Chiff and Fipple Forums

Lately I have been thinking that I'd like to have a nice C whistle.

What's your favorite C whistle, and WHY? What do you like about the sound, the feel of the whistle, the tuning, breath requirements, backpressure, fingering for Bb (OXX OOO or other?), etc.? Here's your chance to rhapsodize about your favorite C whistle, giving plenty of details so that if anyone else wants what YOU want in a whistle, they'll recognize it.

My favourite is Susato. I love the tone and it plays perfectly with just the right amount of complexity and backpressure. Other C whistles in my rack that I particularly enjoy are: Burke aluminium, Overton, Chieftain, a Gen nickel with a Walton head and a Feadog nickel.

Sindt. It doesn't require half-holed Bb,
which is the only problem I have with
the Sindt D. It has a great tone and
is comfortable to play.

Abell delrin, Sweet Khiloury blackwood, Black Diamond, Walton Golden Tone, Susato.

Philo

Still have to go with Mellow Dog from the ones that I've played (admittedly I haven't played many of the "high-end" C whistles). And it's really tough to beat for the price.

Best wishes

Steve

My only C whistles are a Susato and a Bracker. The Susie is a great whistle for the money (about $40 US). It has decent intonation and pretty good volume without being screechy in the second octave. Good response over two octaves. The Bracker is on another level. It has as much volume as the Susie but with a sweeter tone. Intonation is pretty much dead on in ET tuning. Good response up to the third octave. Also there's the intangible qualities of a handmade whistle. Character, personality, mystique, whatever you want to call it. Something a little extra beyond just the physics and mechanics of a good whistle.

I've had plenty of high C whistles over the years - Gens, Burke, Copeland, Abell, Sindt, tweaked whistles, but the most fun and intriguing C, for me, has been the Chieftain Mezzo C. It's full bodied, nice back pressure, tuning is spot on, great dynamics....... simply a superb whistle. I can play it solo or in a group, but what I like about it best is the character of the tone. FWIW

My absolute favorite is the Thin Weasel. It's not just a D whistle that's lengthened, it has a character that's different from any D or Bflat whistle I've played. I think it's really important that a C not just be a lower version of a D whistle; it's kind of the beginning of the transition to alto whistles. The Water Weasel C is a fine whistle if you're just looking for something like that, but the TW is completely different. (Chris Norman plays a Thin Weasel C if that means anything to you.) Of mildly high-priced C's, the only one that's struck me is the Harper, which has a bit of a growly sound that I like in the C. I've now had a couple of Walton's nickel C's (I liked the first one so much I gave it away), and I must say they're almost as good as the Harper. They also have a bit of a growl and a kind of bigger sound than a D whistle.

I like my Generation brass C tube topped with a Hoover Whitetop fipple (I lost the Hoover Blacktop fipple on a Generation brass C tube which I liked slightly better). My second choice is the Clarke original design C tinwhistle.

Susato. For reasons as mentioned before

Scott McCallister wrote:Susato. For reasons as mentioned before

This.

Actually, is the only whistle I use for busking.

I have a Syn set (one head, several bodies) that I don't use often, but the C body seems particularly nice, in terms of tone. But I haven't played many C whistles so I can't exactly compare.

When I was at East Durham I ran into another whistler who also considered the Syn C to be his favorite C.

My good old reliable Black Clarke whistle, with its wood fipple, and goofy looking gold diamonds on the side.

AlBrown wrote:My good old reliable Black Clarke whistle, with its wood fipple, and goofy looking gold diamonds on the side.

I started out with that, but the gold markings have disappeared on my favorite one (I have at least 3 in both C and D whistles, and one each of the "naked" ones. I wonder why the black painted ones have the better tone?

I almost never like C whistles. They seem...I don't know...boring to me. I feel the same way about C pipes and C flutes. Actually I have played a few C flutes I really liked come to think of it. Maybe I like C better when it comes out horizontal rather than vertical.

I think I may have a C problem.

Quite like Bnat and C# so it's not the neighborhood or anything.

I have a Burke C that I like (you know...for a C ). I also like the Mellow Dog C if one is on a budget. Had a Sindt C once that I thought was lovely (for a C ).

I have an Overton here that I think I could really enjoy if it were only in another key.

Doc