burke vs sindt vs copeland

breandan · Post by **breandan** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:50 am

I had the chance to play a copeland at the weekend and it was brilliant. Having checked out prices, however, they are a bit on the dear side.

I am interested in views on the playability of sindts and burke whistles and how the compare against the copeland.

Also does anyone know of an on-line shop for sindt whistles??

lixnaw · Post by **lixnaw** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:03 am

i believe the main difference here is that the burke will hardly have any back pressure,while i'm not sure about the sindt and a copeland would have a good bit.
but i don't think a copeland would sound like a burke or a sindt. have a listen http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/index.htm
so i'd save up for a copeland, if you like it best

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:12 am

I've owned all three, and I liked the Copeland the least. I like the Burke the best. It's the only one I still own, for good reason. It sounds the best.

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:26 am

My experience is that the Burke has at least as much backpressure as the Copeland. I've also owned all three, and still have two Burkes and a Copeland in hi-D. I didn't like the very heavy head and insubstantial barrel of the Sindt.

The Copeland is much louder than Burke or Sindt. It's also much chiffier. The thing I like about the Copeland is the way the sound just jumps out of it. It's difficult to describe, but there's no other whistle like it. What I don't like about it is it takes a lot of wind, and the volume is really extreme at the upper end of the second octave.

The Burkes are very easy to play, have spot-on tuning, including a two-finter Cnat, have moderate volume that's almost perfectly balanced across two octaves. The sound is very pure but not sweet in the AlPro, but I find the wide-bore brass is a pretty traditional sounding whistle.

The Sindt is also pretty easy on the breath, but I found it difficult to play due to the weight distribution. It has a traditional sound and moderate volume that many compare to a high-end Generation. The Cnat is best played OXX XXO. I found it bland, but that's just my taste. Others find Burkes bland.

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:55 am

I still find the Copeland sound to be very "husky". I don't particularly care for their tone though others like them very much.

The Burke has the absolute cleanest tone I've ever heard, particularly in the second octave.

The Sindt to me has the purest "whistly" tone - meaning it sounds to me the closest to a superb Generation. I tend to like the weight and balance of the Sindt and don't find it unbalanced or difficult to play due to it's weight.

Just another .02 c.

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 10:57 am

On a volume scale the Copeland would be loudest, followed by Burke and Sindt.

On a complexity of tone scale I'd also say Copeland, followed by Burke and Sindt. Copelands have a really unique sound that isn't anything like a Burke or Sindt. I think this is in part due to the conical bore.

In my opinion, the only problem with the Copeland is the upper end of the second octave. It's quite a bit louder than any other part of the scale. I've heard a couple of different very good whistlers play Copelands without this being a problem...they were able to adjust when playing high G/A/B, but I wasn't able to do this...at least not a couple of years ago when I had a Copeland. I may try one again soon....they are the best whistles I've played with the exception of the above.

I've had two Copelands. Then 2nd I ordered with an "easier" voicing so the high notes wouldn't be quite so loud and hard. This worked but it caused the tone and lower octave to be too soft and mushy for my tastes.

-Brett

jim stone · Post by **jim stone** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 11:21 am

I like the Copeland best, has the most character
and I like the volume. I much prefer
the nickel. However the Sindt seems
a really good session whistle, in fact; it's
has a lovely sweet sound, and the Burke,
which I haven't played but hear a lot,
sounds good too. So if it were me
I'd buy 'em in that order.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 12:19 pm

I have one of each in high D and several in other keys.

At the moment, the Sindt is my favourite followd by the Burke AlPro but, in C, I think they are about even. My Copeland has the features already remarked upon. If you want a high D that's less pure than the Burke or Sindt, and a lot cheaper than the Copeland, perhaps you could go for an Overton.

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 12:44 pm

My older Copeland brass high D is my primary session instrument. Next in the quiver is a Burke brass session pro, which is not as loud, but plays perfectly in tune. After that a Nickel Copeland high D. I play the brass Copeland 95+ % of the time.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:26 pm

My favorites are Copelands. I love the chiff, the volume, the responsiveness and mostly the great resonance and character. I have 8 of them. The soprano ns D and the brass G are two of the three best whistles I've ever played (along with my O'Riordan Traveler G). I also have excellent brass Eflat, soprano D, Bflat, A, and Low D Copelands. I have a Low F that I'm still wrestling with after several months and am not yet sure what to say about.

Copeland C whistles have been a weakness in the past, Loren and now Jessie's ns C "best whistle in the world" notwithstanding. I am going to complete the set though next year as Jim assures me they have worked out the kinks.

Copelands are expensive and even with the recent years' vastly improved consistency, they still vary whistle to whistle within key.

Burkes are less than half the cost of Copelands. They are absolutely consistent. They have IMHO the greatest ease of playability of any whistle, tremendous balance across the octaves and solid if lesser volume than the Copelands. They are very comfortable for me to play over a lenghthy playing period. The issue here becomes whether or not you like the tonal qualities. I have an Al-pro soprano D which is a fine whistle that is physically extremely light and somewhat lesser in volume than the brass. While these whistles may not have the character of the Copeland, I believe that the newer black tip models in D and C have a bit of chiff and a stronger bottom end than prior Burkes.

I have old Sindt soprano D and C whistles. I sold Sindt Bflat and A whistles because I found the tone boring. I kept the D and C because they are very good easy to play balanced whistles with a nice tone to my ear. One word re the D though, pertaining to a matter of personal taste. The D has a relatively very thin tube bore diameter, making it sometimes a bit uncomfortable physically for me to hold for long periods.

I have had trouble finding very good C whistles, but the new Burke is the best I've played with Walton Golden Tone and Sindt right up there.

My current every day plays especially when learning and working with new and difficult material are Copeland ns soprano D, Copeland Eflat, Burke blacktip soprano D and C.

Yes, I know I'm weird in that (among other ways) I like both Copelands and Burkes. That's the just the way it is.

Enjoy yourself,

PhilO

ScottStewart · Post by **ScottStewart** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 1:31 pm

blackhawk wrote:I've owned all three, and I liked the Copeland the least. I like the Burke the best. It's the only one I still own, for good reason. It sounds the best.

Dittos. I've had the same experience.

trisha · Post by **trisha** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 5:59 pm

And you can buy Burkes from Mike O'Brien in Eire and avoid that nasty tax that sadly bumps up the Copeland prices

Trisha, Wales

tradmusic · Post by **tradmusic** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:13 pm

Haven't tried a sindt, but I've played the other two...although the Copeland was excellent and silky smooth the difference in quality was not nearly as great as the difference in price...the Burke was the most Bang for the Buck, far and away. I have a bagful of whistles, and the Burke is the one I choose 95 percent of the time.

mrosenlof · Post by **mrosenlof** » Mon Feb 16, 2004 9:23 pm

I've played only the Copeland (in C) and the Sindt (in D and A) They are both fine whistles, but very different character between them.

I think the Sind would be easier for a beginner to play, it's easier to get the octave I want. The Copeland requires better breath control.

You, or rather _I_ can't play the Copeland softly. I need to push it, and when I do, it sounds great. If, for any reason, I'm trying to hold back, like not wake up the family, or the neighbors, it doesn't sound nearly as good.

The copeland does have a more complex, interesting, maybe even flutelike sound than the Sindt, but the Sindt sounds very nice also.

I play both more or less equally, but have stretches where only one gets played.

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burke vs sindt vs copeland

burke vs sindt vs copeland

copeland vs burke