First High End Whistle - What do you recommend?

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 4:49 pm

On 2002-11-07 16:32, Wandering_Whistler wrote:
EJ Jones of Clandestine and Joe Linbeck of the Flying Fish Sailors (less well known than Clandestine) both use Abell whistles as their primary D. As these aren't huge acts like Bergin, Madden, etc, you may or may not have heard of 'em, though both groups do a fair amount of national touring.

I actually meant people I knew, not just people I've heard of. And I forgot about one of the local kids who plays an Abell. So that's maybe 50 whistlers I know, and one person who uses a wooden D.

one-tin-soldier · Post by **one-tin-soldier** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 4:51 pm

Steve, I cannot recommend strongly enough the Burke Al Pro whisltes. I have a D and it is by far one of the best whistles I own. It has a beautiful pure tone and looks very nice too! Just remember to warm it up before playing when it is cold.

Cheryl

Wandering_Whistler · Post by **Wandering_Whistler** » Thu Nov 07, 2002 4:53 pm

On 2002-11-07 17:49, colomon wrote:

I actually meant people I knew, not just people I've heard of. And I forgot about one of the local kids who plays an Abell. So that's maybe 50 whistlers I know, and one person who uses a wooden D.

I know these folks

Larry Mallette and EJ both play at the local session here, and my was friends with EJ back in college..went to his housewarming and stuff.

nickt · Post by **nickt** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 3:40 am

Loren - point taken, and no offence either!

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 5:47 am

(quote). One of my concerns was my ability to care for a wooden instrument.

Not all that difficult!! It's a good idea to dry the instrument out after playing it, especially the head. Oiling the bore once in a while when the wood starts to look dry is also recommended. Wooden instruments of all sorts need to be protected from very high temperatures such as the interior of a closed car on a sunny day. That's basically it. To be sure, metal whistles are more carefree, but I wouldn't let the care of the whistle be your sole deciding factor. Wood is Good! (hey, that would make a good T-Shirt!)

jeffmiester · Post by **jeffmiester** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 7:09 am

It would probably be taken the wrong way. (Oh, behave!)

meir · Post by **meir** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 7:59 am

as a newbie who is planning on ordering my first high end in a few months, i had a few additional questions to this excellent thread. what do people think about the copeland high D ( i know his low D is considered superb but i am not yet a low D person)
also any opinion about thin weasles?

thanks

meir

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 8:00 am

On 2002-11-08 08:09, jeffmiester wrote:
It would probably be taken the wrong way. (Oh, behave!)

Not if it was well maintained. (tut, tut.)

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 8:19 am

On 2002-11-08 08:59, meir wrote:
also any opinion about thin weasles?

I love Glenn's whistles. In my opinion, the Water Weasel is one of the top whistle brands. I've got nine of the things, and use them a lot.

I've tried his wooden whistles as well. I didn't think the D was appreciably better than the PVC D, but Glenn's wooden C is an awe-inspiring instrument, the best soprano whistle I have ever played. The wooden low G was a beauty as well, but I haven't tried one since I got my PVC low G, so it's hard to compare.

nickt · Post by **nickt** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 8:51 am

On 2002-11-08 08:59, meir wrote:
as a newbie who is planning on ordering my first high end in a few months, i had a few additional questions to this excellent thread. what do people think about the copeland high D ( i know his low D is considered superb but i am not yet a low D person)
also any opinion about thin weasles?

thanks

meir

The fact is, Meir, virtually all high-enders are great whistles - it just comes down to personal taste in the end. Nearly everyone raves about Sindts, but I sent mine back the next day; nearly everyone raves about Roses, but a couple of posters here have sold theirs on as well (sorry Loren, mentioned them again).

Someone was suggesting a table of high end whistles with playing characteristics, sound, etc to help purchasers - did that ever happen? Would be a good idea.

jeffmiester · Post by **jeffmiester** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 9:00 am

On 2002-11-08 09:51, nickt wrote:
Someone was suggesting a table of high end whistles with playing characteristics, sound, etc to help purchasers - did that ever happen? Would be a good idea.

Oooo, I like that, but it should also have sound samples (mp3 maybe) of each whistle so you can hear for yourself. as someone who has played only generations, (my clarke and sweetone are on the way, dang music store), its hard to compare just by reading a description of the sound.

nickt · Post by **nickt** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 9:41 am

On 2002-11-08 10:00, jeffmiester wrote:
Oooo, I like that, but it should also have sound samples (mp3 maybe) of each whistle so you can hear for yourself. as someone who has played only generations, (my clarke and sweetone are on the way, dang music store), its hard to compare just by reading a description of the sound.

Yes agreed. As a starter there's already quite a few samples in clips & snips which I visited for the first time yesterday (and was impressed with Porridge's rendition of "Morrisons". He must have a lot of practice time on his hands!!)

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri Nov 08, 2002 10:17 am

As colomon said, if you're interested in a Thin Weasel, you should probably get a Water Weasel (PVC) first. At $70, and always in stock, it's a great deal, can give you some idea of Glenn's potential, and you can decide if his characteristic sound is to your liking.

There's not a whole lot of difference between the WW and TW D's, but there's something in the wooden D that's not in the PVC. I was initially disappointed with the whistle for which I shelled out $250, but someone on the list said, "give it time." I did, and now I think it's one of the best whistles out there. The PVC one just sits on the stand, and every time I pick it up I shake my head wondering how I thought the wooden one sounded just like it.

As colomon said, the TW C is simply remarkable. The bore is quite a bit bigger than that of the PVC model, and it just has this air of authority that I haven't found in any other whistle.

If you like the idea of a wooden whistle, our very own Paul Busman (brewerpaul) makes lovely wooden whistles similar to Thin Weasels, but with a cleaner sound. Also, Ted Wilson, a well-known fife maker, makes a D whistle that's the closest thing to the TW C that I've found in a D. Both of these are somewhat less than TW's or Copelands.

Also chalk me up as one who's sold both my Sindts and Rose. They're high-quality whistles, I just don't find they have much character.