"Pro Whistles" vs. regular- should I spend the mo

[brewerpaul]

As a whistlemaker who obviously has a stake in this, I will agree that you don't NEED a fine handmade whistle. You can make perfectly wonderful music on an inexpensive Generation, Shaw, Feadog, etc. Many first rate traditional players actually prefer these and there is no denying that their sound is truly "authentic". I have quite a few cheapies and enjoy playing them a lot. Sometimes, their sound and feel is exactly what I am looking for. I also don't worry about ruining them playing them in less than optimum conditions, such as outdoors.
You buy handmade whistles for other reasons. Maybe you really love the look and feel of handmade things in general and prefer hand thrown pottery to commercial stuff, handmade furniture to store bought, etc. Maybe you are a craftsperson yourself and you like owning what other individuals have made. Maybe you love the look and feel of some whistle materials eg wood that are not available in commercial whistles. Maybe you prefer a different sound that you can't find in a commercial whistle. Maybe you like owning something that was made by one craftsperson specifically for you, that is not exactly like any other whistle on the planet. For all of these and many more reasons, you may choose to buy a high end whistle. If you can afford it, you will be very happy with such a whistle (but I'll bet you pull out that cheapie whistle once in a while too...)

[emmline]

You buy handmade whistles for other reasons. Maybe you really love the look and feel of handmade things in general and prefer hand thrown pottery to commercial stuff, handmade furniture to store bought, etc. Maybe you are a craftsperson yourself and you like owning what other individuals have made. Maybe you love the look and feel of some whistle materials eg wood that are not available in commercial whistles. Maybe you prefer a different sound that you can't find in a commercial whistle. Maybe you like owning something that was made by one craftsperson specifically for you, that is not exactly like any other whistle on the planet.

This is it, exactly. It's not a snob thing or a belief that music cannot be made with a mass-market whistle.

[Tak_the_whistler]

Maybe you really love the look and feel of handmade things in general and prefer hand thrown pottery to commercial stuff, handmade furniture to store bought, etc. Maybe you are a craftsperson yourself and you like owning what other individuals have made. Maybe you love the look and feel of some whistle materials eg wood that are not available in commercial whistles. Maybe you prefer a different sound that you can't find in a commercial whistle. Maybe you like owning something that was made by one craftsperson specifically for you, that is not exactly like any other whistle on the planet. For all of these and many more reasons, you may choose to buy a high end whistle. If you can afford it, you will be very happy with such a whistle (but I'll bet you pull out that cheapie whistle once in a while too...)

you put it perfect, Paul.

I almost forgot. About two weeks ago the tuning slide (the inner slide attached to the upper body) suddenly came off (!!!!!!!!) of the Bocote D so I glued it, left it for two days, and it's staying there tight. No problems with slide function itself / tuning / playability since.

[BillChin]

I'll agree with those that say that the high end whistles are not ten times "better" than a nice Clarke or Generation (substitute your favorite inexpensive brand here).

However, put the question into a bigger perspective, of what else that money might be spent on. Even at $100, that amount of money might purchase a night on the town, or perhaps some clothes, a couple of computer games, or a gadget (or 1/2 or 1/4 a gadget given the price of many of them). For any person that spends many hours every month playing an instrument that price is spread over the many hours.

Again, sound quality is only one factor. Look and feel are subjective, but may be worth the price of admission. There is also that intangible that others touched on. There is definitely a difference between something handmade by a craftsperson vs. something machine milled by the thousands, even if the specs are identical. The time, energy and dedication breathes a spirit into the instrument, that a machine can not do.

I do believe that a person can go overboard on buying whistles, that there is a point of diminishing returns. The money could go to more important or more vital goals (insert your favorite charity or long-range savings goal such as college/car/house/retirement here). I believe there is a snob factor. As is the case with many hobbies, more $$$ can give the purchaser an illusion of superiority, when by any objective measures there is little difference.

The bottom line is that few people on this board are going to be recording albums in a studio and playing whistles to make money. With that in mind, keep it fun, keep it light, or as I like to put it--"have a spring in your step and a song in your heart."
+ Bill

[CHIFF FIPPLE]

You buy handmade whistles for other reasons. Maybe you really love the look and feel of handmade things in general and prefer hand thrown pottery to commercial stuff, handmade furniture to store bought, etc. Maybe you are a craftsperson yourself and you like owning what other individuals have made. Maybe you love the look and feel of some whistle materials eg wood that are not available in commercial whistles. Maybe you prefer a different sound that you can't find in a commercial whistle. Maybe you like owning something that was made by one craftsperson specifically for you, that is not exactly like any other whistle on the planet.

This is it, exactly. It's not a snob thing or a belief that music cannot be made with a mass-market whistle.

I have to come in on the side of Paul
You can drive a Ford and it will get you wher your going just as well as a Rolls Royce, but hey. :roll:
Any know where yer can get a wee set O them plastic Hollen peeps
as Im hearin they is just as good as them real expencive ones

[emmline]

Any know where yer can get a wee set O them plastic Hollen peeps
as Im hearin they is just as good as them real expencive ones

I really need to HEAR her say that. Just reading it is not enough.

Baltimore/Washington dialects are a WEE boring 'round here.

[Zubivka]

Whatever you buy, nothing twice as expensive will multiply the quality factor twofold.

The "perfect" quality is asymptotic: that last extra bit of quality will cost you much more.

Now buying two whistles for the price of one wont bring you closer to it...

Just like buying a 5.1 home-cinema system for the price of a good stereo won't get you a 5.1-fold quality auditorium...

[tommyk]

I've been playing for a number of years now, and find myself wanting a "really good'" whistle. I've got a banged-up Shaw that I love, and a couple Clarke's that are a tad breathy for my tastes. Is it worth the $100+ bucks for a nice handmade whistle?

In my opinion, "oh my god, yes!"

I began on Generation and Shaw (yes, too airy for me).

Then, in the late 80s, I switched to O'Riordan. The difference was great.

More recently, I've purchased a 7-body set of Abell whistles; once again - a huge jump (to my hears and playing). The Abells really add a lot to my playing. My abilities seemed to jump several levels just by playing these great whistles.

The Lon Dubh, by Pat O'Dwyer, is my most recent acquisition (whistleanddrum). Just like the Abells, I'll never give this whistle up. Quieter than the Abells, it will be great for accompanying my wife on her harp, for example.

My next whistle (and last . . . ) will be the NEW Ralph Sweet "Professional" model (he just finished making some great improvements) in blackwood with three keys and an interchangable fife head.

I'm not rich, just determined. I'd rather wait to have the money for an expensive one (a good one improves sound and playability greatly) than play a cheaper one at all.

[brewerpaul]

[quote="Tak_the_whistler
I almost forgot. About two weeks ago the tuning slide (the inner slide attached to the upper body) suddenly came off (!!!!!!!!) of the Bocote D so I glued it, left it for two days, and it's staying there tight. No problems with slide function itself / tuning / playability since.[/quote]

Tak-- sorry to hear about that. If you didn't live in Japan, I would tell you to send me the whistle immediately for repairs (free). shipping costs to Japan are a killer though.
In case you have any more problems...I glue my slides with 5 minute epoxy. Be sure to clean off all of the old glue and rough up the metal with some coarse sandpaper before gluing. Put the mixed epoxy on the inside of the wood, and only use a small amount. Push the slide in with a twisting motion to spread the glue. As the glue begins to set up, remove the excess from the inside with a long thin knive blace, popsicle stick, etc.

[mcfeeley]

I've been playing for a number of years now, and find myself wanting a "really good'" whistle. I've got a banged-up Shaw that I love, and a couple Clarke's that are a tad breathy for my tastes. Is it worth the $100+ bucks for a nice handmade whistle?

It's always good to go back to the original question that started the thread.

Whistle choice comes down to personal taste and preference. A "really good whistle" is what sounds and feels "really good" to you. Price doesn't always determine the quality of a good whistle, particularly when it comes down to personal choice.

There are lots of good whistles to be had for less than $100 USD. Syns, tweaked Shaws & Generations . . . these are all really great whistles. The $100+ whistles are well crafted and well worth the price, but price isn't necessarily the line in the sand between fair whistles and great whistles. Each has a particular quality unique to itself -- you have to decide which you like best.

It's been said many times before, but maybe worth mentioning again -- a lot of the great whistle masters play what would be considered "low end" whistles. Maybe they had to go through a box of $5.00 whistles to find a really good one, but they are basically low end whistles.

[Ridseard]

There's nothing surprising about many really good players preferring cheaper whistles. There's no whistle in the world with quicker response than a decent Generation, and so in the hands of a player with good control, they are ideal for fast tunes.

[desert_whistler]

Maybe they had to go through a box of $5.00 whistles to find a really good one, but they are basically low end whistles.

For me, that's the key comment about low-end whistles. The $120 I paid for my Burke got me a well-crafted, tunable, awesome-sounding whistle. I personally know 6 other people who own Michael Burke's whistles, and there's not a bad one in the bunch (and any of these whistle craftsmen stand behind their instruments, if you are unlucky enough to get a bad one).

A high-end whistle brings a certain reliability: I knew I wouldn't have to buy 6 Burkes before getting a good one. And, like many folks have already pointed out, $120 USD is NOTHING when you're talking about buying musical instruments.

p.s. Nothing against the low-end whistles. My very first whistle was a Generation, and I was lucky enough to get a good one. I still play it regularly, along with my Clarke Sweettone. But I also went through a lot of awful-sounding Feadogs and other low-end whistles before finally taking the plunge and buying my Burke

[buddhu]

Bearing in mind that the music that seems to be the focus of most of the posts here is traditional folk music, or derivatives thereof, I wonder if perfection in the instrument is all that important... The beauty of trad folk is the fact that it was, and remains, music created by ordinary people. Totally non-elitist. The same, a bit later on, was true of punk music - and the two styles probaby met in the Pogues! Anyway, the point is, I read some threads here about people testing whistles for accuracy (note to frequency) using electronic tuners and oscills and stuff, and I have to admit I did a bit of a double-take and the thought that crossed my mind was 'what the hell is that all about?'.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of far more experienced whistlers (and 'serious' musicians), I personally think that a cheap, warts-and-all whistle is more in the spirit of the music than an expensive instrument. That said, I have to confess to double-standards because I also dabble with bodhran, and I'd *love* an expensive, heavy-skin, tuneable drum!

[Ridseard]

Bearing in mind that the music that seems to be the focus of most of the posts here is traditional folk music, or derivatives thereof, I wonder if perfection in the instrument is all that important... The beauty of trad folk is the fact that it was, and remains, music created by ordinary people.

What do you think about people who perform traditional music (in pub sessions, for example)? Should they strive for perfection? Or should they just relax and have fun playing and to hell with accuracy and musicianship (and the people who may be listening)?

[Flyingcursor]

I've been playing for a number of years now, and find myself wanting a "really good'" whistle. I've got a banged-up Shaw that I love, and a couple Clarke's that are a tad breathy for my tastes. Is it worth the $100+ bucks for a nice handmade whistle?

Answer: yes.