Overtons like potato chips?

Lizzie · Post by **Lizzie** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 7:01 am

Byll, indeed I am! I also aquired, by a stroke of good fortune, and O'Riordan D...so now I have two good D whistles. I can love them both, as they are quite different.

How is you little whistle playing daughter?

liz

Byll · Post by **Byll** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 9:13 am

Lizzie: Sarah is just fine. She now carries her Hoover whitecap in the back seat of my car, and every night when I pick her up at school, she gives me a concert on the way home. She turned 7, this June...

Speaking of O'Riordan whistles...Long before I had settled on Hoover and Burke whistles, exclusively, I was in the midst of Whoa. Your beautiful Overton is a result of that era. I also got on Pat's 2.5 year waiting list. I was going to remove myself, and then realized that I have less than a year to wait. I decided to stay on the list. If it were anyone but Pat, I would remove myself, as my Hoovers and Burkes fill all my whistle wants and needs...I have a high and low D ordered from Pat.

I hope you continue to enjoy your instruments, and even more importantly, your music.
Be safe.
Cheers.
Byll

Tyghress · Post by **Tyghress** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 11:23 am

Byll, I may be with you on this matter. . . I have one, but I haven't gotten the courage to lay into the top register the way I have to. Still, I'll give it a few months before I say it's not my flavor of chip.

Byll · Post by **Byll** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 1:14 pm

Tyghress: I am convinced that different flavors of whistles truly do appeal to different people. It is a very complex phenomenon, and I do not pretend to understand all the parameters...

My Overton was purchased from my friend, Patti, at Song of the Sea, during the time I was still searching...She knew my playing style - something that I think a player should be able to articulate - and told me I would not like the Overton. I purchased it, anyway. I kept it for awhile and played it very infrequently. Every time I got it out, I found myself making excuses for either the whistle or me...I was slowly realizing that whistles by Mack Hoover and Mike Burke were allowing me to do everything I needed to do, musically and effortlessly. I did not have to make excuses for either the whistles or me...I could concentrate on my music, not the instrument...

I like an effortless flow from low to high, with no surprises and no 'plateaus' in needed wind pressure. Mike and Mack give me this. When I found Lizzie was looking for an Overton, the handwriting was truly on the wall...Overtons are superb instruments, but not for me.

My search for my hammer dulcimers took the same route. Both the instrument and my relationship to its maker are important to me. Many, many years ago, I settled on a beautiful, irreplaceable instrument from Sam Rizzetta (4 octave), and a 3 octave design by him, built by my friends, Sue and Ray Mooers of Dusty Strings.

Let me know what your final decision is on your current 'challenge' whistle.
Best to you, Tyghress, as you pursue through the hours....
Byll

wizzywig · Post by **wizzywig** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 1:14 pm

I must say that my Overton looks and sounds like a potato,maybe I should deep fry it to give it that extra flavor and interesting texture.
Have you tried coating it with batter and breadcrumbs for that extra texture,mmmmmm.

skywatcher · Post by **skywatcher** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 2:02 pm

I've found out that even if they are battered and deep fried for a long time, they still tend to be extremely crunchy: especially the anodized ones. My advice is to slowly roast them in a 2000 degree F oven for about 3 days. That way, they don't break your dentures.
Good Luck!

Lizzie · Post by **Lizzie** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 2:05 pm

Byll...if you don't like your O'Riordan low D when you get it, may I be first on the list to buy it? (she says crossing her fingers)

My new whistle teacher plays O'Riordans and has several. She let me play her low E (I am now on the 2 year wait list for that!) and her low D...I have never been able to reach the holes on anything low, but I can on these...and my teacher says it is the only low D she can reach.

My O'Riordan and my Overton are different in many ways, but I love them both for diffferent reasons.

Say 'Hi' to Sarah!

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 2:37 pm

On 2002-09-20 13:23, tyghress wrote:
Byll, I may be with you on this matter. . . I have one, but I haven't gotten the courage to lay into the top register the way I have to. Still, I'll give it a few months before I say it's not my flavor of chip.

One of the first things I had to get used to with my Overton was that I couldn't play it timidly. Being a newbie, I tended to want to play softer, hesitantly, not wanting to disturb those around me with my fumblings. If I did that with the Overton it squeked and squawked and gave me a generally hard time. I thought it was going to be a long hall.

Then I got the opportunity to play it out in the woods up in the Catoctin Mountain area. I leaned into the whistle and it soared. I let go of hesitation and the tunes just flowed like the spring fed stream before me. As the the mountain breezes rattled the leaves in the canapy over head, the music invaded the valley and wound it way up to the peaks.

I guess, I'm trying to suggest that before you make your decision on the Big-O, take it to a big place, with lots of room, an no fear of ease droppers. See what it will do for you.

It is not the sweet smooth flute like song of a Burke. I think Overtons have the tone and timbre that is more a compromise some where between flute and Uillean pipe.

Lean on it, and make it work, to see if its another channel for you to ...

_________________

Enjoy Your Music, Lee Marsh 

P.S. I have a Burke composite narrow bore regular-d for those time when sweet and smooth will soothe and when clean runs through quiet jigs and reals.

[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-09-20 16:42 ]

Byll · Post by **Byll** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 2:45 pm

Lizzie: Believe it or not, I did a lot of thinking about the O'Riordan order before I decided to continue the wait. My contact with Pat has been neat, although at one point my order did get lost. I called him to modify it a bit, and he could not find it. All is now well. Pat is a legend and his whistles are in a class by themselves. I am certain I will keep mine for both musical and sentimental reasons. My Hoover low and hi D's are excellent for different reasons...I use them in concert, constantly...And yet, I am truly looking forward to the O'Riordans.
Sarah says Hi...
Best to you, Lizzie.
Byll

hillfolk22 · Post by **hillfolk22** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 6:44 pm

On 2002-09-20 16:37, LeeMarsh wrote:
quote]

Then I got the opportunity to play it out in the woods up in the Catoctin Mountain area. I leaned into the whistle and it soared. I let go of hesitation and the tunes just flowed like the spring fed stream before me. As the the mountain breezes rattled the leaves in the canapy over head, the music invaded the valley and wound it way up to the peaks.

I guess, I'm trying to suggest that before you make your decision on the Big-O, take it to a big place, with lots of room, an no fear of ease droppers. See what it will do for you.

Lean on it, and make it work, to see if its another channel for you to ...

Beautifully said Lee.

I am looking forward to getting to know my new investment. "or consuming the tator chips"

Laura

Lizzie · Post by **Lizzie** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 7:45 pm

Lee, that was lovely...a poet and a whistler. I feel just the same way about my Overton. She is robust and a bit of a tart. My O'Riordan, on the other hand is a lady..sweet and pure.

jackorion · Post by **jackorion** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 11:07 pm

No doubt about it Lee. I was just up in Kings Canyon a couple weeks ago. I left my guitar behind, and brought my 5 Overtons, and the clarinet which is all I have been playing for the last 6 months. I've never been one to play an instrument with reservations, but this time I realy laid into the Overtons. I found myself reaching for the High D most often as it was the loudest and most potent instrument I had on me. I filled the valley with chirps and slurs. The sound was bouncing back and I was discovering how to control overtones on the Overtons. I finally broke into the third register on my big hole low D. I was thinking Trombone. My six fingers were the slide and they were barley moving but the melody was all over the place. Something realy clicked this time out. I believe it's the clarinet I have been practicing. If you think an Overton has back pressure, try a clarinet. You realy have to take them outside and let it loose. On the other hand with the right control you can play them as quiet as you need. Overton and out. Jack.