Newbie which whistle

Fezzik · Post by **Fezzik** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 6:00 am

Hello, I have become interested in the whistle and was looking into buying one. I was looking at spending around 50 dollars. I was told the Susato were good, and that a new one was coming out( dont know the model) that was supposed to be good. I was just wondering what would you all suggest to a newbie?

amar · Post by **amar** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 6:51 am

Hi, I'm a newbi myself and I own a susatoC whistle. I'm actually not very fond of it and never play it, to it sounds too much like a recorder, a few days ago I ordered som e whistles by tony dixon, I don't know how they sound, but have only heard good things about them, cheers, good luck, amar.

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 7:02 am

Before you spend $50, try a $5 whistle like a Generation, Clarke Sweetone, Oak, Walton or Feadog. You may never need a more expnsive type, or if you do, you'll have a better idea of what you like in a whitsle after a few months playing.

Get a whistle in the key of D if you intend to play Irish music.

Susatos are often said to be loud & recorder like in tone. The new model is a smaller bore, so quieter. It may still be more recorder than whistle in tone(though I don't have a problem with this myself), I've yet to see or hear one.

Dixon whistles are indeed nice, very forgiving & not too loud. This would be a sound choice if you want to pay a little more for your first whistle.

Good luck, and welcome to the board!

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 7:41 am

The trouble with a cheap whistle is that while some are good, or even great, others of the same brand and model can be utter junk.

A Sweetone (Clarke) is a very forgiving whistle for a true new player, since it's difficult to make it sound bad. For an experienced musician transitioning to whistle or for a sligtly more experienced whistler, it's tone gets boring after a while. I make no bones that I dislike Susatos, especially for newcomers. The LOUD upper octave is irritating and the finger hole spacing feels off somehow.

Get a D whistle for traditional music, as was already said. As for brand, if you don't want a Sweetone, A Dixon or Hoover is great, or for a few more bucks a PVC Silkstone or Water Whistle is hard to beat. If I'd found my Silkstone first, I might never have gotten WhOA.

raindog1970 · Post by **raindog1970** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 7:47 am

If you're looking to buy a few cheap whistles, I would suggest the following:

Clarke SweeTone - great ease of playability, but not the greatest tone.
Walton's LBW - great tone when properly tweaked, but requires a good degree of breath control and generally aren't very well in tune.
Generation - but only if you can try several and pick the best one since they have serious quailty control problems... the Eb seems to be the most consistant in quality.

For $50 you could get yourself a mid-range whistle or two.
While my opinion seems to be in the minority, I'm with the group that favors a higher-end whistle for a beginner.
While there's nothing wrong with most cheap whistles, the quality control issues involved can really be an issue to a beginner... a bad whistle can discourage you quite quickly.
If you go the cheap route, please get two or more different brands so you'll have a good chance of getting at least one decent quality whistle to learn on.
While most cheap whistles can be made quite nice with proper tweaking, most of us have destroyed more than one whistle while learning how to tweak them... it's not a good idea to try it unless you have a back-up whistle.
Bear in mind that my opinoins will not be the same as that of many other players... and maybe not even yours.
I love some whistles that many players despise... it's all a matter of personal preference, and you'll just have to find out for yourself what whistles suit you best.
Right now what you need is a good playable whistle to learn on, and I think the Clarke SweeTone is probably the best cheap whistle for a beginner... but like I said earlier, the tone isn't the greatest in my opinion.
They just have the best track record when it comes to consistancy of quality... and their smaller finger holes are easier for a beginner to seal properly.
I wouldn't recommend spending too much money on a whistle until you know for sure that you're going to stick with playing whistles... and then you may find that you're among the group that despises high-end whistles!

It's true that a high end whistle won't make you a better player, but it's just as true that even the best player can't make all cheap whistles sound good.
I know I'm probably going to take flak from both sides for this post, but that's OK.

_________________
"[Rain Dogs] ...the ones you see wanderin' around after a rain. Ones that can't find their way back home. See the rain washes off the scent off all the mail boxes and the lamposts, fire hydrants..."
Tom Waits

[ This Message was edited by: raindog1970 on 2002-02-28 08:49 ]

DrRichard · Post by **DrRichard** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 8:12 am

I think several $5-15 whistles would be better than one $50 dollar whistle. My first set was a Clarke Original, a Tony Dixon non-tunable, and a Clare. This combination came to less than $50, and gave me a taste of some very different whistles. The Clarke Sweetone is also worth buying, as it is very forgiving. From these, you will be able to tell your likes and dislikes, and that will allow you to decide what to do next (if anything).

There are so many different sounds you can get, I think you'd be better of getting a small selection of inexpensive whistles. You may find that you never need anything more expensive than $15!

Richard

PS: Oh, and good luck and welcome to the world of whistling; I hope it brings you as much joy as it does to us!

[ This Message was edited by: DrRichard on 2002-02-28 09:12 ]

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 8:12 am

I agree with getting an inexpensive whistle to begin with, figuring out what you like or dislike about it, then if you have 'issues' or curiosity about different sounds going for more costly whistles.

Though I haven't dealt with them personally, The Whistle Shop has a reputation for assisting people in making a good selection. I believe they have pre-tweaked inexpensive whistles, so you'd get something that isn't costly, that probably sounds as good as any, that gives you a jumping off point.

On another note to the longer time residents of this board who advocate inexpensive whistles, wouldn't it be nice if we had a stash of Gens or Oaks or something that has been 'preapproved' or tweaked as necessary that can be sold at cost (with shipping of course) to the nice newbies who ask this question? They'll be getting a playable instrument rather than the possibility of a real horror (like my Gen!) that makes them wonder if its them or the whistle.

Just a thought.

Mark_J · Post by **Mark_J** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 8:36 am

For under $50, I recommend the Hoover brass D. I know some other very reputable players don't like Hoovers, but I love all of my Hoovers. I have some concrete reasons for thinking of the Hoover as a great beginners whistle. Here goes .. .

They are quiet. When I first started playing, everything sounded horrible. My first two whistles were Oak and Susato. Because both could produce a healthy volume, I always found myself very self-conscious about the horrible music I was making. I was torn by the raw enjoyment I got from the effort I was putting in, and the shameful feelings that came from my paranoid fear of bothering everyone within ear shot. The Hoover has a lovely volume for a beginner. It has a nice tone with some complexity.

It requires little air. When I was a beginner, I played slow. That doesn't slow the the air coming from your lungs. That means you will be taking a breath and disrupting your rhythm more often in a tune. Rhythm is one of the things that is essential to music. Poor rhythm insures you will have poor music. Other parts of music are more negotiable. Other musicians can play with you if you have good rhythm. You can play slow with no ornaments and variation, but if you can play with a good rhythm, YOU CAN PLAY. I think the hoover helps me learn new tunes faster because I don't have to disrupt my playing while I figure out phrasing and where to breath in a tune.

Also, it is always nice to have a quiet whistle to play with. It is very sensitive to other people. You can play without inhibition. You may choose to do the smart thing and find a good generation and stop there. You may be corrupted and procure a grotesque collection of hand crafted whistles (as I have). But a quiet whistle to play is a nice thing to have while "sharpening the saw."

Also with low air, comes breath control. I think (meaning I'm not 100% sure) that the extremely responsive breathing with my Hoover has allowed me to be much more sensitive in my wind work on any woodwind instrument.

All of my Hoover whistles are dead on tuning. Some people stated that they had problems with tuning. I know Mack is an absolute gem for customer service. He will do you right.

That's my opinion.

Marshall in New Mexico · Thu Feb 28, 2002 9:53 am

Let me second what Mark_J said about Hoovers. Also, the Hoover soprano C CPVC instrument (selling for $40) is a superb, hand-crafted whistle that plays better than many of the whistles that cost me two or three times as much. It is a smooth instrument, handles well, plays in tune, allows easy slides, and is also very sensitive to whatever musical expression I choose to impart.

For cheap whistles, the Sweetone (as mentioned above) plays well and is a highly recommended first whistle. Its quality and preditability seems to remain the same from instrument to instrument.

My favorite "cheapie" is the Walton Little Black Whistle (also mentioned above). At $5, it is the cheapest whistle I have found. Even so, I have never played a bad LBW (as opposed to the countless Feadogs and Generations that I have bought that turned out to be dogs).

While you are at it, try picking up a decent tutorial with your first whistle (possibly the L.E. McCullough video). While the whistle can be learned on your own, even while playing in the bathtub (my favorite venue until the fingerholes clog with soap film), you will progress much faster if you can learn from a master via a tutorial.

Good luck. MH

[ This Message was edited by: Marshall in New Mexico on 2002-02-28 11:00 ]

Byll · Post by **Byll** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 10:10 am

Any Hoover D is spot-on for your needs - brass, aluminum, or CPVC.
Cheers and best wishes in your endeavor.
Byll

Mack.Hoover · Post by **Mack.Hoover** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 10:42 am

wanton ad:

Please check on the prices which were quoted above. Here are my current ones:
http://users.acsol.net/~mackh/ordering.htm

Mack

ThorntonRose · Post by **ThorntonRose** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 12:07 pm

Start with a Waltons or a Dixon.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 12:22 pm

I suggest starting with an engraved sterling silver Copeland soprano D (you do know what a Copeland is, right?). That way at least you won't have to be shy about walking into a session next week only able to play the second half of the Swallow Tail Jig. And the whistle is loud enough to make sure everyonewill hear you play the second half of the Swallow Tail Jig.

----
Fezzik: The above is jibe not directed at you.

For you'd I recommend a SweeTone, Walton, or Clare. Those are playable, cheap and you don't run the same risk of getting a lemon as you do with a Generation.

cramer · Post by **cramer** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 2:25 pm

i think the clarke is the best bet. i haven't had the opportunity to play many high end whistles, but i can tell you that i paid around 90$ for a chieftain and i think my 10$ clarke sounds much better. you don't need spend much money to get great sound.

Blayne Chastain · Post by **Blayne Chastain** » Thu Feb 28, 2002 4:05 pm

Dixon Tuneable Soprano D $24... If you don't end up getting Whoad like the rest of us, you could stick with this one for a long time... Make sure to have Thom at the whistle shop check the intonation on the one he's sending you... Some I've played are a little iffy... But to give you perspective... I own a full set of Abells and still enjoy playing my Dixon...