Best D under $100

[MTGuru]

FWIW, I had a perfectly serviceable bouzouki from Lark in the Morning but it wasn't until I got a Sobell mandola that my musicality, and enjoyment, improved by leaps and bounds.

Apples and oranges, though. Whistles and whistle quality simply don't work that way, in a world where the very best players often choose and prefer the $10 instrument. But you probably know that.

By all means, pick a whistle that pleases you, regardless of price. But "best" will depend on your tastes, and how you intend to play it (better than basic for ... what?).

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, my default recommendation is often the Dixon Trad D. And I've been playing the Freeman Mellow Dog D quite a bit lately.

[jkrazy52]

By all means, pick a whistle that pleases you, regardless of price. But "best" will depend on your tastes, and how you intend to play it (better than basic for ... what?).

That's the problem ... so many good whistles under $100, but it is really personal preferences that picks the winner. A great list so far ... I'd like to add a Hoover whitetop, or any Mack Hoover whistle, for consideration.

[Bothrops]

Until my niece lost it, it was my Susato VSB. Now it's probably my EveryWhistle.

[Whistler from Oz]

The Dixon
DXTRAD - brass whistle costs about 15 Pounds which is surely under your $100.

I've owned one and played it regularly over 3 years now and it provides a great sound for the price.
I also have a Jerry Freeman's tweaked Blackbird, which I find can squeak a bit on certain notes, although produces a great overall sound

Of all the whistles in my collection under $100, I'd say the Dixon DXTRAD produces the best and most clean / reliable sound, which is even across both octaves. I've also seen an improved version of this whistle has recently come out (DX203 - Tuneable Soprano D Whistle) - it is a little more expensive than the original DXTRAD, but may be worth it. (The aluminium version is cheaper than the brass)

Link to the Dixon web-site which shows these whistles http://www.tonydixonmusic.co.uk/catalog ... nshop.html

Videos that might help:

Dixon DXTrad - Brass http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v6jkji8vfM
Freeman Blackbird http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5KxVVg6 ... re=related

My advice is to listen to a lot of whistles and find a sound you like, read as much as you can, however I find that there's no substitute in getting to know a whistle, for playing the whistle regularly over a period of time.

Good luck!

[sgriob]

Terrific advice all round, thanks. No doubt I'll end up with three or four brands, because this is like on-line dating (I imagine). You don't know for sure until lips meet mouthpiece.

[ubizmo]

I mentioned the Impempe above, which cost me $76 US or so, shipped. But I agree with the comments about the Mellow Dog and Dixon Trad. Concerning the Dixon Trad (not the new improved model, which I don't own), I find it to be the easiest to play in the 2nd octave, of all the high D whistles I own (which isn't a huge number, but includes a few that are closer to the $100 mark). The low D on the Dixon Trad sounds a bit coarse, to my ear, but might not bother you at all. I own two other Dixon whistles, a low G and low D, and I'm very satisfied with all of them.

Others have mentioned the Parks Every Whistle. I'll mention the Parks Ghost whistle. It's well under $100, and it plays very nicely and has a strong, full sound.

Ubizmo

[sgriob]

What she said.

But seriously, and to continue with the citrus theme, some individual whistles are lemons. IMO it's better for a beginner to pay a little bit extra rather than risk having to struggle with a dud.

[Pangur Ban]

I'm a newbie, so hope ya don't mind me butting in!

I've been learning to play on a Faedog for about a year now and enjoy playing it very much. I think I'm ready for my next whistle now!

Knowing nothing much about whistles or what makes a good whistle or how one whistle might differ from another, it's a bit of a minefield, but this thread is proving very useful, so thanks!

My main problem with my Faedog is that the natural c sounds really bad, is it just I'm playing it bad you think? I only realised I had an issue with natural c when i started learning to play Wild Rover! Are there any particular whistles that play natural c especially well?

[straycat82]

Can you be more specific about why it sounds "bad"? Is it out of tune, lacking in intonation, etc? Also, are you using the oxx ooo cross-fingering (or a similar modification) or half-holing?

You shouldn't be having an issue with the Feadogs. Their tuning is pretty well in my experience and I've not noticed any issues with Cnat that are characteristic of that make. It is possible that you are overblowing the note. Most whistles require gentle treatment of the Cnat and it will behave well at slightly less pressure than the surrounding A and D. When playing slowly you'll notice it more than when playing a quick passage.

One Cnat cross-fingering I've noticed works well on that whistle for me is oxx xox.

Experiment with different fingerings and play them in front of a tuner if you have one - that will help to give you an idea of whether you're over-blowing the note or not.

[sgriob]

Got to listen carefully for the C natural. It's a nuanced thing. I'm guilty of sliding through it for some tunes. God didn't grant us an easy natural here, and there's probably a reason for that.

BTW, I'm a newbie too, but an old opinionated one, so anything I say will likely be challenged.

[dspmusik]

So i think the lesson is:
buy as many whistles as you can (supporting the WHOA foundation, as it were), and sell the ones you don't like on this forum (WHOA is contagious by the way...), then use that money to buy more whistles! Rinse and repeat.

[riverman]

Original wooden fipple Clarke, without a doubt. There are sometimes flawed inexpensive whistles, but the majority are perfectly serviceable. Most of what makes a whistle good is the player, not the whistle. Too many people go chasing perfection by buying whistles, instead of practicing and playing whistles.

I think the Clarke original is vastly underappreciated. With the famous "thumb tweak" the air requirement is not that much different, and it has that flutey, airy sound that I miss on more "air-efficient" whistles.

[Feadoggie]

I think the Clarke original is vastly underappreciated.

Interesting observation! I don't know if that is true or not. How the Clarke is perceived may have changed over time. When I was coming into music, the Clarke was about the only whistle you could buy and it was only available in "C" as I recall. The Clarke is an enduring standard for the "tinwhistle". Many other whistles have come along in the last 170 years or so and a good number have disappeared. The Clarke is still here and pretty much the same whistle as Robert Clarke first offered. There are a lot of decent whistle in the market now under $100, more than ever I suspect. Still the Clarke goes on. For many, it's all you need, really! It's one whistle which is most available to more whistlers world wide. It's a great instrument on which to get started in music (with the thumb squash). It's an iconic whistle. I wonder just how many have been made over time.

Feadoggie

[fancypiper]

It is a difficult choice for me which I like better, the Clarke original or the Every whistle. I have several of the Clarkes, both plain and black in C and D so I can have one in the pickup, one within reach and one in my backpack. I don't think you can get a better bang for the buck than with the Clarke original design.

The Every whistle ($55) is tunable with a built in volume control! It's the only whistle that I know of that can go from really breathy to session loud. I want to get one in C, but I need a few more spare bucks...

[Mr.Nate]

I'll add another plug for Mack Hoover!

http://www.mackhooverwhistles.com/order_whistles.html

Still only 30$ if you supply your own tube. I use mine with a Feadog tube.

Smooth and sweet with just enough volume to play at a small session.

Get one before Mack decides to retire!