Low C Recommendations?

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Narzog
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Low C Recommendations?

Post by Narzog »

Hey guys. I've wanted a good low C for a long time, but I'm not sure what to get. I love dropping D tunes to C, it just sounds right. My key points I'm looking for, is balanced (and decent to high) volume with a strong low end (not some super quiet low end that you have to try hard to not overblow), and it needs to be very responsive for playing fast. I have a tendency to try and play fast things that should be on a high whistle on a low. Good examples of what I'm looking for are my MK low D, my Burke low F if it didnt use way too much air, and my Reyburn low G. All are very different. But I like all of them. The Reyburn is on the softer blowing side but is still in the territory of not too soft and has a decent low end, and a great high end. The Mk higher end takes a but more push than ideal, but the low end is fantastic with great volume. The Burke F is in the middle, mid blower, good volume, plays well. I'd be happy with something like any of these.

I've been considering a Howard low C. But I'm worried its a bit on the soft blowing and 'touchy' side, where its harder to control consistently. but I'm not sure if the people saying it hard to play are just inexperienced or not. The website says it is soft blowing and takes little air but also has a strong low end. In my experience soft blowing = bad low end which worries me. but its very affordable which is always good in my book as long as it competes with the others. Theres MK low C and id probobly like it. It just costs a ton. And I feel like the push required on the MK does start to bug my head after a long practice session if what I'm playing is a lot of higher second octave. So I'm trying to find a different option. burke low C, I just expect it to take way too much air once again, because the low F takes more air than my MK low D. And the price I can live without. Goldie low C is probobly amazing and I'd love to try a Goldie. The only con with this is the price. So I'm hoping to find something good that fits what I'm looking for thats a bit cheaper if possible. Nightingale low C is very affordable but Nightingale seem to be on the soft to very soft blowing side, so being the lowest one I expect to like it the least.

Thanks for any info!
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RoberTunes
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Re: Low C Recommendations?

Post by RoberTunes »

Demonstrations of Alba and Reviol low C whistles, by a cat reviewer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNhAOrKKQAQ
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Re: Low C Recommendations?

Post by Jdclar3 »

The samples I have heard on the Nick Metcalf low C are very nice. He does an offset finger hole design so that it is a bit easier reach. Last couple to pop up on eBay have been in the 150 to 170 USD range. Might be worth a look.
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Re: Low C Recommendations?

Post by Mr.Gumby »

RoberTunes wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 9:17 pm ...a cat reviewer...
An turn of phrase that could be taken as unfortunate at a minimum.
:tomato:

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Re: Low C Recommendations?

Post by pancelticpiper »

Here's the Low C I currently play, a Colin Goldie. It's brilliant. I'm playing an air here but it's perfectly fine on reels and jigs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TGU5BuKzcw

I had a Reviol set that consisted on one headjoint and three bodies for Low C, Low D, and Low Eb. All three bodies played great.

What I found interesting was how the whistle with the Low D body played and sounded like a typical Low D, and with the C body was a typical Low C, and with the Eb body the sound and performance like most of the Low Eb whistles I'd played. It demonstrated that the playing characteristics I associate with these keys aren't a product of the headjoint but of the body.

The other very nice Low C I've owned was- surprise- a Susato. Like the Goldie and Reviol it was essentially a stretched Low D. Of all the Susatos I've owned this Low C was the nicest player. It was keyless with an angled neck. Unfortunately I don't think Susato offers that model any more.

Some of the low C's I've owned, by Reyburn, Howard, and Alba, had too stiff high notes for me. The Alba was made using the huge tubing she uses for her Bass whistles rather than the Low D tubing that most makers use.
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c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
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Goldie Low D whistle
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pancelticpiper
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Re: Low C Recommendations?

Post by pancelticpiper »

RoberTunes wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 9:17 pm by a cat reviewer.
I was expecting something like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWJ_r89j2LI
Richard Cook
c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle
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Re: Low C Recommendations?

Post by Narzog »

RoberTunes wrote: Thu Aug 05, 2021 9:17 pm Demonstrations of Alba and Reviol low C whistles, by a cat reviewer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNhAOrKKQAQ
For some reason I was surprised when I saw it was a Nathaniel Dowell video haha. But it all makes sense now. Alba low C is on my list of possibilities. I think Reviol will be too soft for me.\

Ther top comment starts with "I've been avoiding low D's because so many of them sound like a weak low F or low G" which pretty much sums up my worry of low C's. No quiet weak low whistles allowed in my collection haha.
pancelticpiper wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 6:16 am Here's the Low C I currently play, a Colin Goldie. It's brilliant. I'm playing an air here but it's perfectly fine on reels and jigs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TGU5BuKzcw

I had a Reviol set that consisted on one headjoint and three bodies for Low C, Low D, and Low Eb. All three bodies played great.

What I found interesting was how the whistle with the Low D body played and sounded like a typical Low D, and with the C body was a typical Low C, and with the Eb body the sound and performance like most of the Low Eb whistles I'd played. It demonstrated that the playing characteristics I associate with these keys aren't a product of the headjoint but of the body.

The other very nice Low C I've owned was- surprise- a Susato. Like the Goldie and Reviol it was essentially a stretched Low D. Of all the Susatos I've owned this Low C was the nicest player. It was keyless with an angled neck. Unfortunately I don't think Susato offers that model any more.

Some of the low C's I've owned, by Reyburn, Howard, and Alba, had too stiff high notes for me. The Alba was made using the huge tubing she uses for her Bass whistles rather than the Low D tubing that most makers use.
The Goldie low C sounds fantastic. How strong are its lower notes? I'm trying to avoid ones that you have to blow really softly to not overblow the bottom few notes. I feel like I should have at least 1 Goldie in my stash but they are definitely not cheap and most people wont sell them. But I'm running out of keys I need haha.

How strong was the Howards low end? Having stiff high notes sometimes means a good low end but it could also just be balanced weirdly to have a harder high end but not the strong lows. And it costs less than half of the others. Ronaldo doesnt list a low C on his site but I've heard he makes them and I'd probobly like it also. I think I like slightly harder blowing whistles than you do but slightly softer is starting to grown on me. But really soft is still a no go. I feel like there's a perfect middle ground where you don't quite have to push hard to hit the top of second octave but also don't need to blow too softly to hit the low notes. I can deal with slightly harder blowing. Softer than the ideal starts feeling too weak in the low end and enters the category of all my whistles I'm considering selling or sold haha.
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Re: Low C Recommendations?

Post by pancelticpiper »

Narzog wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 9:45 am The Goldie low C sounds fantastic. How strong are its lower notes? I'm trying to avoid ones that you have to blow really softly to not overblow the bottom few notes.
Oh no, the low notes are quite strong and you can honk the "bottom D" yet the 2nd octave isn't harsh or stiff. In other words the voicing is great.

It was a lesson for me to switch the headjoints between my Goldie Low D (medium blower headjoint) and Goldie Low C (soft blower headjoint).

Colin explained that the Low C needed the more open windway ("soft blower") to give full low notes and not have the high notes stiff.

And I found that the Low C head on the Low D body made for a great Low D as well, giving fatter low notes and easier high notes than the "medium blower" head the Low D came with. The tradeoff was slightly less air efficiency.
Narzog wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 9:45 am How strong was the Howards low end? Having stiff high notes sometimes means a good low end but it could also just be balanced weirdly to have a harder high end but not the strong lows. And it costs less than half of the others.
Honestly it's been so long since I had the Howard that I only remember the voicing being strange and not suited to me at all. I do remember the 2nd octave being very flat. In all probability the design has been changed since then.
Narzog wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 9:45 am I feel like there's a perfect middle ground where you don't quite have to push hard to hit the top of second octave but also don't need to blow too softly to hit the low notes.
Yes that's the Holy Grail! For me the Goldie is the best at that, the high notes are civilised enough and the low range is strong, especially with the "soft blowing" headjoint.
Richard Cook
c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle
Narzog
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Re: Low C Recommendations?

Post by Narzog »

pancelticpiper wrote: Sun Aug 08, 2021 6:18 am Oh no, the low notes are quite strong and you can honk the "bottom D" yet the 2nd octave isn't harsh or stiff. In other words the voicing is great.

It was a lesson for me to switch the headjoints between my Goldie Low D (medium blower headjoint) and Goldie Low C (soft blower headjoint).

Colin explained that the Low C needed the more open windway ("soft blower") to give full low notes and not have the high notes stiff.

And I found that the Low C head on the Low D body made for a great Low D as well, giving fatter low notes and easier high notes than the "medium blower" head the Low D came with. The tradeoff was slightly less air efficiency.
Narzog wrote: Fri Aug 06, 2021 9:45 am I feel like there's a perfect middle ground where you don't quite have to push hard to hit the top of second octave but also don't need to blow too softly to hit the low notes.
Yes that's the Holy Grail! For me the Goldie is the best at that, the high notes are civilised enough and the low range is strong, especially with the "soft blowing" headjoint.
Ah ok that's very interesting but also makes total sense now that I think about it. I've always wondered why low burkes have such an excessively high windway. And my lowest one is an F, I cant imagine the D and C. I never realized that windway height could help with the low notes. And thats exactly what my burke F is, strong loud low end with a not stiff high end. While I'd like to experience the true Goldie air efficiency I'd most likely go soft blower. I'd really like to be able to find a used one though but my chances of that are very low haha.
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