Susato or WW or Dixon or what?

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:14 pm

OK, now I'm looking for an excellent, medium-priced high-D whistle that I won't have to wait very long for.

EDIT/UPDATE#3: Upon further advice and research, I'm now leaning towards a Silkstone Goldring (quieter than their regular version) PVC D. If anyone has additional information before I finalize my decision, please let me know. END OF EDIT/UPDATE#3

EDIT/UPDATE#2: Ridseard comments that no one's mentioned the Susato VSB. If you would care to comment, I would be grateful. If it sounds more like a whistle and less like a recorder and isn't as loud as the standard bore, I would be interested in knowing more about it. END OF EDIT/UPDATE#2

EDIT/UPDATE: Based on what you've told me so far, I've ruled out the Susato (too loud for my purposes, not as much character/sounds more like a recorder compared to the other two.

So now it's down to the Water Weasel or the Dixon tuneable. Can you provide any more insight into how they are different/which might be preferable? END OF UPDATE

I've searched through old posts and gotten enough information that it looks like maybe a Susato Kildare, Water Weasel or tunable Dixon might be the ticket. I would like to have some way of understanding the differences among the three, and also if there are any other whistles I should consider.

Answers to any or all of these would be most appreciated:

Loudness
Consistancy across registers
In-tuneness
What does it sound like? Is it a "pure" or "complex" sound, chiffy, breathy, etc.?
Air requirements
Subjective judgement (how do you like one compared to the others)
Anything else?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. If I could get all the qualities I would hope for in one whistle, I would be looking for a very in-tune (especially important to me), consistent across registers, non-breathy, moderate or low air requirement, non-chiffy, not too loud whistle.

_________________
"This (manifest world) is full, and that (unmanifest source from whence it springs) is also full. Fullness comes out of fullness. Taking fullness from fullness, all that remains is fullness."

[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-01-15 17:03 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-01-15 17:43 ]

[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-01-15 23:37 ]

Bartleby · Post by **Bartleby** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:51 pm

Jerry;
I'll only comment on the Susato 'cause, unfortunately, I haven't played the WW or the Dixon. I have the Susato D/C/Bb set and I really like it. Some of the observations are mine and some of read off this board:

Loudness: I think this is the Susato's strong point. I think it really cuts through in a session. A lot of whistles can keep up with the volume of fiddles and accordions but the Susato pretty much can.
Consistancy across registers: very good.
In-tuneness: ditto.
What does it sound like? Is it a "pure" or "complex" sound, chiffy, breathy, etc.? It's neither breathy or chiffy. This is probably the Susato's weak point. Some folks, including me, think it lacks chiff and sounds too much like a recorder. The fact that the body and fipple are plastic probably have a bearing on this.
Air requirements: moderate, doesn't take much in the lower register- just a little more in the higher register.
Anything else? I think in spite of it's negatives, the big reason a lot session players choose the Susato is it's volume at relatively low breath requirements.

[ This Message was edited by: Bartleby on 2003-01-15 15:54 ]

Blackbeer · Post by **Blackbeer** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 3:07 pm

Hey Jerry; in your PS you have discribed the Water Weasel to a tee. It fills all your requirements. I haven`t played any of your other choices but my weasel is fantastic!

In My Humble Opinion :roll:

Tom

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 3:57 pm

Afflicted with WhOA, I recently bought all three. Playing them, I find I like my Dixon and WW over the Susato...they just seem to have more character (and make me sound a lot better than I really am). You can get more emotion out of their sound. The Susato is loud and that may be a consideration if you live with others. My wife is yelling for me to quiet down from the other end of the house when I play it. Between the WW or Dixon, the WW is a bit more chiffier. Both sound great. Let cost be your guide between those two. Or do like I did...get all three!

markv · Post by **markv** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 3:58 pm

I'll second Tom's opinion. Your ideal whistle description fits a weasel well. I have all three but my Dixon is a fairly old one with a diferent design than he is using now. The tone of the Weasel (at least on mine) is different than any of my other whistles but I'm not sure how to descibe it. Kinda reedy but not in a bad way.

Mark V.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:01 pm

That's extremely helpful, folks.

Based on what you've told me so far, I've ruled out the Susato (too loud for my purposes, not as much character/sounds more like a recorder compared to the other two.

So now it's down to the Water Weasel or the Dixon tuneable. Can you provide any more insight into how they are different/which might be preferable?

Thanks again,
Jerry

Bert · Post by **Bert** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:07 pm

Jerry--

My WW has a slightly more breathier tone than the Dixon, but not much. Volume is about the same, though I think I can get a little more out of the WW. I would really find it hard to choose between the two. However, I'm able to order several new Dixons for the price of another WW. Which I just did.

chas · Post by **chas** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:15 pm

I agree that, if you want something without too much volume, the Susato's out.

Water Weasels, being handmade, do vary some (I suspect Dixons do, too). They're generally pretty sweet sounding, and vary from very pure to a little chiffy. I haven't played many Dixons, but I've never found one with much chiff at all. WW's are more even across the octaves. I would say that in the upper octave, Dixons and WW's are of comparable volume, but in the lowest three notes of the first octave, Dixons are extremely quiet, whereas the WW's still carry pretty well.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:28 pm

I believe I read somewhere that Dixons have a wood fipple. True?

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:36 pm

Nobody has mentioned the Susato VSB.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:44 pm

Ridseard comments that no one's mentioned the Susato VSB. If you would care to comment, I would be grateful. If it sounds more like a whistle and less like a recorder and isn't as loud as the standard bore, I would be interested in knowing more about it.

Ridseard · Post by **Ridseard** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 5:22 pm

The VSB is quieter than the standard Susato. Intonation is excellent. It has no breathiness or chiff. The response is very similar to a Burke. The tone is hard to describe. Not recorder-like, but slightly reedy. There's a sound clip at http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/jigs.html
It's Donnybrook Fair, the fifth tune from the top. Oh the same page there's a comparison of the regular Susato and the VSB by Gary Humphrey, also playing Donnybrook Fair, but much better than I.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 10:34 pm

I sent an email question about Dixons to hwebbjr, which he answered (his Dixons have plastic fipple plugs, not wood).

He also asked if I'd considered Silkstones. So I read the reviews and listened to a couple of clips. I believe a Silkstone Goldring (quieter than their regular version) PVC D whistle is exactly what I'm looking for. If anyone has other information I need before I finalize my decision, please speak now or forever ... .

I played clips of all the various candidates for my wife, and she likes the Silkstone, too. But the one she really wants me to get is Jessie's Abell.

Thanks, all for your kind assistance.

Best wishes,
Jerry

elliott · Post by **elliott** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 11:59 pm

Sure. Save yourself a lot of money and get a Dixon. The non-tunable Dixon. $16 and better than it has any right to be. Sweet across both octaves, easy to blow across both octaves, and spot-on in tune. Not loud, either. I'd almost call it shy. And, since I've got the non-tunable, they have to tune to ME at sessions. Ha!

Don't get me wrong - the Water Weasel and the Silkstone are both wonderful. I have one of each. The WW is rather YIN and the SS is rather YANG. But my Dixon is just as good and right down the center.

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Thu Jan 16, 2003 6:45 am

You can't go wrong with a Dixon.