I'm thinking of buying a higher end whistle

Hawkbit · Post by **Hawkbit** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:23 pm

Okay, i've been having a great time on by original Clarke D whistle but I think it time to move up to a new whistle. A friend and teacher of mine has a wonderfull Burke C whistle and i'm considering getting a Burke D. What whistle would you guys recomend for someone taking their first foray into higher end whistles. Also does brass or aluminum make a large difference on tone? I've been looking at getting the Burke D in brass but as far as style goes I prefer the aluminum. Any advice would be appreciated.

P.S. What is the difference between a narrow bore whistle and a session bore?

crookedtune · Post by **crookedtune** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:39 pm

My best advice is to read all of the reviews that have been posted here over many months, and also find other whistle-related sites that have reviews. Then think about what you're really wanting in a whistle -- loud or soft, brash or sweet, woody or bright, pure or chiffy, etc....
There are so many good whistles out there, you'll be amazed, and you'll probably want to buy most of them.
Regarding bore, the narrow is generally soft and sweeter. Session bore whistles are designed for playing with others, and have more volume.
Hope this helps!!

Tommy · Post by **Tommy** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 9:53 pm

The only cure for wanting another whistle is to buy another whistle, buy another whistle, buy another whistle................

Sorta like Velveeta cheese and Ritz crackers. uuummm just one more awww just one more. uuuummmm uummm just one more, awww just a little one maybe then one more. Before ya know it there is need of another box of Ritz and a pound of Velveeta.

Screeeech!!! · Post by **Screeeech!!!** » Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:19 pm

The Burke DASBT is a wonderful whistle.

regor · Post by **regor** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 5:57 am

I am personally one of the few that doesn't particularly care for Burkes. Not that they're aren't good whistles, on the contrary, but I don't really like their tonality (at least the brass ones), find them top heavy and fingers holes feel funny to me for some reason. I don't know why I think it's a personal thing, but otherwise they are indeed top notch whistles as many will attest, it's a matter of personal preference, not quality. Since you know someone who owns a Burke, give it a try before you buy and if you like it you certainly won't be disappointed by a Burke.

My first step in higher end whistles was an O'Brien, much more affordable and I really like it,... as well as my Susato and not the least my Busman Delrin D+, but for $50CDN or so, this is not a major purchase by any mean. There is an ease of playing an O'Brien that makes it one of my favourite whistle for learning new tunes, especially when I don't want to concentrate on breath control, but they tend to be on the quiet side (a plus when learning new tunes), so I usually don't use my O'Brien for Session unless I don't want to be noticed and/or play tunes I never played before and need to catch up real quick to keep up... (which is not a bad thing sometimes!).

The hard part is figuring out what you're looking for. Session play (Y/N), practice (Y/N), breath control (Y/N), sweet/traditional/clear tonality (Y/N), solo play (Y/N) etc. etc. That is why most folks own several whistles, there isn't one single whistle does it all for everyone at all time.

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 8:29 am

This Top 5 Whistles thread is decent for finding what whistles have become dear to the hearts of others:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=540164#540164

Burkes are nice, and very playable. I keep a tarnished old brass session bore for it's smooth voice and easy playability. Get brass, I personally do not buy Aluminum whistles any more except Overtons.

If you aked me I would say a great value for your purpose would be a Reyburn High C/D set. Two keys for (just over) the price of one - and Reyburns are beautiful whistles.
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php?p=377111#377111

Good hunting,

Tres · Post by **Tres** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 12:43 pm

If you are a beginner, I would say the Burke narrow bore brass D can't be beat for ease of play and lack of "squeaks" You'll be amazed how easily it plays. I think this whistle is pretty idiot proof (as I can attest myself!). And to boot, it sounds GREAT!

Tres

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Thu Jun 29, 2006 1:10 pm

I was gonna say a whole bunch of stuff, but there's just too much to say. The advice you got - figure out what you want in a whistle (if you can; that may also take time and experimentation), consult the review-type threads on whistles, factor in your cost limit and select one. I think at a reasonable cost, Burke (my personal favorite is the black tip brass), Sindt, Humphrey, the new Reyburns, and the Syn Black Diamond are all great for a first foray into the higher end. Eventually, there'll be Abells, and Copelands, and oh my...

I also prefer the look, feel and sound of brass, which is a bit heavier and has a bit of a "warmer" tone than aluminum.

Ok, is that still less than a bunch of stuff?

Have fun,

Philo

breandan · Post by **breandan** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:15 am

The Burke is a fine whistle - I have the DNB and it is really sweet. The only minor issue I have with it is that when cold it blocks with condensate very quickly in comparison with delrin or other plastic headed whistles.

My best 'value for money' whistle is the Syn [and there are reviews here]. I bought a set of Bb, C, D and Eb with interchangeable head for only AUS$92 and that included postage and packaging.

They have a great sound with lots of punch and are fully tuneable.

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:03 am

Hey Breandan, I see you're from Down. my mother was from a little village near Newry called Meigh. Dad was from just across the border, Faughart.

Up Down!!

Edit: I just got a Burke in delrin. Has "DCS" scratched on the back, which is the model I assume. It took me a few weeks to appreciate what a treasure I had. I was giving it too little buff. Now that I lean into it a bit more it's excellent. Very in tune with itself. Nice tone. Medium volume, but with a slight sharpness (in a good way) that will cut through a crowded session.

Danner · Post by **Danner** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 1:44 pm

I have a Burke ALPRO in D. If you are a beginner who doesn't want a lot of squeeking and screeching out of your whistle, a Burke is a good choice. I don't have any issues with how mine feels, but that's a really personal sort of thing. The only thing I really don't like about it is that the tone is too pure for some settings. Maybe you could get one used to reduce some of the cost if you are concerned about that.

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 2:06 pm

Danner wrote:I have a Burke ALPRO in D. If you are a beginner who doesn't want a lot of squeeking and screeching out of your whistle, a Burke is a good choice. I don't have any issues with how mine feels, but that's a really personal sort of thing. The only thing I really don't like about it is that the tone is too pure for some settings. Maybe you could get one used to reduce some of the cost if you are concerned about that.

Same type of Burke in brass has a more rich tone. And he's right, it's a forgiving player, easier to play well then other (especially less expensive) whistles.

Good luck in your hunt!

Mitch · Post by **Mitch** » Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:36 pm

Hi Hawkbit,

Best thing is to listen and try. If it's not easy for you to get to a decent music shop with lots of whistles - here's a couple of decent resources for listenning to different high-end whistles:

The chiff and fipple Clips'n'Snips forum,
http://www.tinwhistler.com/ (great whistle reviews there - with samples)
http://whistlethis.com (the contributors to the uploads list their whistles)
http://www.kerrywhistles.com/ (in the movie section there a bunch of whistle reviews)

Hope this helps.

Hawkbit · Post by **Hawkbit** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:00 am

Well gentleman i'd like to thank you all for the great advice. This very moment I have a D Brass Burke Session Bore winging its way to me. I'm extremely excited to say the least. Although i've really only been playing for the last 3 months ( a very musical three months) I feel that i'm ready to expand my whistle repertoire and from what i've seen and heard I think this burke will help. I'll be sure to let you guys know ow everything turns out. Oh how I wish it was monday already!

P.S. Thanks for the link mitch. They helped a good deal.