The perfect Whistle

CJ DIXON · Post by **CJ DIXON** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:04 am

Hi all,
I would like to know what you like and dislike in your whistle. What would be the perfect whistle with regard to material (brass, woods etc) sound and cosmetics? Also, how breathy do you like your whistles? I for one enjoy the haunting sound of a slightly more breathy whistle.

Thank you for your input.
CJ

Black Mage · Post by **Black Mage** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:49 am

I noticed that I've leaned more towards a purer, brighter tone, myself, like my (Tony) Dixon aluminium high D. The only problems with it are that 1. it's not really loud enough for session play, and 2. the bottom notes (bottom D especially) are a little on the weak side. IT would be nice if they were a bit stronger.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:46 am

Brass with delrin fipple, tuneable, beveled well spaced finger holes, full round sound, a little dark with some overtones, some chiff but no air, moderate wind requirements and backpressure, ample volume, able to lean into notes or play softly, in tune with itself, good balance between octaves, fairly easy transitions.

Philo

falkbeer · Post by **falkbeer** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:43 am

The most important aspect of an istrument is that it´s well tuned, both with itself and to A=440 Hz

All other aspects are more a question about taste.

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 11:23 am

PhilO wrote:Brass with delrin fipple, tuneable, beveled well spaced finger holes, full round sound, a little dark with some overtones, some chiff but no air, moderate wind requirements and backpressure, ample volume, able to lean into notes or play softly, in tune with itself, good balance between octaves, fairly easy transitions.

Philo

Phil, who knew we liked the same thing? Well, that is my preferance now. Guess it is cause are Birthdays are so close.

Seriously, I like more than one thing, what Phil says hits one of them right on the head. Yet, Falkbeer has a point, it is more about taste. CJ, my advice is make them how you like and look for your own distinctive style. Just keep soem things in mind, like tuning.

Key_of_D · Post by **Key_of_D** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 2:04 pm

Unseen122 wrote:
PhilO wrote:Brass with delrin fipple, tuneable, beveled well spaced finger holes, full round sound, a little dark with some overtones, some chiff but no air, moderate wind requirements and backpressure, ample volume, able to lean into notes or play softly, in tune with itself, good balance between octaves, fairly easy transitions.

Philo
Phil, who knew we liked the same thing? Well, that is my preferance now. Guess it is cause are Birthdays are so close.

Seriously, I like more than one thing, what Phil says hits one of them right on the head. Yet, Falkbeer has a point, it is more about taste. CJ, my advice is make them how you like and look for your own distinctive style. Just keep soem things in mind, like tuning.

All that and of course the tuning precision, and it sounds like a dream whistle I have yet to play and own.

Henke · Post by **Henke** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:04 pm

The perfect whistle for me would be one with good volume, lots of backpressure, quite pure sound and with a fair bit of chiff, deep and multi-dimentional but pure and crisp at the same time. Even though I like lots of backpressure, it should be very well balanced between the octaves, the second octave should be sweet and warm and the first octave full, stable, powerful and deep and they should be pretty evenly balanced in volume. The pitch dip from playing softer should be minimal. It should also feathure an in-built anti clogging device. The response would have to be extremely crisp, but at the same time it should be quite forgiving.

Now, if anyone managed to build this whistle, the Noble price shouldn't too far away

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 8:32 pm

I'd be very happy with what PhilO mentioned.

I actually have a couple of whistles that come close...but on one the low D is just a bit too weak to call perfect, and the other is not quite in tune enough to play with others (without getting a 'look' now and then).

-bp

slowair · Post by **slowair** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:15 pm

Key_of_D wrote:
Unseen122 wrote:
PhilO wrote:Brass with delrin fipple, tuneable, beveled well spaced finger holes, full round sound, a little dark with some overtones, some chiff but no air, moderate wind requirements and backpressure, ample volume, able to lean into notes or play softly, in tune with itself, good balance between octaves, fairly easy transitions.

Philo
Phil, who knew we liked the same thing? Well, that is my preferance now. Guess it is cause are Birthdays are so close.

Seriously, I like more than one thing, what Phil says hits one of them right on the head. Yet, Falkbeer has a point, it is more about taste. CJ, my advice is make them how you like and look for your own distinctive style. Just keep soem things in mind, like tuning.
All that and of course the tuning precision, and it sounds like a dream whistle I have yet to play and own.

I suppose I should let the cat out of the bag. The whistle you guys are looking for is made by Ronaldo Reyburn. Not his narrow bore, not his wide bore session whistle. He made me a D/C set of brass that is in between. It is everything you guys described. It's perfect.

God, I hope Tony Dixon doesn't want a divorce. I still stand behind his whistles. I love the new D aluminum. As well as the aluminum low D and F. Not to mention the plastic low G tunable. He's in the process of R&D as well, so I'm looking forward to exviting things from him.

But, in the mean time, if you're looking for perfect, it's the Reyburn. I use it for seisiun and gigs. Warm it up and it's...perfect.

Mike

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 9:32 pm

Overton

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:42 pm

PhilO wrote:....... some chiff but no air, ...........Philo

Exactly, complex is good windy is bad.

Doc

Unseen122 · Post by **Unseen122** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 11:58 pm

slowair wrote:
Key_of_D wrote:
Unseen122 wrote: Phil, who knew we liked the same thing? Well, that is my preferance now. Guess it is cause are Birthdays are so close.

Seriously, I like more than one thing, what Phil says hits one of them right on the head. Yet, Falkbeer has a point, it is more about taste. CJ, my advice is make them how you like and look for your own distinctive style. Just keep soem things in mind, like tuning.
All that and of course the tuning precision, and it sounds like a dream whistle I have yet to play and own.
I suppose I should let the cat out of the bag. The whistle you guys are looking for is made by Ronaldo Reyburn. Not his narrow bore, not his wide bore session whistle. He made me a D/C set of brass that is in between. It is everything you guys described. It's perfect.

God, I hope Tony Dixon doesn't want a divorce. I still stand behind his whistles. I love the new D aluminum. As well as the aluminum low D and F. Not to mention the plastic low G tunable. He's in the process of R&D as well, so I'm looking forward to exviting things from him.

But, in the mean time, if you're looking for perfect, it's the Reyburn. I use it for seisiun and gigs. Warm it up and it's...perfect.

Mike

Damn it Mike, I am trying to buy Whistles in other keys and you have to tempt me like this.

regor · Post by **regor** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 6:58 am

Delrin, conical bore, medium pressure, balanced octaves, oxxooo C Nat, strong bell note, low clogging, loud enough for session, medium-complex tone but relatively pure with no shrill, comfortable fingering, responsive ornmentations.... hey don't forget tunable, in tune with itself throughout its range, and .... pretty with some silver/stainless steel rings, and tuning slide similar to that of a good Pratten Flute, flawless workmanship.

.

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:47 am

I am of two minds on this issue.

slowair wrote:The whistle you guys are looking for is made by Ronaldo Reyburn.

I totally agree.

Tommy wrote:Overton

I totally agree.

And that would explain the large hat size.

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 8:53 am

Well, two and 3/4 minds. But for the fact it's nickel silver and has low backpressure - you described my new Copeland.

regor wrote:Delrin, conical bore, medium pressure, balanced octaves, oxxooo C Nat, strong bell note, low clogging, loud enough for session, medium-complex tone but relatively pure with no shrill, comfortable fingering, responsive ornmentations.... hey don't forget tunable, in tune with itself throughout its range, and .... pretty with some silver/stainless steel rings, and tuning slide similar to that of a good Pratten Flute, flawless workmanship. .