Advice on intermediate whistles
- LoLo
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O'Brien copper is well nice, lovely, interesting tonal character. I haven't tried any of David's other whistles.
Also to consider is the Dixon trad. Not sure whether this is classed as a cheapy or an intermediate, or maybe it's an intermediate-cheapie or a cheapie-intermediate being sort of on the boundary betwix the two?
I'd also put the Burke as an intermediate. My DASBT is a lovely, easy playing, beautiful sounding whistle that is really not that expensive - some whistles are more than twice the price.
I met a woman a couple of months ago who played a Susato high D. It certainly did not sound like a recorder in her hands. A well nice sounding whistle. Have to admit that i can't make the damn things do anything nice sounding - but i haven't really given them more than a few minutes of my time.
Also to consider is the Dixon trad. Not sure whether this is classed as a cheapy or an intermediate, or maybe it's an intermediate-cheapie or a cheapie-intermediate being sort of on the boundary betwix the two?
I'd also put the Burke as an intermediate. My DASBT is a lovely, easy playing, beautiful sounding whistle that is really not that expensive - some whistles are more than twice the price.
I met a woman a couple of months ago who played a Susato high D. It certainly did not sound like a recorder in her hands. A well nice sounding whistle. Have to admit that i can't make the damn things do anything nice sounding - but i haven't really given them more than a few minutes of my time.
- Key_of_D
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Eh, I'm quite certain Susato's "sound like recoders" simply because of their construction, not because "you haven't learned to control them yet." Although I do agree there are some aspects of playing a Susato that one needs to learn in order to really bring out the Susato's capabilities, (I think this goes with any whistle personally) however a Susato is still going to sound like a Susato, the rest is up to the player. Any alterations to the whistle is beyond this scope.
As for intermediate priced whistles, Susatos (oh dear) and Syn's come to mind. Susato's given their tone, are yes, great whistles for the money, but also a bit loud, unless that's what you're going for. Syn's are great whistles with quite a unique tone to their own, and they have a bit of backpressure as well if you don't mind that. But as someone mentioned Burkes which now start at 170 US dollars brand new, I guess intermediately priced all depends on your wallet size...
As for intermediate priced whistles, Susatos (oh dear) and Syn's come to mind. Susato's given their tone, are yes, great whistles for the money, but also a bit loud, unless that's what you're going for. Syn's are great whistles with quite a unique tone to their own, and they have a bit of backpressure as well if you don't mind that. But as someone mentioned Burkes which now start at 170 US dollars brand new, I guess intermediately priced all depends on your wallet size...
- crookedtune
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It takes hundreds of hours to learn to play a whistle well. If you like the sound of more expensive whistles (not all do), then $100-200 is not a lot to pay, given your time investment. (Especially since these whistles retain most of their value indefinitely).
My top picks would be Burkes at the high-intermediate range, and Mellow-Dogs at the low-intermediate range. There are many that I've never played, though.
My top picks would be Burkes at the high-intermediate range, and Mellow-Dogs at the low-intermediate range. There are many that I've never played, though.
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- Anita's Dad
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Susato's
At the suggestion of Kevin Crawford, we got the kids a set of Susato's, while we wait for Anita's Sindt to arrive. The price for the set was GREAT and we are VERY happy with them. Even once her Sindt arrives, she will still have a very good set of other keys WITHOUT bankrupting me.
From Kevin:
http://www.lunasa.ie/bb/viewtopic.php?t=509
From Kevin:
The entire thread is pretty informative.I would suggest a susato 'D'.
This is what I use at the gigs as I find it very consistent tuning wise. Although the tone is not the best in world it is very balanced and extremly responsive. Ever since my Grinter 'D' got stolen with some other stuff in New Zealand I am reluctant to bring my Sindt on the road.
I have a 'D' and 'C' susato in fact I recorded Island Paddy from "Kinnitty Sessions" on my 'C' susato.
http://www.lunasa.ie/bb/viewtopic.php?t=509
- Key_of_D
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Or you can spend 10 dollars on a Generation or Feadog (perfectly fine instruments as well as tunable) and save the hundreds of dollars on say, uilleann pipes, flute, concertina, whatever your fancy. =) Just my honest thoughts on the matter. This isn't to say that Burkes, Sindts, Copelands, aren't fine instruments, I'm just saying I'm completely happy with a whistle that cost me the price of lunch for two at McDonald's. Something to thinnnnk abouttttt.
- houstonwhistler
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- cavefish
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breakdown and get a copeland ----------really though freeman tweekers should be great , especially the time taken in his tweeking should rock , i have Gen Bb and put beeswax in the MP (little time tweek)and it sounds great, so i would imagine freemans tweek should put little doubt in the Gen playing world----------i also heard he gives his first tweek for FREE
- scheky
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You really have missed the boat entirely here. I'm quite certain that you are absolutely wrong. It's been proven, not posited, but proven that all it takes is control and a Susato loses it's "recorder" quality.Key_of_D wrote:Eh, I'm quite certain Susato's "sound like recoders" simply because of their construction, not because "you haven't learned to control them yet." Although I do agree there are some aspects of playing a Susato that one needs to learn in order to really bring out the Susato's capabilities, (I think this goes with any whistle personally) however a Susato is still going to sound like a Susato, the rest is up to the player. Any alterations to the whistle is beyond this scope.
...
- Key_of_D
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Nah, no point entirely missed, I'm quite certain of that my friend. A Susato is still going to sound like a Susato. No matter how much control you may have on the whistle, it isn't going to sound like a Generation, Feadog, Sindt, Chieftain or Copeland (for a few examples), but a Susato yes it will sound like. It's not going to play exactly like any of those whistles either simply because of it's own construction. Just to be clear, I'm talking about a stock Susato. Now however wrong you may think I am, there's no call for pointing fingers at me in such a manner of yours. But feel free to take this up with me in PM so as to preserve the author's thread from being locked due to our disagreements, when he/she did nothing to have it locked.
- PhilO
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Definitely what Jason said! Or for that matter listen to any really good player on a Gen, etc...Flogging Jason wrote:You need to go here: http://www.kerrywhistles.com/dl.php?group=19 and find the clip of Kevin Crawford of Lunasa playing a Susato.jemtheflute wrote:I can't offer any specific positive advice on mid-price whistles due to lack of experience of them, but I can say, with feeling, DON'T go Susato!!!!! - At least, not if you want to sound like a whistle player.
Susatos, for their price, are extremely good little musical instruments - robust, well in tune, responsive, loud..... all the positives - except!!!! - they don't sound like whistles. They sound much more, though not precisely, like recorders. There. I've said it again. The R word..... It's such a pity really. If Susato would just alter the tone quality, they'd totally corner the market! We just wouldn't need all those lovely high-end wooden etc. whistles!
Philo
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- jemtheflute
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I just took a look at that (very impressive - predictably) Kevin Crawford clip (thanks, Anita'sDad/Flogging Jason!) and I agree it shows the Susato to advantage . Please note that I said more positive things about Susatos than negative in my original post on this thread - and I think KC's track illustrates those points admirably. However, I stick by my opinion that generally (i.e. in the hands of most of us who are NOT KC) Susatos sound recorder-ish. Not exactly like, but -ish, rather than like most whistles. I note that the KC track has a very amplification-distorted sound (why-oh-why do most sound-men see a flute or a whistle and turn up the reverb????? Yuck!), so whilst it does sound nice, it isn't a fair representation of the instrument's natural sound!
I don't share Cavefish's dislike of irksome plastic - I don't much mind what flutes or whistles are made from so long as I like the sound they make. I love my boxwood Jon Swayne High D, (which sounds like a whistle, just fuller and rounder and sweeter and stronger than the basic ones like Generation) - but I also have an old Generation that was my main whistle for some 20 years and which I still use for certain specific things. I certainly agree with the posts supporting the adequacy of such (provided you get hold of a good one and avoid the duff ones!).
I don't share Cavefish's dislike of irksome plastic - I don't much mind what flutes or whistles are made from so long as I like the sound they make. I love my boxwood Jon Swayne High D, (which sounds like a whistle, just fuller and rounder and sweeter and stronger than the basic ones like Generation) - but I also have an old Generation that was my main whistle for some 20 years and which I still use for certain specific things. I certainly agree with the posts supporting the adequacy of such (provided you get hold of a good one and avoid the duff ones!).
Last edited by jemtheflute on Thu Jul 12, 2007 2:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
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