Dixon comparisons

[Kerry]

After a long hiatus, I am hoping to get back into playing again. Like most everybody I own an assorted collection of cheaper whistles, and one of them is the Dixon (Key of D) one-piece (non-tunable) polymer. I see now that there are some very nice looking Dixon whistles with metal bodies and polymer heads. I was wondering if these have the same playing characteristics in terms of back-pressure, sound, etc. I am considering the Dixon Trad High D (brass or nickel) or the higher priced Aluminum or Brass bodied models with the nickel slide. I have read as much as I can find in old posts on the forum and the descriptions on the bigwhistle website, but I would like to hear some fresh ideas and thoughts.

Just for background, I am (was) an advanced beginner / beginning intermediate level of player, and although I own a Dixon I always favored my Clarke Original over all of my other entry-level whistles. I liked the tone, the volume, and I always thought it played easy. I know that the Dixon Trad and those with the tuning slides will be nothing like the Clarke, but as I jump back in I was thinking of treating myself to a new instrument.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[BrianG]

I would describe my skill level the same as yours; advanced beginner/beginner intermediate. I have the Tony Dixon Aluminum (DX006) and my daughter has the heavy brass model. They're both pretty good whistles and have a decent amount of back pressure. The tone, well - I'm not sure I have the experience to be able to comment on the tone.. it's certainly a step up from the cheapy mass marketed stuff. My daughter is content with hers and never wanted anything else after that. I on the other hand have been in search of the 'perfect' whistle and quickly moved on from the Tony Dixon Aluminum to other whistles. My longest stop has been with the Freeman Blackbird which is the most impressive whistle in my collection... well, until yesterday when I got my Killarney in the mail.

The Dixon Trads you mention get some pretty good reviews online and I had considered getting one at one point but ended up with the Aluminum. I think with the knowledge I have now, and considering the price range of a dixon trad, I would probably go with a Freeman tweaked whistle or the Timothy Potter. Or better yet... spend a little more (I think $82 shipped) and get a Killarney. I'm happy so far.

[calanthrophy]

As far as entry-level whistles go I think the Dixon's pretty decent. The bell note isn't nearly as strong as I'd prefer (which is why I tend to go for Burkes) but apart from that it plays and sounds better than what I would have expected for the price.

I haven't played the older style Dixon you mentioned and thus can't provide comparisons but I would be inclined to ask why you're going for a newer style Dixon if you preferred the Clarke over the one you have? Unless there's an improvement you're expecting from older to newer styles I'd either stick with what you've got or seek out a higher-end model that suits your fancy.

[Kerry]

...Or better yet... spend a little more (I think $82 shipped) and get a Killarney. I'm happy so far.

Thanks for the suggestion. I am not familiar with Killarney whistles - I will have to research those.

...I haven't played the older style Dixon you mentioned and thus can't provide comparisons but I would be inclined to ask why you're going for a newer style Dixon if you preferred the Clarke over the one you have? Unless there's an improvement you're expecting from older to newer styles I'd either stick with what you've got or seek out a higher-end model that suits your fancy.

Fair enough. I can't really say why I honed in on the Dixon's other than the generally positive reviews I've read and my familiarity with the one I have. I should say, the one problem I do notice with the Dixon I have is my tendency to over blow the lowest notes - which is due to the fact that I am more used to the Clarke. So it's me, not the whistle.

I am happy with my trusty Clarke - I enjoy the tone (with plenty of chiff), the feel (I can play without thinking about playing), the volume, and I am used to the wind requirements. However, sometimes I would like to play something with a "cleaner" sound, a more pure tone if you will. So with that, I am trying to find a whistle to suit my needs. I realize that it is hard to get this information solely from reading reviews and opinions, but is is a place to start. If you have other recommendations I'd be glad to hear them.

[pancelticpiper]

I am not familiar with Killarney whistles - I will have to research those.

Here's a start:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=96210

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=102317

[Sirchronique]

I made a post some time ago about it- but Dixon Trads changed and now have a less sweet top end, a bit of dirtiness to the sound, and a less "round" low end. To me, removing the sweetness from the high end and making the low end more nasal is the worst thing that could be done to a whistle. I also find the new ones to be a bit more fickle to play. This is unfortunate, as before they did this the Dixon Trads were one of my top favourite whistles. I think the recent ones they are selling now are not worth the money, frankly, though they aren't 'bad" whistles by any means. There are loads of cheap whistles I'd rather go for, and for that price, you could get four or more cheap ones and likely one of them you might find you like better.


Have you looked into Clarke Megs or Sweetones? They are very different from the Clarke Original. Since getting into playing them in the past month, I have to say that those are the most consistently good cheap whistles I've tried. I own three Megs and three Sweetones (one of which is tweaked), and, oddly enough, every single one of the Megs seems better to me than every one of the Sweetones (though the sweetones are very good, too). I say this is odd, because I think the Megs were intended to basically be a cheapo version of a Sweetone that makes use of a much cheaper manufacturing process. If you look around a bit you can find Megs for dirt cheap, and in my opinion they greatly outdo the recent Dixon Trads in terms of sound and playablity. I wish I had one of these when I started playing. I will say I was less impressed with a Sweetone in C that I bought, but otherwise, they are all fantastic, especially the Megs. Each of the Megs has a noticeably different sound from one another, but all are nice.

[Sirchronique]

it's certainly a step up from the cheapy mass marketed stuff.

Huge blanket statement there. As far as "cheapy mass marketed stuff" goes, it can range from crap to superb. I wouldn't write off cheap whistles after trying one or two types that you didn't like.

[Kerry]

Have you looked into Clarke Megs or Sweetones?

Yes, I purchased a Sweetone ~15 years ago - I think this may have been close to the time they were introduced, but I am not 100% sure about that. Anyhow, it was prior to the release of the Meg which I have not tried. I found the Sweetone easy to play, but I was never crazy about the sound of the one I own. Perhaps it is worth buying another and maybe a Meg or two. A fairly cheap experiment.

I will say that I after checking out the Killarney I am tempted to try one of those as well.

Thanks again for all the replies!

[Sirchronique]

Have you looked into Clarke Megs or Sweetones?

Yes, I purchased a Sweetone ~15 years ago - I think this may have been close to the time they were introduced, but I am not 100% sure about that. Anyhow, it was prior to the release of the Meg which I have not tried. I found the Sweetone easy to play, but I was never crazy about the sound of the one I own. Perhaps it is worth buying another and maybe a Meg or two. A fairly cheap experiment.

I will say that I after checking out the Killarney I am tempted to try one of those as well.

Thanks again for all the replies!

Yes, my Sweetones all sound pretty similar, with a bit of a "Fuzziness" to the sound. The Megs, on the other hand- One has a very clear poppy tone, the other one has a bit of the fuzz like the sweetones, and the third (my favourite one) is more similar to the clear poppy one, but with a warmer and more interesting tone. If you strongly disliked the Sweetone you have, however, you might not like any Sweetone or Meg, as they are still within the same sort of "genre" of whistle. As you say, though, you wouldn't be out of much money if you don't care for it. I do notice there is a difference in the width of the mouthpiece of my different Megs and Sweetones, so they might have undergone some developments over time that changed the sound of them between different time periods.

Killarneys are indeed fantastic whistles. Also worth looking into are the Timothy J. Potter whistles, which there was a thread about on here recently, where it received pretty good word from everyone who had tried one. They cost around 24-28 USD, and are equally as nice as the Killarney in my book, though a quite different sound.

[Mr.Gumby]

Sweetone ~15 years ago - I think this may have been close to the time they were introduced

At this point they've been around for at least twenty years, probably a few more (although not a lot, perhaps 22/23-ish but not much more than that).

Huge blanket statement there. As far as "cheapy mass marketed stuff" goes, it can range from crap to superb.

I would tend to agree with that, I would much prefer a range of 'mass marketed stuff' to any of the Dixons I have tried (I have not taken to them at all, quite the contrary) or the Sweetones, which don't even come into consideration.

[The Lurking Fear]

Sweetone ~15 years ago - I think this may have been close to the time they were introduced

At this point they've been around for at least twenty years, probably a few more (although not a lot, perhaps 22/23-ish but not much more than that).

You were right in the first part-

according to Clarke's site-"in 1996 the company produced a brand new type of Tinwhistle, the SWEETONE."

Have had a few purchased at different times over the years.Still have a couple.Always found them to have a somewhat dull tone in comparison to anything else I've got.Friends have concurred.

[Mr.Gumby]

You were right in the first part-

I knew I brought a C and a D when I moved to my present location (where both immediately started to rust with a vengeance, despite not being used), which placed my buying them over twenty years ago, but I couldn't (and can't) remember exactly how much earlier.

[Cliff Steele]

Always found them to have a somewhat dull tone in comparison to anything else

I agree, that seam at the back always made my thumbs sore as well.

[Sedi]

I have mixed feelings about the Dixons. I have a Tony Dixon one-piece flute in low D which sounds lovely but the Tony Dixon Trad whistle in G (brass body) that I have doesn't sound too great IMO. It makes a lot of unwanted noises (and not of the 'nice' kind like the breathiness of an 'original' Clarke) and sometimes I can't even get the bell note to sound on the first try. It also has a certain 'cheapness' to the sound that I can't really explain. I much prefer my Generations - got two vintage models in C and D and a newer model in Bb which sound better. I also like the Megs and my Feadog. IMO those are all better sounding, easier to play and cheaper. So bottom line: do I play my Dixon Trad? Yes. Is it worth the money? No. That money is better saved for a Killarney (or similar high-end whistle) or spent on three Feadogs, Generations or Clarkes. From what I heard - the Feadog Pro in D also seems great value for the money but so far I haven't tried one.

[Mr.Gumby]

the Feadog Pro in D also seems great value for the money but so far I haven't tried one.

I fail to see the difference between a standard Feadóg and the Pro model. I bought a pro online directly from Feadóg Teo some time ago, going against my own rule against buying an untried whistle. It was a miserable Sunday afternoon and they had a sale on, what can I say. Anyhow, the one that arrived was one I wouldn't have bought, had I tried it in advance.