Low D recomendation

[Patrick G]

Hello all

I am sure this subject has been beat to death but i am looking for recommendations on my first low d whistle. I currently play a Burke narrow bore D (brass) and love it. I have about $300 in my budget for this so any input would be sincerely appreciated.


Patrick

[Ted]

Reyburn makes my favorite low D and it is $300. I sold a Burke viper to get it and couldn't be happier.

[Feadoggie]

If you have one Burke and like it, it's a good bet you'd like the Burke low D. I play a Viper and a couple older Burke low D's for different settings.

The newest Reyburn low D is quite nice.

The MK and Goldie proponents should be along shortly.

I would't go so far as to say one is better than the another, just different. It depends on what you expect and need.

Feadoggie

[Cayden]

Patrick,
I agree with Feadoggie, there are some very great low whistles availabe out there and they each share some similarities, yet there are other characteristics that differentiate them from each other.

Much of what you personally like in terms of sound and playing qualities will determine what might be a good playing low whistle for you. As well, material, quality of construction, and the aesthetic design of the instrument might all be considerations in your selection. You have a decent budget to work with, and should also consider if tunable or non- tunable models will meet your needs as the latter might be considerably less expensive and more compatible with your working budget.

Do your homework / research and see what is available that will meet your needs, wants, and budget. If possible and you have access to try out some various makes of whistles close to home, take time to try some whistles out and see how they work for you. If you have not yet worked on the development of the piper's grip, consider doing so and employing it while playing low whistle.

Good luck in your search and enjoy the journey. I will send a PM with a suggestion for you.

Cheers,
Cayden

[Tonehole]

I loved the Reyburn Low D ....but had to sell mine. I couldn't cover the inline finger holes.

Check you can with piper's grip if you do go for one. I think Ronaldo offers an offset version. I'm not a fan of using the small finger to cover holes, so just ended up selling mine.

The Burke Viper one would be interesting if you like that kind of ethereal sound. Don't know about the tonehole coverage though...

[IB00]

I have recently purchased an Impempe low D which is - for its price range range - exceptional. It has a strong fundamental and good second octave. Following a recent thread I tried the third octave - one I've never looked for previously. It was non-existent using standard fingering. For me this isn't a problem. If I am playing a low whistle I want strong low notes - not good high notes. Impempe are definitely worth a whirl at 100 quid for a properly machined low D!

[ChrisLaughlin]

I've been playing whistle and flute for about 14 years now and I've had the fortune to play a large number of the very best instruments out there. At this point for low D whistles there are two that I like best, Misha Somerville's "MK" whistles and Colin Goldie's "Goldie" whistles. Links below:

MK whistles: http://mkwhistles.com/mkshop/

Goldie whistles: http://www.colingoldie.de/

[MadmanWithaWhistle]

Does every link on MK's website point to a 404 error for everyone else?

[jadphoto]

Another vote for the Reyburn, and I love the offset holes.

JD

[ecohawk]

Does every link on MK's website point to a 404 error for everyone else?

No, they work for me.

And I agree with both the OP's original sentiment and all the answers given. With a budget of $300, there are too many whistles, too many variables and too many questions to ask in order for me to make any reasonable recommendation.

Good luck with your choice.

Ecohawk

[Bencav]

All good info.

Rather than start a new thread, I will ask this here, as it is very closely related.

I currently have an Alba High C and an Impempe High D - Love them both, but for different reasons. The breath control needed on the Alba is far higher, so is a challenge. Looking for a Low D now, I am tempted to stick to either Impempe or Alba, but have no reason to choose one over the other, both are within my ~ £120 budget and sound great, but without being able to play both first, I was hoping someone may be able to do the pros and cons of each?

Thanks

Ben

[ecohawk]

This has been stated in previous replies, by Cayden and Feadoggie at least, but this is such a subjective questions it is nearly impossible to answer.

You say that you love both the Alba and Impempe but not what you love about them. For example, I have three low D Goldie's. Each is different in breath requirements, responsiveness and strength of bell note. I have two low D Burke's, one composite and the other aluminum. They sound very similar to each other but they are very free blowing and therefore have low breath pressure requirements so I don't play them on certain tunes. I prefer some resistance. But that is what I prefer. I also have an MK which has a completely different sound and breath requirement from the others. Some believe that the MK is the best low D made, others will prefer the Burke or the Goldie or Reyburn, or something something else entirely because they have a unique need.

Who knows what you're looking for or how you perceive my comments? Another example: I find the high range of the MK very similar to the high range of one of my Goldie's but not the other two. How do I describe my personal impression in a way that makes any sense to you? If I say something has high resistance (back-pressure if you must), what does that mean to you? If I say one whistle is less responsive or slower to play, what can one make of that? If I tell you that the whistle which is slow to respond also has the strongest bell note or "cosmic drainpipe" tone I've ever heard, does that make it more desirable if you don't have the lung power to reach the high ranges? Another player may have a completely different assessment of the same characteristics. I have very big hands so whistles with big holes are not a problem for me but make them unplayable for others. But this is subjective and really difficult to put into context. Some whistles are considered too loud, some not loud enough. Too loud for what? If they are in tune but will always be played through a mic does it matter if they're quiet?

Not trying to be overly critical of the question because most of us have been there at one time or another. There are just too many variables and many of them are strictly based on personal need. Then there's the ever present variable that even hand made instruments will vary as they are often made to a custom spec for a specific player or purpose.

good luck with your choice,
ecohawk

[Bencav]

Wowser, thanks for that... guess I didnt think that question through really...

To add though, I love the Impempe as I find it an easier whistle to play, breaks cleanly into the second octave, and the volume remains steady - I suppose it is my lazy go-to choice, but it is just ever so slightly too free blowing for me. I love the sound of the Alba, but the breath requirements between the octaves are massive,and without careful control, the volume is all over the place - I see it is a bit of a challenge for me to play,the small level of resistance I find pleasant. A a newbie, I cant yet decipher the relationship between these factors to make an informed decision, my ideal would be medium resistance, steady volume, clean breaks between the octaves and with the airy/breathy sound the Alba gives, but I may be asking for a few factors that are not conducive of each other?!?

I have huge hands so no issue with hole size, finger spacing etc.

Quite honestly, Im not sure which I want to sacrifice - the sound or the ease of playing.....??? Perhaps I should just get both

[p51baby]

I'm very much a proponent of MK whistles as that is my favorite, but as others have said, everyone has a different style and requirements for what they prefer in a whistle. I like my MK for the lower, reedy/flutey notes, but it is definitely not considered an "easy blower" in any case and took an adjustment from my playing my Ian Lambe to blow harder on the higher octave. I enjoy it due to the higher "back pressure" which allows me to play longer phrases in sessions and it is middle of the loud range of whistles. Also, compared to my Ian Lambe, the holes on the Mk D is slightly smaller in circumference which helps a little bit with finger placement. (Btws, Ian Lambe whistles are unique in their own right, very beautiful, boehm flute sound but softer and barely audible in a session setting). One of the negative feed backs I've heard of the Mk is the sharp corner on the lower part of the mouthpiece sometimes makes it uncomfortable for those with protruding chins (never had that problem myself).

Anyways, I leave you with this gem of a clip, I believe Michael Mcgoldrick is playing a Kerry Pro (?) and Fred Morrison has the Mk.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qVztCC37wlc

[Patrick G]

Thanks for the input guys , at this point i have it narrowed down to either MK or Colin Goldie