Susato vs. Dixon High D

Jayhawk · Post by **Jayhawk** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 12:03 am

Now I'm thoroughly confused. To date, I've played high D whistles by Shaw (hated it), Clarke Original (rather liked that one), a Waltons Guiness LBW (I have real issues hitting high A and above on this whistle), and an Oak (too long ago to remember how I felt). Bascially, I like a mellower whistle, but I don't want a recorder type of sound, and I do want to be able to play the upper range fairly easily.

I've been considering trying a plastic/pvcish whistle, had decided to get a Susato Kildare since it scored so well on the 1999 poll, but now I've read quite a few posts saying they don't like the Susato but do like the Dixon!

OK, so what's everyone's opinion on Dixon vs. Susato? Also, why do you prefer one over the other?

Also, if I do go with Dixon, does anyone have the two piece piccolo/whistle combo that The Whistle Shop sells and is the piccolo any good? I assume the piccolo is really just a fife in D, right?

Jon C. · Post by **Jon C.** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 12:43 am

Hi,
I have a (lip numbing) Oak whistle and a Susato hight D. I always grab the Sasato!
The Susato is much, much mellower and my lip will not fall off!

Jon

[ This Message was edited by: Jon C. on 2002-10-20 02:44 ]

msheldon · Post by **msheldon** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 1:54 am

On 2002-10-20 02:03, Jayhawk wrote:
Also, if I do go with Dixon, does anyone have the two piece piccolo/whistle combo that The Whistle Shop sells and is the piccolo any good?

I've got the Dixon High-D two piece. I like it for having a very mellow tone, and being extremely consistent. It also has rather low air requirements.

As for the piccolo head, well it works, but I've got nowhere near the skill to make any kind of judgement on it.

The Susatos I've tried seemed very "piercing" in their tone. They're nice enough, but they just don't quite "do it" for me.

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 3:27 am

Correct me if I,m wrong anyone,but I think the main difference is Dixon has a flat airway and Susato a curved airway.I played a dixon low D recently that was sort of like a plastic version of an Overton.Susato is perhaps the least forgiving of the two but its tight voicing,loudness and precise tuning does have its advantages.Susato appear to have settled into a comfortable groove and with the exception of the VSB range and the angled low whistle head,no radical design changes have been made.Dixon seem to be pushing the envelope more in this respect, which people obviously like.

Mike

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 6:48 am

Dixon has a moderately tight voicing with a narrowing straight windway. The blade is very sharp, and the window is very narrow. This yields a wide-bore whistle with a mellow sound with a small to moderate amount of chiff. The second octave is easy and forgiving, and volume is moderately loud. The octaves are well balanced. This whistle's main weakness is its tendancy toward clogging problems unless warmed up properly before heavy playing.

The Susato VSB is actually qutie similar to the Dixon in tone, with its narrower windway which is curved but does not narrow. It also has a sharp blade but a wider window. The Susato has a little more focused tone and a little more volume, and a very tight voicing which also clogs easily.

The Susato SB is another beast entirely. A wider blade and wide curved windway with a slightly duller blade make for much more volume, especially on the lower end. The second register can be harder for a beginner to control but can still be sweet in the hands of a good player. Much more chiff and a much earthier tone make this in some ways the best of the three but also the hardest to play at first. It also clogs the least of the three; the VSB and the Dixon are both bad about clogging, especially when cold.

When brings me to a final point: these are whistles that should be warmed up with about ten to fifteen minutes of easy playing for them to sound their best. This is especially true of the Susato SB which can be harsh in the upper octave until warmed up.

Both the Dixon and the Susato SB are wide-bore whistles which cross-finger well. The Susato VSB is a narrow-bore whistle and doesn't cross-finger as well for chromatics.

Conclusion: the Dixon and the Susato VSB are more suited for a newer player. The Susato SB isn't really suited for a new player but in the hands of a really good player is a very fine performance-ready whistle.

Best to all,

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

[ This Message was edited by: peeplj on 2002-10-20 08:53 ]

madguy · Post by **madguy** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 7:31 am

My vote is with the Dixon!

Isilwen · Post by **Isilwen** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 7:37 am

I haven't played a Dixon, but I do rather like my Susato. I prefer it for performances because it can 'fill up' a mic rather nicely, and if you're performing out-doors, it also is a good choice b/c it has power.

livethe question · Post by **livethe question** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 9:35 am

I rather like the Dixon high D better than the Susato but that it no way is to indicate a criticism of the Susato. I just like the sound a bit better. I have not yet had the opportunity to play a Susato VSB. Of the Dixon's, I like my present whistle with the brass tuning slide.....but the person I traded by old style to for the brass tuning slide model liked the old style better. I like the balance of the Dixon and the fact that it is not as loud as the Susato.

I'm one of the lucky ones who have a very nice Walton Mellow D. Very nice whistle. Other's have complained about that model but I'm have no complaints about the particulary whistle I have.

take care

_________________
Peace

Namasté

jim

[ This Message was edited by: livethe question on 2002-10-20 11:37 ]

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 11:18 am

Jayhawk, I have both a dixon high D and a Susato high D. They are both currently on loan but if they all come back I would be happy to lend them both to you for a trial. They won't be back till sometime in December though. If you are still trying to make a decision at that time, let me know.

By the way, I prefer the dixon over the susato. The susato C and D were always too loud for me. However, I do have a susato Bb that is great.

C4 · Post by C4 » Sun Oct 20, 2002 12:47 pm

I'm by no means an expert..But a very gracious poster here let me borrow his Dixon. I was way impressed. I only own a Clarke so that's all I can compare it to.But I think it sounds great..I was having a very difficult time hitting the high notes without sounding screechy but with the Dixon and can hit them perfectly. It also seems to take alot less effort. I also thought the tone was clearer. Hope this helps

bdatki · Post by **bdatki** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 1:01 pm

Hi. I had the same question you did.

<a href>http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... 1&31</href>

I got my new Dixon Tunable D a few weeks ago, and its quite good. Too bad I haven't had much time to fool around with it.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 4:02 pm

I'd go for a Dixon every time. I own both but I find the Susato needs too much pressure to hit the high notes and I don't care for the tone. Dixons are easy to play and I like their tone, but because the window and blade are finished by hand some are better than others.
Anyway you'll probably end up with both in the end cos unless you can try before you buy you will never be sure you made the right choice.
Then your on the slippery slope to WhOA!
Cheers
Joe

Liam · Post by **Liam** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 10:28 pm

Well I don't have a Susato yet (Waiting on them from the Whistle Shop... I wasn't desperate for them so told Thom to just send my entire order once everything was in) but I do have a Dixon. I think it is a fantastic whistle, particularly considering the fact that it is not that expensive (I think less than $30 at House of Musical Traditions and less for the non-tunable version). Granted I have limited experience... but it seems easy to play, not too squeaky. I certainly think it was a better value than the little black whistle and the Clarke Sweetone I got first.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 5:57 pm

For anyone interested, here is a comparison of three whistles, first the Dixon 1-piece D, then the Susato SVB D, then the original Susato D. The reel is Handsome Sally.

http://www.flutesite.com/samples/dixonsusatocomp.mp3

All three are good whistles, but I'll leave it to the listener for the final judgement.

The file is 800k, MP3 format.

Best,

--James
http://www.flutesite.com

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 7:55 pm

My Susato VSB has been so satisfactory that I haven't been tempted to try the Dixon. As James stated, the SB is an entirely different beast. The octave transitions are harder with the SB, and it requires more air support to play in the second octave.

The Susato VSB is probably my third favorite whistle, after the Ó Briain Improved D (nickel) and the Burke Al Pro D (narrow bore).