Kerry pro and Overton

[vijayagaruda]

Hi, have a nice day which ever you play but I prefer the Kerry Pro. In short there are in my view definite differances in sound, build and ease of use that have brought me to this conclusion.
I have both and am glad I have both so whichever you get enjoy it.

[vijayagaruda]

I read that Dale requests we be abit more specific about whistle preferances and give reasons.
I have several Low D's.
A Chieftain V3 which is a good value well made mellow LowD. Not at all hard to get it to co-operate. Has an amazing feeling to it and a flexible timbre that is very enjoyable to explore, I love it.
A Burke Viper Aluminium Pro, it has a big sound, even more variable timbre, like really impressively so, sports a C Thumbhole for a very in tune Cnatural, great for rolls on C and cuts, stikes n stuff you can't normaly do. It's a power whistle. Abit more difficult to play, you will have to train harder to keep the upper octave securely under control,
it is abit tricky until you've put in a good few hours or I find that anyway so I guess others will too. It is very light. Not a bad price and of course I love it. Brilliant bit of kit.
A Kerry Pro, this Low D has no significant tuning problems. It was again reasonably priced. It does not seem at all difficult to play but it might be for a complete beginner. It has a pinned block which makes it robust. The tuning slide has a collar or collett like the V3. This gives it weight. It is made of very good quality tubing with no internal grooves, perfectly smooth. The blade is quite deep. The tone is smoothe and clear and the notes are well defined with a slight edge which makes for very good quality recordings. Very helpful to the musician striving to get every note clear. It is beautifully engineered and finished. It has a full volume. Cork joint should not be tampered with or disassembled. Keep it dry. I always clean whistles whole with alcohol swabs. It takes very little agent to clean them and is less bother and better for the whistle than water as it quickly evaporates. I love this whistle.
A Goldie in D. This Overton design whistle was significantly more expensive than the rest. It has no significant tuning problems. It has a slightly coarser tone, the Overton timbre features a slight rasping quality. The dynamic range is abit limited. (Reviols have greater dynamic range but the lowest I have is an E.) However it has as much volume as the Kerry. The windway is narrow and the blade shallow. You have to keep clearing the windway and always warm it up well. It is more liable to clogging than any of the others. The tone is noticeably prone to deteriorate. This is not a problem with the good old wide curved windway models. The tuning slide is recessed and the whistle light. The internal surface is grooved, perhaps coarsening the tone slightly. It is a wellmade and finished whistle but I would not recommend to a beginner as it is temperamental and requires quite alot of practise to get it's full co-operation so you can rely on it. PTFE joint, again don't disturb it. If you do it is if anything more likely to give you problems of coming apart or shifting about. I love it, it's a historic classic.
Kerry Songbird, this is a fantastic Low D whistle. I adore it. It has a smooth creamy flutey seductive timbre. It's perfect for those mysterious haunting slow airs and having smallhands that's what I have Low D's for. If I try to play quick my fybromyalgia kicks off in no time. Ouch. It was very very cheap as I bought it special offer at the end of the run. These great whistles are no longer made. I really recommend you get one from Hobgoblin. Hardly any stock left. They were never expensive. Same as a V3 but with a special colletted head similiar to an Alba's but all metal. Very well made soft Low D. It's more muted than the others.
The stretch is pretty similiar on all of them and you should have no problems with one and not another. Burke bottom hole swivels to help small hands reach.
I hope this is detailed enough. I prefer the Kerry Pro to the Goldie but at the moment the Burke and Songbird
I like just as much or more than the Kerry Pro. This could change, I haven't had it long. Not sure if I prefer the Goldie or the V3. Time will tell or it could be equal. You will have your own favourites according to taste and repertoire.

[Chris The Wakes]

I've been thinking of how to reply to the initial post because I have both
whistles, and its not an easy thing to quantify.
Both whistles IMO play in tune so I don't have issues there,
and I'm not going to try and discribe how each of them sound but
my Overton to me sounds like an Overton, the Kerry Pro is just very different, IMO.
I know that last statment doesn't help much but is the best I can do.
When I bought the Overton I tryed a few different whistles in the shop
and at the time I thought WOW this is the one for me.
Then about 3 months ago I got the chance of a Kerry Pro D and the person
selling said it sounded good so I thought why not and took the chance.
You'll all notice I'm now selling my Overton, this is only because I just
prefer the sound of the Kerry Pro, I feel more confortable with its ways.
@ usfendersdlx. If you can 'try before you buy' do it, but most of the time
you just have to take a chance and you get lucky and you find the right whistle.
Sometimes you think you've got the right one and then fall out of love with it,
such is life.
I don't know if this will help but at least its 'on topic'

Nick

Nicks Kerry pro is really nice. Great tone and playablity.

[emmline]

I prefer soapstone countertops over granite. They're both great, but soapstone has an earthy, natural look and feel.

Oh, but it scratches like the dickens.

Overton = Bernard made, non-tunable Low-D with an amazing voice - but too challenging (in reach and playability) for this novice.

Very true. I also have one, and you've described the challenge aptly. Lovely, rich thing it is, but I usually just go for something easier.

[vijayagaruda]

I've just escaped from the Zoo. Seen any sheep? I thought Tony sounded rather good on the Ormiston. Never mind Overton.

[usfenderfsdlx]

I've heard Goldies sound as smooth and smoother than K-Pros. Depends on the player and the whistle, since the Goldies are totally customizable. And to be fair, K-Pros do sound amazing to my ears too. They are both great. Recently I was bidding on a K-Pro low D on ebay. I lost the auction and went to Colin and Brigitte to work out an order for one of their low whistles. That's just to say that both whistles are great, and I was willing to get either.

And yes, soapstone scratches, but you can buff the scratches out! Granite is certainly nice too. They are both great. Granite is probably easier to care for. But soapstone, come on! Anyway, that's to say they are both beautiful, and I would gladly accept either one in my kitchen, but it comes down to preference. Hmm.

Cool cat too, emmline. What kind is that?

[vijayagaruda]

Smoother? Is it possible? I do have only limited experiance of Goldies and Kerry Pro's but smoother? More mellow? I am surprised. Was it a recording? Maybe the switch doctor did it. Anodising does smooth the tone. Only one of mine is and it's smoother. It's also so tight with unwanted back pressure that I wouldn't dare play it live for more than one tune because of the danger of fogged notes as it clogs. You have to clean it incessantly. It's a high C narrow bore and was very expensive. I decided to keep it because it has a good sound for recording if you can be bothered to blow it firmly enough but could cause a nervous breakdown on stage. I have said afew rude things to it. I have a very happy with it Goldie in A, my G is quite good but abit of a flibberty gibbet. Fairly pleased to have it you understand. Shouldn't moan. Quality control wise Burkes get my vote. Steady sort of chap. Very reliable. However do get the thumbhole. Very worth getting. Opens up afew tricks to you and especially if you buy an Ab. Essential. GET YOUR BURKE WITH THUMBHOLE.
Trust me it's worth the practise to get used to it. Rolls on C that really are rolls. Extra taps as well. Brilliant. I hope every one knows that. I'm not quite sure why he doesn't do them as standard and then without as an option. It helps the Cnatural be well in tune too. Unique in that respect.

[jim stone]

Also you can do slides on the thumbhole.

[vijayagaruda]

Mmm mmmm. Very prompt supply too. No waiting list. I don't know how he does it given that he holds down a job as well. How very fortunate we are.

[WyoBadger]

Cool cat too, emmline. What kind is that?

I'll bet Em gets asked that question an ocelot.

Get it? Sounds like awful lot...oh, nevermind.

[shatfield]

Sort of related............I see that a lot of folks seem to say that the Overton or Goldie/Overton or Goldie are hard to play for a beginner.........on the other hand I hear that most everyone says Goldie can make one any way you want it................

is there anyone that has experience with a Goldie that has been tweaked by Colin to make it easier to play??

I this should be in a thread of it's own let me know.....

Steve

[Bloomfield]

I read that Dale requests we be abit more specific about whistle preferances and give reasons.
I have several Low D's.
A Chieftain V3 which is a good value well made mellow LowD. Not at all hard to get it to co-operate. Has an amazing feeling to it and a flexible timbre that is very enjoyable to explore, I love it.
A Burke Viper Aluminium Pro, it has a big sound, even more variable timbre, like really impressively so, sports a C Thumbhole for a very in tune Cnatural, great for rolls on C and cuts, stikes n stuff you can't normaly do. It's a power whistle. Abit more difficult to play, you will have to train harder to keep the upper octave securely under control,
it is abit tricky until you've put in a good few hours or I find that anyway so I guess others will too. It is very light. Not a bad price and of course I love it. Brilliant bit of kit.
A Kerry Pro, this Low D has no significant tuning problems. It was again reasonably priced. It does not seem at all difficult to play but it might be for a complete beginner. It has a pinned block which makes it robust. The tuning slide has a collar or collett like the V3. This gives it weight. It is made of very good quality tubing with no internal grooves, perfectly smooth. The blade is quite deep. The tone is smoothe and clear and the notes are well defined with a slight edge which makes for very good quality recordings. Very helpful to the musician striving to get every note clear. It is beautifully engineered and finished. It has a full volume. Cork joint should not be tampered with or disassembled. Keep it dry. I always clean whistles whole with alcohol swabs. It takes very little agent to clean them and is less bother and better for the whistle than water as it quickly evaporates. I love this whistle.
A Goldie in D. This Overton design whistle was significantly more expensive than the rest. It has no significant tuning problems. It has a slightly coarser tone, the Overton timbre features a slight rasping quality. The dynamic range is abit limited. (Reviols have greater dynamic range but the lowest I have is an E.) However it has as much volume as the Kerry. The windway is narrow and the blade shallow. You have to keep clearing the windway and always warm it up well. It is more liable to clogging than any of the others. The tone is noticeably prone to deteriorate. This is not a problem with the good old wide curved windway models. The tuning slide is recessed and the whistle light. The internal surface is grooved, perhaps coarsening the tone slightly. It is a wellmade and finished whistle but I would not recommend to a beginner as it is temperamental and requires quite alot of practise to get it's full co-operation so you can rely on it. PTFE joint, again don't disturb it. If you do it is if anything more likely to give you problems of coming apart or shifting about. I love it, it's a historic classic.
Kerry Songbird, this is a fantastic Low D whistle. I adore it. It has a smooth creamy flutey seductive timbre. It's perfect for those mysterious haunting slow airs and having smallhands that's what I have Low D's for. If I try to play quick my fybromyalgia kicks off in no time. Ouch. It was very very cheap as I bought it special offer at the end of the run. These great whistles are no longer made. I really recommend you get one from Hobgoblin. Hardly any stock left. They were never expensive. Same as a V3 but with a special colletted head similiar to an Alba's but all metal. Very well made soft Low D. It's more muted than the others.
The stretch is pretty similiar on all of them and you should have no problems with one and not another. Burke bottom hole swivels to help small hands reach.
I hope this is detailed enough. I prefer the Kerry Pro to the Goldie but at the moment the Burke and Songbird
I like just as much or more than the Kerry Pro. This could change, I haven't had it long. Not sure if I prefer the Goldie or the V3. Time will tell or it could be equal. You will have your own favourites according to taste and repertoire.

Vijaya was kind enough to post links to some of his playing, so that people can listen to his clips and give his views about whistles the weight they deserve.

[usfenderfsdlx]

Shatfield: He custom makes them, many members on this board have custom Goldies.

Good pun Badger. Haha. Well, still. Cool cat. I want one. I hope they are legal to domesticate.

[vijayagaruda]

Make sure you are 100% cirtain Colin knows what you want by talking over the phone to him because I asked for low back pressure on a whistle and got that very tight high back pressure one. If you want to hear it it's The Girl in the Polka Dot Bakini and start of Lament for Michael Collins. See if you can pick out the notes where it is sounding like fogging up. There are some. Great tone most of time but like walking a tight rope you really have to keep pushing the air through it. Seems like his Mrs didn't quite get the custom request info across to him or he forgot it but I didn't want the bother of returning it. It was a hell of a rigmorole for them doing the anodising and I think that's one reason it's so tight. It's important we can compare whistles and experiances of shopping for them. The feed back is good for makers so they know how they are doing across the board. It's a free market! It's the only one in that key and colour too.

[dfernandez77]

Well, there are not a lot experienced whistle players that are of fans (that I know) of low backpressure. It limits expression. It gives a breathy voice instead of the proper bite of good chiff.

And Chieftains and Kerry's - at least any that I've played - are like blowing down the Brooklyn Tunnel compared to even an easy breathing Goldie/Overton. Well, a bit of an exaggeration I suppose. But they are two opposites on the easy breathing scale.

Now I didn't say there are no experienced whistle players that like low back pressure whistles - It's just that I don't know any off-hand.

Different strokes for different folks.

Oh, and the anodizing will not have an effect on the tightness of the windway. Typically anodizing is about 1 mil (1 thousandth of an inch or 25 micrometers) thick.