold it in the upper register. It also has the annoying habit of dropping from second G down to first G if there is even a hint of the air pressure waivering, believe me I have a light head after playing this thing for too long. Otherwise it is good enough for a beginner if you have the lungs to fill it! A friend of mine has a high D Susato which does not require a lot of air but had the same habit of drop off as the low D when we both played it.
Does the whistle have a big mouthpiece? Remember some of the models out there have fairly substantial mouthpieces and some people do not like huge pieces of metal/plastic stuck in their gobs while trying to play at the same time. Go for comfort.
Position of tone holes or 'reach' or 'stretch'. Have you got long enough fingers or are your hands/fingers supple enough to be able to adapt your grip on the whistle to reach the bottom holes? If reach is going to be a problem (as it is for most folk new to low whistle) maybe an easy stretch model is the way to go.

happy hunting!

[arnie]

There are 3 people who have made Overtons: Bernard Overton, Colin Goldie and for a short period Phil Hardy. I guess it's always possible to have a bad whistle. Overton is NOT known for this though, on the contrary. I had a Chieftain high D once, which I sold because it was just a terrible whistle. Thing with the Overtons is that they are handmade and therefore each whistle is carefully tested. Even the holes are finetuned and retested after being drilled. I'd say: go for Overton! Both Bernard and Colin still make them.

I'm also VERY content with my Impempe high whistles (got a D, C, F and Bb). If you like O'Brien, then this is also something for you. Ian Turnbull also makes low D's, although I don't know how they sound. They are within your pricerange as well.

[johnnyboi]

I'm a little disappointed with the Overton low C I bought a while ago (made by Bernard Overton).

I've since sold it and bought a Reviol! I'll let you know how good it is when I get it, but I was able to try a whole bunch at a whistle store I was at recently and I was thrilled with it.

The Reviol had a smoother sound, especially into the second octave. My gf liked it more as well and she doesn't know much about whistles.
Oh, and Paddy Keenan played it at a gig I was at, and though i didn't know what it was at the time, I thought it sounded lovely.

[hydromel89]

I found the Dixon very aire demanding. And I was in much better shape when I started the low whistle...

I don't have air requirement problems with my MK... but it seems to be a little out of your budget!

I've heard the Songbirds are good whistles toot... sorry too.

[Ceili_whistle_man]

The Dixon 'D' flute/low whistle I have takes a lot of air because of the cylindrical bore: and any other low whistle with a cylindrical bore is going to take a little bit more (sometimes a lot) air than a conical bored instrument.

[medit8b1]

I don't think there is much variation in quality in Overtons, especially Colin Goldie's. They are all first rate, and in my limited experience the most consistently good handmade whistles out there. I did sit next to a man from Dublin the other day who had an old Chieftain that he claimed to be an "Overton." So you want to be careful there. Not every aluminum whistle is an Overton.

Bloomfield, I'm pretty sure I know the difference between a Chieftain and an Overton, Thank you.

I have owned/played seven Overtons, five low d's, a low A and a Low C. Only the low A and one of the low D's was a Goldie and the low D was in such bad condition (ie. someone had beat the thing to death) it was barely playable (obviously not a reflection of Colins work). Of the rest, I found the responsiveness, backpressure, and tone to vary considerably. So in my "limited experience" I will have to disagree. This is not to say that they were all bad, far from it, my Overton low C is very nice, and as I previously stated I am looking forward to ordering a low D directly from Colin.

I had forgotten what a pro Overton group this was and I apologize if I touched a nerve. It was not my intention to say that Overtons in general were "bad", only that you cannot be certain of the characterics (good or bad) of any given Overton when buying it used without trying it first. Colin himself has stated that the attributes of his Overtons vary as he makes them that way. Add the possibility of damage when buying a used whistle and you end up back where I started, be "wary" when buying a used Overton. Maybe I should have used the word "careful" instead. I would certainly be careful of buying any used Overton in the price range specified by the original poster of this thread.

[Bloomfield]

I don't think there is much variation in quality in Overtons, especially Colin Goldie's. They are all first rate, and in my limited experience the most consistently good handmade whistles out there. I did sit next to a man from Dublin the other day who had an old Chieftain that he claimed to be an "Overton." So you want to be careful there. Not every aluminum whistle is an Overton.

Bloomfield, I'm pretty sure I know the difference between a Chieftain and an Overton, Thank you.

Sorry - didn't mean to say you didn't.

I had forgotten what a pro Overton group this was and I apologize if I touched a nerve. It was not my intention to say that Overtons in general were "bad", only that you cannot be certain of the characterics (good or bad) of any given Overton when buying it used without trying it first. Colin himself has stated that the attributes of his Overtons vary as he makes them that way. Add the possibility of damage when buying a used whistle and you end up back where I started, be "wary" when buying a used Overton. Maybe I should have used the word "careful" instead. I would certainly be careful of buying any used Overton in the price range specified by the original poster of this thread.

I guess one should always be careful buying a second-hand whistle.

[CranberryDog]

I believe that any buyer should be intelligent in buying anything that is used. Why you picked Overton is rather odd. Why not all low Ds; especially those that are mass produced.

BTW, I have five Overtons and they all first rate. All made by Colin Goldie and none of which were custom ordered. I guess I just got lucky, right?

There is a reason why "we" (whoever that is) are a "pro Overton group"; Overtons are excellent whistles. If they are damaged by an owner, it certainly is not the maker's fault and is no reflection on the quality of the instrument.

[ElPollo]

If you stick to deciding between the two whistles you mentioned in the first post.

I'd choose the first one.

But i still say go for the one you love the sound of, and which feels right for you. (and yes, you might end up buying a low d you'll sell later for another low d)



To the other people writing in this thread. Overton isn't a must get for everyone.

[medit8b1]

I believe that any buyer should be intelligent in buying anything that is used. Why you picked Overton is rather odd. Why not all low Ds; especially those that are mass produced.

Because the experience I was referencing was with Overtons, not with mass produced whistles.

BTW, I have five Overtons and they all first rate. All made by Colin Goldie and none of which were custom ordered. I guess I just got lucky, right?

Yes, I guess you did. As I previously mentioned, most of the Overtons I have had were made by Bernard, not Colin.

There is a reason why "we" (whoever that is) are a "pro Overton group"; Overtons are excellent whistles. If they are damaged by an owner, it certainly is not the maker's fault and is no reflection on the quality of the instrument.

I believe I already said that as well. And I still don't remember saying that Overtons were not excellent whistles. While I admire your zeal for Overtons, I believe you are putting words in my mouth. If you are reffering to my statement that Colin said he makes them different, I simply mean to point out that you may end up with a quiet whistle with lots of backpressure when you may have been looking for the opposite. Backpressure, volume and tone are all subjective and a matter of opinion and personal taste. What one person may consider to be a "bad" whistle, others may consider gods gift to whistledom. IMHO it is a GOOD thing that Colin makes whistles to fit individuals tastes for just this reason. However it can make buying a used Overton somewhat of a... well, been there said that!

[CranberryDog]

medit8b1, it's not so much "zeal" that I have for Overtons made by Colin Goldie; it's respect for a great maker who doesn't deserve slurs that could impact his livelihood.

Overtons are simply professional level whistles that many musicians depend on. It's like Gibson and Fender guitars, two makes that I have gigged with for the last 30 years: dependable, professional, quality. I don't have "zeal" for them either; but I do have zeal for making music.

Other professional quality low whistles I suggest are MKs (got to try one), and it was a far cry from your review of an MK; plus a maker that for some reason has been far below the radar, Ronaldo Reyburn. Reyburns are amazing; with beautiful intonation, voice and craftsmanship. You can feel "safe" buying one off the shelf or he will build one to your specs.

[Pyroh]

Cranberry: Honestly, I think Medit is in certain sense right (although I though his previous post was weird overreactment indeed).

No one is saying Overtons are bad. I think that Medit´s point was, that since Overtons are often made to suit personal tastes, it is sort of risky to buy one second-hand without trying it - and I think that´s very true. There are some "serial" Overtons as far as I know, but it´s just part of the line.

I think Overtons are nearly godlike whistles, but part of it is, that they can be made to suit your style...without it, they may be great, but not that much, if you know what I mean...

[CranberryDog]

Cranberry: Honestly, I think Medit is in certain sense right (although I though his previous post was weird overreactment indeed).

No one is saying Overtons are bad. I think that Medit´s point was, that since Overtons are often made to suit personal tastes, it is sort of risky to buy one second-hand without trying it - and I think that´s very true. There are some "serial" Overtons as far as I know, but it´s just part of the line.

I think Overtons are nearly godlike whistles, but part of it is, that they can be made to suit your style...without it, they may be great, but not that much, if you know what I mean...

Yep, I know what you mean. But, someone new to whistles might not have known what medit8b1 meant and then reach the conclusion that brand X is bad. Anyway, let's all be friends and enjoy; you know what I mean? Best, Cyril

[eedbjp]

I'm really happy with my low D O'Brien. Plus, he's a super guy to do business with. I have played his low at a small session and it sounds great. The price is right. The breath requirement is fine too.