What's this new love affair with Dixons?...

JohnPalmer · Post by **JohnPalmer** » Thu Aug 15, 2002 10:04 pm

I keep seeing lots of threads about these whistles, but nothing to make me want to buy another (I have a two-piece low D and a Bb). And then a recent thread about the tuning slide needing to be way out comes up, and several people tell how they are having the same tuning slide problems. I hate to be a stick-in-the-mud, but how did Dixon's get to be the latest trend, and why are so many people buying them? Have they improved?

Thanks,
John

one-tin-soldier · Post by **one-tin-soldier** » Thu Aug 15, 2002 10:13 pm

Hi John. I agree it does sound bad for Dixons recently. I just received my Dixon's in the mail (C & D) a month ago, and they are great! I have not had to pull the tuning slide out at all. The reason I chose Dixon's is because I needed more volume for sessions and was told they were one of the loudest. This has proved to be true, so far anyway. I am very pleased with my Dixon's and plan to purchase other keys in the near future. They have a nice clear sound, go up to the next octave with ease and look cool too, being black and all. They are a decent whistle for a mid range price. Hope this helps.

Cheryl

vaporlock · Post by **vaporlock** » Thu Aug 15, 2002 10:41 pm

I have one of the new Dixon D's with the brass tuning slide and an older non-tunable Low D. Over the last few months I have had the pleasure playing several higher-end whistles. For the most part, there's not a big enough difference in quality and playability for me, personally, to justify the added expense.

Of course, I will continue to purchase high-end whistle because I know eventually one will make me sound like a good player, right? I think, though, that I will have a complete set of Dixon's before I have a complete set of anything else.

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Thu Aug 15, 2002 11:07 pm

On 2002-08-16 00:13, one-tin-soldier wrote:
The reason I chose Dixon's is because I needed more volume for sessions and was told they were one of the loudest. This has proved to be true, so far anyway.

Hunh?

Dixons are pretty well-known for being the quietest whistles out there. While I love my Dixon very much, I cannot use it at session, as it is so quiet even I can't hear it.

MurphyStout · Post by **MurphyStout** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 3:11 am

I have one and I think it's a pretty good whistle. One reason it seems like it has become a recent trend is that they are so cheap and easy to play. They have been raved about many times in recent weeks, which kind of makes people, myself included, want to buy these dixons. So we go back out and buy em and then report back here which continues the cycle. Power of the media.
And about that tuning slide, I don't have to pull it way out to get it in tune.
My only complaint is that they sound a little bit like the sweetones, but just barely. I loath the sweetones. So that's why I play my gen way more than I play the dixon. But no one else has said anything about it so it might be just me. Anyways that's my 2 cents on the issue.

Jack Murphy

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MurphyStout on 2002-08-16 05:12 ]</font>

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 5:28 am

Of the whistles I've played the best tone for me comes from a Generation/Feadóg/Oak style plastic mouthpiece, and a metal body. It's got the most "classic" sound to my ear.

That being said, if you could take the best qualities of a kick-butt Generation headjoint, and marry it to a well made finger tube, like my Burke, or a laughing whistle, you'd pretty much have: a Hoover.

Mack has also got the distinction that when you order a whistle from him, you can specify certain traits that you'd like. Check with him, as I'm not yet sure if he's back in production yet, but he's been my whistlesmith of choice for a while now

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 5:56 am

For me Dixons fill that gap between cheap whistles and high end whistles.

Susatos and Dixons cost about the same in the UK, because Susatos are imported and Dixons are made here. When I wanted to see what a slightly more expensive whistle would be like, I was happy to invest £16.00 but not the £80~ish it would have been for an Overton or Harper. I then dealt direct with Tony to get a low D duo, as it was the cheapest on the market, and loved his customer care. My third Dixon is the BTS, which I bought in Shanna Quay.

All three are special for me, and the Low D is the only one I have in this key, so I play it a lot. I've never had any problems with tuning or quality. All three are clearly handmade and unique, that's part of the charm.

With the new rush of interest, I wonder if Tony is going to have his hands full completing orders.

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 7:55 am

I have a high D Dixon. I agree that they sound somewhat like a Clarke Sweettone. At least mine does, which is why I never play it.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 8:04 am

On 2002-08-16 01:07, msheldon wrote:
Dixons are pretty well-known for being the quietest whistles out there. While I love my Dixon very much, I cannot use it at session, as it is so quiet even I can't hear it.

I haven't had that experience at all. My Dixons are some of my louder whistles. In fact, I prefer metal whistles now but keep a dixon in my session bag for when I am confident enough about a tune to WANT to be heard, hehe.

On 2002-08-16 07:28, Brian Lee wrote:
Mack has also got the distinction that when you order a whistle from him, you can specify certain traits that you'd like. Check with him, as I'm not yet sure if he's back in production yet, but he's been my whistlesmith of choice for a while now

I checked with him last week when he popped into chat, and he is not yet back in production.

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 9:19 am

On 2002-08-16 01:07, msheldon wrote:
On 2002-08-16 00:13, one-tin-soldier wrote:
The reason I chose Dixon's is because I needed more volume for sessions and was told they were one of the loudest. This has proved to be true, so far anyway.
Hunh?

Dixons are pretty well-known for being the quietest whistles out there. While I love my Dixon very much, I cannot use it at session, as it is so quiet even I can't hear it.

Hunh? My Dixon is as loud as my Burke. It's louder by far than my Gen D, than my Walton, Feadog, etc. It's way too loud to practice with in my apartment.

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 9:30 am

Why dixons? Because, they are a good value.

You get a tunable whistle, reasonably in tune, easy to play, low clogging, good tone, medium volume, all for under $40 US. There are a lot of better whistles out there at 2-10 times the cost. But for the price, Tony's are great. He backs them up with good customer service.

From reading Tony's website, this is the roll he wants for his whistles and flutes: good beginner's instruments, at very reasonable prices, backed with good customer service.

I've had a number of his tunable regular-d's, both original plastic tuning slide and now his newer brass. Of the 7 dixon D's I've had, all have been better than any of my dozen in-expense whistles: sweetones, clark originals, feadogs, waltons, LBW's. All have had a clear tone with just a little breathiness for character. All have been easier to play, more in tune, and sturdier.
Not a bad deal for around $30 bucks. If you wonder why I've had so many of his regular-d's, it's because I usually have an extra with me when I take my whistles somewhere. I've sold 3, given away 2, and have 2 left. People try them and immediately ask where they can get one.

There are better (louder, softer, more chiff or clearer, better in tune) whistles out there, but I don't think there are any that give me more bang for my buck.

Dixons let me enjoy my music; but what ever you play,

garycrosby · Post by **garycrosby** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 11:12 am

I love my Dixon soprano D (w/ brass tuning slide). It is my favourite whistle by a long shot because it has a lovely tone and is very playable. The volume of my Dixon is on par with my Chieftain soprano D but is louder than all my other whistles (Oak, Sweetone, LBW, Meg, Clarke Original, Walton's, etc.)

Of course, I have mostly cheap whistles to compare the Dixon to and I've never had the opportunity to play a really high-end whistle so maybe I'm a bit ignorant of what a really good whistle should sound and play like. Keeping that in mind, I think the Dixon is a pretty decent instrument at a fair price so, as LeeMarsh said, its a good value.

I'm going to get several more Dixons in different keys. But, other than those, I have no need of an instrument that is more expensive than a Dixon. Okay, okay, someday I'll buy a really nice wooden whistle (probably a Rose) just because I like wooden instruments but I don't actually *need* one.

Kar · Post by **Kar** » Fri Aug 16, 2002 1:19 pm

I agree with what has been said, about Dixons being a really good, reliably well-made whistle at a very good price. I have two other reasons for liking Dixons:

1) They fill a gap. If you want something relatively inexpensive BETWEEN a high D/C and low D, there's not that much to chose from. I'd buy Sweetones if they came in Bb or A or G and were $10 - $30 bucks. I'd buy a Generation A but they don't seem to exist. Low D's aren't something I can manage at this stage in my whistling life, so a mezzo (is that the word?) whistle is what I want.

2) The spacing and breath requirements work for me. The only other mezzo-whistle in this price range are Susatos, and they are harder to play, I have found. Not to mention they don't sound quite as nice.

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Mon Aug 19, 2002 10:50 am

An interesting Dixon story:

At a music festival a couple weeks ago, I got into a mini-session with a couple other players, including a pretty good whistler. He was playing a Dixon high D, so I pulled out my Dixon low D to double. The two whistles were so out of tune as to be rather painful, even though both sounded great alone.

The Dixon high D was perfectly (and I mean perfectly!) in tune with my trusty Clarke D, on the other hand.

Wierd.

Tom