Survey question: your first whistle

[markbell]

Nice topic, BillChin, thanks! I will enjoy reading everyone's responses.

* What was your first whistle? Clare D

* How did you acquire it? Brought to me by my late father-in-law in 1987, as a souvenir of his trip to Ireland.

* Do you still play it? Yes, mostly for sentimental value. It opened a whole world for me.

* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now? It's easy enough to play, but a bit plain sounding for my current taste. Fine as a starter, many are worse.

* How long before you bought your second whistle? 3 or 4 years.

* Approximately how many whistles do you own now? 18.

* How many are played regularly? 9 - Chieftain low D, Hoover low E, Hoover mezzo A, Shaw mezzo A, Generation Bb, Clarke trad C, Clarke trad D, Gen Eb with Whitecap, and a Meg D in the pickup truck.

[KDMARTINKY]

* What was your first whistle?
Clarke Original

* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift)
It was purchased for me as a joke.

* Do you still play it?
I rarely play it now and its kept in a safe place.

* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now?
Yes, it was a great beginners whistle...I was hooked with the first breathe of warm air.
* How long before you bought your second whistle?
1 Week (I bought an Alba soprano D and a Chieftain Soprano D)

* Approximately how many whistles do you own now?
43 (Just counted them two nights ago....most are low whistles... you got it CHIEFTAINS)

* How many are played regularly?
Maybe 15, I laike to use different keys to the same tune. t keeps me on my feet.

[Darwin]

* What was your first whistle?
    Hard to tell. I bought three at almost the same time. I think the Feadog arrived first, then the Clarke original, with the Dixon PVC tuneable last.

* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift)
    I read a bit on C&F, but the choices were pretty much on a whim. I wanted to try a variety of styles without spending too much right at first.

* Do you still play it?
    The Feadog now has a Whitecap and is my quietest whistle. It used to get played more when there were more people to disturb, but not much anymore. The Clarke got tweaked, but it didn't improve much, so it seldom comes out. The Dixon had tuning problems, so I gave it away.

* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now?
    I wouldn't recommend any of them as a first whistle. I'd recommend just about any Hoover, the Syn aluminum, or a Jerry-tweaked Gen as the least expensive possibilities. For a bit more, I think the Humphrey Stealth is the answer. After that, it's a matter of taste.

* How long before you bought your second whistle?
    I bought the Burke narrow-bore aluminum high D about three weeks after the others. It's still one of my favorites.

* Approximately how many whistles do you own now?
    27

* How many are played regularly?
    I have 9 of them laid out under my monitor right now, and there are at least 6 others that get a fair amount of play, but spend their free time in protective bags. There are two that live in the car full-time.

[alespa]

WHAT WAS MY FIRST WHISTLE?
Dixon pvc high d, non tuneable, back in August 2004

HOW DID I ACQUIRE IT?
I bought it from The Whistle Shop

DO I STILL PLAY MY FIRST WHISTLE?
Yes, but it's one of my least played, but more than the Clarke Original (with silver diamonds/untweaked) and a Generation Eb (tweaked with a wine cork)

SHOULD OTHER PLAYERS START WITH IT?
I bought because it looked expensive (by the pics online) and reviews, but mostly because I thought the tone on the soundclips over at Whistle & Drum sounded really nice for a whistle this price. I agree with other comments that the Sweetone may be the best whistle to start from for under $10. My Dixon was about $20 plus s/h. I plan to keep out of sentiment and to be able to play it as I grow to see how it sounds "better" as I get better

HOW LONG BEFORE I BOUGHT THE NEXT WHISTLE?
About a month later, I got a Hoover Whitecap d/c narrow bore brass set as a gift from Mack! It was a huge blessing! From my first note, I knew it was a special whistle. I still have those. They are my quiet practice whistles, and get played as much or more than any other single whistle.

HOW MANY WHISTLES DO I OWN NOW?
Including bodies, I own 13 (if you count the Cooperman):
1. Generation Eb brass
2. Burke DBSBT D
3. Syn Nigerian Teak D
4. Hoover Whitecap D narrow bore brass
5. Dixon pvc D, non tuneable
6. Clarke Original w/silver diamonds D
7. Cooperman D
8. Silkstone pvc C lacquered British Racing Green
9. Hoover Whitecap C narrow bore brass
10. Chieftain Gold mezzo A
11. Chieftain Gold mezzo Bb
12. Chieftain Gold alto F
13. Kerry Songbird low D

I just recently sold a Water Weasel high D (which I almost regret) and a Kerry low d beginners model, to focus my 'collection'.

HOW MANY DO I PLAY REGULARLY?
I play all of them at least every few days. I love playing the same tunes on different keys for variety. I play the Burke, Syn, Silkstone and Hoovers the most. At a point in my families' lives where less is more, I try to keep only whistles I'll play. As for the Cooperman, I don't play it, but have plans for a special experiment, once we get settled into our new house.

[Crysania]

* What was your first whistle? an Oak D

* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift) It was given to me by the guy I was dating at the time

* Do you still play it? From time to time, when I want a softer whistle (I normally play a Susato)

* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now? Absolutely...great tone, easy to control, not very loud

* How long before you bought your second whistle? Hmmm...about 3 months...I didn't find one I liked better for a good year and a half

* Approximately how many whistles do you own now? 22 at last count

* How many are played regularly? Maybe 6 or 7 of them

[Whistling Pops]

The flute forum thread is getting so many excellent responses that one about whistles seems a great idea. (Flute thread:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

* What was your first whistle?
* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift)
* Do you still play it?
* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now?
* How long before you bought your second whistle?
* Approximately how many whistles do you own now?
* How many are played regularly?

My first whistle was a very cheap one I purchaed at Dixie Gun works. It doesn't have a name and is of very cheap quality. It is a D. About a week later I purchased a Clarke (the black one with diamonds between holes) in C and also a Generation in C. Shortly after that I bought an Oak in D and an Acorn in D. I also bought a set from O'Brien which includes a B flat, a C, a D, an E and an E flat. I also made one myself out of brass. I have bought all of these in the last 30 days. I am waiting on a teaching video I ordered because I don't know how to play yet. At least these whistles are a lot cheaper than the banjos and guitars I have been buying. I plan on purchasing at least one Dixon and at least one Susato. I will probably have a few dozen whistles soon because I like to collect things. I hope I learn to play so I can justify the purchases. I love Irish music.

[RonKiley]

My first whistle was a Feadan. I purchased on a whim about 1982 or 3. I didn't buy another until about 2003. I still play the Feadan. It would be a nice whistle for a beginner but it is not available anymore. I have about 30 whistles and play about 11 on a regular basis. My most often played now are the Humphrey Narrow Bore D/Eb, Alba Q1 and a Feadog Mk III. The others frequently played are Gen, Clare, Hoover/Oak, Susato. Usually the one I play is the one closest to my hand when I decide to play,

Ron

[brewerpaul]

* What was your first whistle? Pair of Gen D whistles, brass red-heads
* How did you acquire it? These were a gift from Bill Ochs back in the late 60's-- I knew Bill and his lovely family back in my college days. I WISH I still had those vintage Generations! I didn't really stick with whistles back then, and over the years, they drifted away.
* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now? Not bad, if they can find or tweak a good one
* How long before you bought your second whistle? About 20 years!
* Approximately how many whistles do you own now? Sheesh-- I don't know. It varies with what is in my shop at the moment..
* How many are played regularly? Lots, but not for very long at any one time. Currently, my Overton A is sitting out in the living room, so I pick it up as I pass and will rattle off a tune or two. Ditto a Copeland and Kerry Pro low D.

[The Weekenders]

* What was your first whistle?
* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift)
* Do you still play it?
* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now?
* How long before you bought your second whistle?
* Approximately how many whistles do you own now?
* How many are played regularly?

A Feadog D, purchased in 1982 or so, from the music store that I was manager of. I also bought the LE McCullough Tutor (with the white cover) at the same time. I fooled around with it for a while, stopped playing it and hauled it around through three moves.

I don't play it now, because I am not sure which one it is, as I bought more Feadogs over the years. I loosened the glue joint on all of my early Feadogs and it wrecked every one of them. They all sound a bit raspy now and are no fun to play. I wouldn't recommend them as they are now.

But I would recommend a new one, with the loosed headjoint for tuning, if I tried it out and found one that didn't suck. I had an OBrien tweaked Feadog, that Blackhawk gave me, and I would recommend it for an authentic sound and very playable without hesitation. It's all in the tweakin' apparently. I haven't ever tried a Jerry-tweak but I reckon that would recommended as well.

16 year gap between it and the others (purchasing) as I started using whistles in 1998 for my folk band (non-Irish purposes). I have about 16 cheapos, and 10 Burkes. I play the D, the Eb, E and C and low A and G regularly.

[Jack]

* What was your first whistle?

My first whistle was a Sweetone D with no paint.

* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift)

I bought it at a music store. I had researched the different brands, but it was the only kind they had.

* Do you still play it?

I do not still play it. I lost or destroyed it over the course of the last few years.

* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now?

I would recommend that beginners start with it as well as a few other inexespensive whistles.

* How long before you bought your second whistle?

It was a few months, probably.

* Approximately how many whistles do you own now?

I own two.

* How many are played regularly?

I play infrequently.

[rh]

okay, i'll play too...

* What was your first whistle? i bought two at the same time, both Gen bluetops, in D and Bb.
* How did you acquire it? paid cash. got 'em after hearing Mary Bergin.
* Do you still play it? once in a while, especially the Bb.
* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now? dunno.
* How long before you bought your second whistle? a few months, maybe. i got a couple of Susatos after hearing Sean Ryan.
* Approximately how many whistles do you own now? around two dozen
* How many are played regularly? 3 or 4

[anniemcu]

* What was your first whistle?
Generations - D, Bb, G acquired in the late 1970s

* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift)
Had to learn a couple of Chieftains tunes. Only whistles available at the time.

* Do you still play it?
I lost the D somehow, somewhere, sometime, but the Bb is still my favorite, and the G, though seriously dented, still sounds sweet.

* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now?
The new ones just aren't the same at all. But Jerry Freeman's Tweeked ones are close.

* How long before you bought your second whistle?
LOL! 5 minutes?

* Approximately how many whistles do you own now?
20+or-

* How many are played regularly?
15

[Redwolf]

The flute forum thread is getting so many excellent responses that one about whistles seems a great idea. (Flute thread:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

* What was your first whistle?
* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift)
* Do you still play it?
* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now?
* How long before you bought your second whistle?
* Approximately how many whistles do you own now?
* How many are played regularly?

My first whistle was a brass, red-topped Generation Eb that I bought at The Sound Hole Music Company in Spokane, WA, with my babysitting money after seeing Will Millar play one on The Irish Rovers' TV show sometime around 1975. I still have it and I still play it, even though it's got teeth marks on the fipple from both my puppy (now 18 ) and my child (now 12) and it's not in the most useful key.

If I could guarantee that all Generations would be as nice as that old whistle, I'd recommend them in a heartbeat. It's still a good player.

It was almost 10 years before I bought my next whistle: A nickel-plated Generation Eb (bought to replace the brass one, which I'd thought was lost). After that, it was at least another five years before I bought another whistle: A Feadog D.

I have 20 or so whistles now. The ones that get played most frequently are (in no particular order): O Briain "Improved" Feadog, Burke "Pro*Session" brass, Hoover Whitecap, Busman Kingwood, Sweet "Professional," and a nice little clear plastic whistle I call "Taibhse the Mystery Whistle." I have a couple of Elfsongs that still get a lot of play too.

Redwolf

[Jack]

it's got teeth marks on the fipple from both my puppy (now 18 )

In dog years, that's 126 years old!

[Albanian]

* What was your first whistle?
Alba D

* How did you acquire it? (Recommendation, whim purchase, researched purchase, gift)
Wanted to play a soloinstrument, and was discussing this with a friend who put me on the idea. Went on the net and ordered it from BigWhistle about a year ago. That was before i found C&F, so i bought what I tought would be ok. Had quite a bit of luck with that one.

* Do you still play it?
Yes , still my favourite, altough my recently aquired Busman Delrin C is giving it tough competition......

* Would you recommend other beginners start with it or do you know better now?
I belive so, because it´s in tune and never clog. And rewards ones struggle with a very nice sound. The backpressure is significant tough...

* How long before you bought your second whistle?
Some months. Overton low D

* Approximately how many whistles do you own now?
Alba D
Busman delrin C
WaterWeasel Bb/A
O´brien E/Eb/D/C/Bb
Overton low D

* How many are played regularly?
Alba, Water Weasel, Busman