Who makes good C and Eb whistles?

[BrassBlower]

If you're thinking WAAAAY under $100:

C - Oak
Eb - Gen

[Blayne Chastain]

I can't vouch for the whistle, but I think you can find one at www.whistleanddrum.com

It's an online store only, I believe, and the person who runs it sometimes posts here.

All the Best, Tom

I'm editing this only to avoid possible confusion. My comment above, where I say, "I can't vouch for the whistle"- this only means that I have never seen nor heard one, not that I don't like it.

Sorry if I was being obscure.

All the Best, Tom

Hey Tom, Thanks for the plug... Just to clarify - We are primarily an online store but we also arrange visits by appointment for those who are in the area. We now have a lovely display room in our 3000 square foot turn of the century (1906 to be exact) arts & crafts bungalow home dedicated for visitors to the Northern Colorado area. Greeley isn't exactly the "hot bed" of Irish Music Happenings (we're working on it!), so we haven't seen a need to open a full time storefront just yet. There has been talk of when we finally get an Irish pub in town, sharing floorspace... Anyway, just thought my fellow Chiff & Fipplers might want to know the scoop! Some day we'll get around to taking pictures of it...

[DCrom]

If you're thinking WAAAAY under $100:

C - Oak
Eb - Gen

I'd agree with BrassBlower on this. Though I'd love to try (and probably will, sooner or later) most of the high-zoot alternatives, I'm amazed at the quality of both the Generation Eb (mine's nickel) and the Oak C.

My Eb is the only Generation whistle I own that I haven't tweeked (beyond trimming off a bit of flash), and is my favorite out of all the Generations that I own.

If you like the tone (on the breathy side), the Oak C is a very nice whistle indeed, and (IMHO) a bargain at the price. Oddly, it has a much different tone (and is much more forgiving) than the Oak D. It's become one of my favorites.

Though if you haven't tried a Walton's C, you should - I may have had unusually good luck with mine (I've seen pretty mixed reviews) but it's been a very nice whistle for the money.

[glauber]

I'm tending towards the O'Brian Eb because it seems to be basically a Generation/Feadog hybrid. So, hopefully it has the Generation Eb tone without the risk factor.

And probably the Oak C. I almost went for a Susato, but somehow i'm still not in love with the tone of the Susatos i've heard.

I gave away my Oak D, but it was a nice whistle. I've never seen an Oak C.

I had a Walton's C and gave it away too. It was a nice whistle, but IMHO still not as good as the Clarke original and a tad less than the Sweetone (the 2 Cs i kept).

Since the whistle and drum shop mentioned above carries both the O'Brian and the Oak, i'll probably buy both in one transaction and save a little on the shipping. That's the current plan, anyway.

g

[Ridseard]

I'm tending towards the O'Brian Eb because it seems to be basically a Generation/Feadog hybrid. So, hopefully it has the Generation Eb tone without the risk factor.

My O'Briain Eb has the same bright, open tone as a Generation. Moreover, the holes in the Gen tube are rebored to improve the intonation.

[Blayne Chastain]

You should probably also see if Thom at The Whistle Shop (www.thewhistleshop.com) will tweak you a Clarke C. His Tweaked Clarke Ds are really nice.

Also agree that the Susato C is a great whistle I've played it in concert before with a full band backing me and it just sounded killer. The tone is totally different than a Clarke obviously... You definitely can't go wrong with the O'Briain Eb... I'm trying to get them to make some Cs.

[TomB]

[Hey Tom, Thanks for the plug... Just to clarify - We are primarily an online store but we also arrange visits by appointment for those who are in the area. We now have a lovely display room in our 3000 square foot turn of the century (1906 to be exact) arts & crafts bungalow home dedicated for visitors to the Northern Colorado area. Greeley isn't exactly the "hot bed" of Irish Music Happenings (we're working on it!), so we haven't seen a need to open a full time storefront just yet. There has been talk of when we finally get an Irish pub in town, sharing floorspace... Anyway, just thought my fellow Chiff & Fipplers might want to know the scoop! Some day we'll get around to taking pictures of it...

Sorry, didn't mean to lead people astray.

Tom

[syn whistles]

Nobody has mentioned them so far, but Syn whistles are currently available in a Eb, D and C combo. Cost is $55 posted.

[glauber]

Nobody has mentioned them so far, but Syn whistles are currently available in a Eb, D and C combo. Cost is $55 posted.

Yes, but are they any good?

Sorry, i couldn't resist!

g

[tin tin]

Glauber,
The Reyburn brass C (model BR or LB) is a fantastic whistle. (The D/C combo is very nice, by the way...both whistles are great, but it's the C that shines.) It posses a full, interesting and beautiful tone with sweetness in the second octave. It plays fast, too...ornaments pop nicely. People complain that C is a bland key, but not so with the Reyburn!
www.reyburnwhistles.com
Best,
Micah

[Monster]

I've been pleased with my Walton's nickle and Gen nickle C's. I also have a Sweetone C which I'm not so crazy about. I don't like the tone as well and I have to play the C nat with a oxxxxo fingering which I find a little awkward as I'm used to the oxxooo. I don't have an Eb.

Here's cheap tweak for a cheap whistlle. On my Clarke Sweetone C I took a bandaid and wrapped it around the top 1/4 part of the first whole. This brought the C# down in pitch, but also made the Cnat oxxooo fingering ok for general use.

Jeff

[livethe question]

I'm really partial to Burke Composites and the C has the same sound as the others. I'd like to try the Overton like Loren's. If it's anything like my easy blowing Bernard Overton Low F it will be fantastic.

If you can find a Walton's Golden Tone you'll have a nice C. (thanks again Philo)

So many whistles to try and so little time and money. So many tunes to play and so little time.... but the Abells that came in about the first of the year have spoiled me. I keep trying to persuade myself that I don't need all the Burke composites I have since I received the Abells but then I play the composites and there goes that idea to get money to feed my whistle habit. I guess I'll just have to go ahead and buy more Burke composites to make up for my failure to sell the ones I do have. :roll:

I know it's just a matter of preference but I've had Burke AlPros in high D (still have that one but it's on loan), G and low D. I no longer have those but I do have composites in those keys plus some others.

jim

[glauber]

OK, thanks for all the suggestions.

For now i'm buying the O'Brian Eb and the Oak C.

But the Reyburn! Man oh man, one day i'll be getting one...

[Bloomfield]

But the Reyburn! Man oh man, one day i'll be getting one...

I recently got the Reyburn D/C set (from Micah, incidentally), and I like them a lot, particularly the C. There is a very satisfying fullness and almost a growl to the tone. Very well balanced, plays sweetly and easily, and looks very good.

[serpent]

Just an observation or two from a maker...
I used to use the same tube diameter for C as for D, 0.545" ID. I always had the devil of a time getting the C to be stable, especially in octave shifts, and around the bell note. I'm an experimenter, as are all us makers (we love to play with designs, much to the dismay of our spouses, sometimes), and what I discovered in my play is that 0.67" ID tube that I've been using for low A and B-flat whistles, works very well, indeed, for C also.

Another item of interest I learnt from observing Stacey O'Gorman's Alba whistles, is that a narrower (longitudinally) window, seems to improve both volume and stability in whistles "on the edge" where tube diameter is concerned. So when you look at Serpents, and see the seemingly odd breakout of tuning to tube diameters, well, now you know why!
serpent