Hi guys, I am considering about adding to my present order of Overtons and order a high D. However I don't seem to see Overton high Ds being reviewed much here, mostly the low whistles, where they are very favourably reviewed.
Can anyone tell me about their volume, playbility, breath requirements, tone, vs all other whistles you guys love? Do include the pros and cons of this whistle! (or email if you prefer) Thanks!
Overton high Ds Vs other high Ds?
I have Overton high and low Ds, and an A, so I'll have a go at your question.
I find that their wind requirements are rather low, but breath pressure requirements at the upper end of the second octave are high. If you don't blow hard, the tone of these higher notes can be somewhat screechy -- so don't be shy.
The windways are narrow, which means that breath moisture can, and does, condense and cause problems. One remedy is to put the finger over the window and blow hard through the windway. This has the effect of expelling the droplets of moisture and warming the windway so that condensation is less likely. Another remedy is to coat the "ramp" at the exit of the windway ( the end under the window ) with something like "Jet Dry Sparkle." Why this? Well, it's what you put in the dishwasher to keep the rinse water from beading on your glassware and spotting it, so it works, and it's also non-toxic. There's no need to coat the interior of the windway because the worst of the problem is actually at the exit, and because enough will work its way back up inside by capillary action to do the job. A single application lasts me a week of practice, and has the side effect of sweetening the tone.
The sound volume is loud by whistle standards, and the tone has what I call a "silver edge" to it. It's not the "round" tone of Joanie Madden's whistles, but is closer to that of Mary Bergin's on her two albums.
I like my Overtons, and play them frequently. My other favorite whistle is a Copeland high D.
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Best regards,
Neil Dickey
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ndjr on 2001-08-25 00:56 ]</font>
I find that their wind requirements are rather low, but breath pressure requirements at the upper end of the second octave are high. If you don't blow hard, the tone of these higher notes can be somewhat screechy -- so don't be shy.
The windways are narrow, which means that breath moisture can, and does, condense and cause problems. One remedy is to put the finger over the window and blow hard through the windway. This has the effect of expelling the droplets of moisture and warming the windway so that condensation is less likely. Another remedy is to coat the "ramp" at the exit of the windway ( the end under the window ) with something like "Jet Dry Sparkle." Why this? Well, it's what you put in the dishwasher to keep the rinse water from beading on your glassware and spotting it, so it works, and it's also non-toxic. There's no need to coat the interior of the windway because the worst of the problem is actually at the exit, and because enough will work its way back up inside by capillary action to do the job. A single application lasts me a week of practice, and has the side effect of sweetening the tone.
The sound volume is loud by whistle standards, and the tone has what I call a "silver edge" to it. It's not the "round" tone of Joanie Madden's whistles, but is closer to that of Mary Bergin's on her two albums.
I like my Overtons, and play them frequently. My other favorite whistle is a Copeland high D.
-------------
Best regards,
Neil Dickey
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: ndjr on 2001-08-25 00:56 ]</font>
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deanehawkins
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I like the tone of the soprano d overton - as stated above, it does take some getting used to air requirements high in the second octave - once used to it, it does fine - oddly enough, I've never had any problem with condensation - maybe if you hit the high notes fairly often, it automatically de-spits itself - it is a moderately loud whistle, but doesn't seem quite as loud as a non-tunable dixon high-d - I also like the tone of the burke brass-pro high-d, and it's a lot easier to hit the high ones with the burke.
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Loren
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Okay,
I currently have 3 Overton Soprano D whistles in my possesion (1 by Bernard and 2 by Colin) so I guess I ought contribute something to this thread, eh?
Basically I agree with what others have recently posted in this and the "Modal" thread:
The Overton Soprano D's are powerful whistles when compared with most of your more common whistles like Generations, Burkes, Sindts, etc. The Volume produced by the Overton Soprano makes it an excellent choice for someone looking to play outdoors, with a "band", in particularly loud sessions, or anywhere that your run of the mill whistle just won't cut it.
OTH, if you need something quiet late at night, so you don't disturb those in the next room (or apartment) this isn't the whistle =;^)
Yes, the wind requirements are very low (a good thing), and yes you have to blow "hard" to get a good sound, but this is all relative - take a whack at a set of Great Highland Bagpipes and I imagine you'll think the Overton is nothing at all to blow into. So I think with Overtons it's really just a matter of adjusting to a new instrument.
Someone else has already addressed clogging, so I'll skip that other than to say, I don't find it a problem with my Overtons. If you do have trouble, simply coat the windway and "Ramp" with soap solution or jet dri and you're all set.
The tuning on virtually all my Overtons is excellent, just as good as it gets.
As far as the sound goes, that's a totally personal call. I obviously like mine
Loren
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Loren on 2001-08-25 11:33 ]</font>
I currently have 3 Overton Soprano D whistles in my possesion (1 by Bernard and 2 by Colin) so I guess I ought contribute something to this thread, eh?
Basically I agree with what others have recently posted in this and the "Modal" thread:
The Overton Soprano D's are powerful whistles when compared with most of your more common whistles like Generations, Burkes, Sindts, etc. The Volume produced by the Overton Soprano makes it an excellent choice for someone looking to play outdoors, with a "band", in particularly loud sessions, or anywhere that your run of the mill whistle just won't cut it.
OTH, if you need something quiet late at night, so you don't disturb those in the next room (or apartment) this isn't the whistle =;^)
Yes, the wind requirements are very low (a good thing), and yes you have to blow "hard" to get a good sound, but this is all relative - take a whack at a set of Great Highland Bagpipes and I imagine you'll think the Overton is nothing at all to blow into. So I think with Overtons it's really just a matter of adjusting to a new instrument.
Someone else has already addressed clogging, so I'll skip that other than to say, I don't find it a problem with my Overtons. If you do have trouble, simply coat the windway and "Ramp" with soap solution or jet dri and you're all set.
The tuning on virtually all my Overtons is excellent, just as good as it gets.
As far as the sound goes, that's a totally personal call. I obviously like mine
Loren
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Loren on 2001-08-25 11:33 ]</font>
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Mark_J
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Just one thing to add based on my thin gauge (the aluminum thickness, not the diameter of the whistle which is normal) modal DC which is mostly the same whistle save what Stevie J said in a different thread.
The Overton Soprano has very little difference between the volume of each register (octive). The Low notes in the first octive are fairly loud (not Copeland but on par with O'Riordan and Weasels). The first octive has a peak volume at first A. First B is a tad quieter than First A. The second octive is a hair louder but gets more chiff instead of getting shrill. The only whistle that I have that has such a small variation between octives is my Hoover standard bore. Mind you, the Hoover standard bore is an order of magnatude quieter than the Overton. This impresses me of the Goldie Overton. This similar volume between octives is very desireable to me.
Other than that, I'm still test driving this thing. Maybe some other standard gauge owner could say if this is true about the gauge of aluminum that Colin has been using for years (Loren).
The Overton Soprano has very little difference between the volume of each register (octive). The Low notes in the first octive are fairly loud (not Copeland but on par with O'Riordan and Weasels). The first octive has a peak volume at first A. First B is a tad quieter than First A. The second octive is a hair louder but gets more chiff instead of getting shrill. The only whistle that I have that has such a small variation between octives is my Hoover standard bore. Mind you, the Hoover standard bore is an order of magnatude quieter than the Overton. This impresses me of the Goldie Overton. This similar volume between octives is very desireable to me.
Other than that, I'm still test driving this thing. Maybe some other standard gauge owner could say if this is true about the gauge of aluminum that Colin has been using for years (Loren).
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Loren
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Mark,
Ahh....I hesitate to get too much into the gauge thickness thing, only because I don't know exactly what Colin has planned so I'll leave it to him talk about what he's currently offering.
I can tell you that the two D's I recently received are the standard gauge Colin has been using for a while. I would definitely say that they are about the same as most whistles in that the second Octave does seem to my ear to be a bit louder than the first. Nothing unusual here, simply about the same difference from one octave to the next as your average whistle.
I can tell you that Colin recently made a couple of thinner gauge Low C whsitles for me (more about that in another thread when I have a little more time) and they are amazingly even in volume from one octave to the next. I do think Colin really is onto something here with this thin gauge thing Mark. I just hope he doesn't mind us "letting the cat out of the bag" (hello Jacques!), so to speak
Loren
Ahh....I hesitate to get too much into the gauge thickness thing, only because I don't know exactly what Colin has planned so I'll leave it to him talk about what he's currently offering.
I can tell you that the two D's I recently received are the standard gauge Colin has been using for a while. I would definitely say that they are about the same as most whistles in that the second Octave does seem to my ear to be a bit louder than the first. Nothing unusual here, simply about the same difference from one octave to the next as your average whistle.
I can tell you that Colin recently made a couple of thinner gauge Low C whsitles for me (more about that in another thread when I have a little more time) and they are amazingly even in volume from one octave to the next. I do think Colin really is onto something here with this thin gauge thing Mark. I just hope he doesn't mind us "letting the cat out of the bag" (hello Jacques!), so to speak
Loren
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ErikT
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Hello Eldarion,
I'm very happy with my Overton D (by Colin) and echo all of the postitive comments above. I haven't had any clogging problems; I do, however, spend a few seconds covering the windway and blowing before I even start playing, so that might help.
One thing that I would add to the previous comments, though, is that it has the strongest low D of any whistle that I own. Rich, sonorous and pleasant. I don't think that you can go wrong with getting one.
Peace,
Erik
It's interesting that you bring this up. I mentioned this very same thing a couple months back and gave a little review.However I don't seem to see Overton high Ds being reviewed much here, mostly the low whistles, where they are very favourably reviewed.
I'm very happy with my Overton D (by Colin) and echo all of the postitive comments above. I haven't had any clogging problems; I do, however, spend a few seconds covering the windway and blowing before I even start playing, so that might help.
One thing that I would add to the previous comments, though, is that it has the strongest low D of any whistle that I own. Rich, sonorous and pleasant. I don't think that you can go wrong with getting one.
Peace,
Erik
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Loren
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I've given a little thought to the comments above regarding problems, or the lack of them, with clogging of the windway. Neglecting individual personal characteristics, which I don't propose to examine :roll:, I think that ambient relative humidity doubtless may make a big difference.
I live in northern Illinois, where it's seriously muggy a good part of the year, and I have a problem with windway clogging. Not long ago, I was on vacation out West -- where it's rather dry -- and had little trouble until a storm front rolled in and the humidity went up.
Offered for what it's worth.
I live in northern Illinois, where it's seriously muggy a good part of the year, and I have a problem with windway clogging. Not long ago, I was on vacation out West -- where it's rather dry -- and had little trouble until a storm front rolled in and the humidity went up.
Offered for what it's worth.
Best regards,
Neil Dickey
Neil Dickey
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ThorntonRose
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Chuck_Clark
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FWIW, the Overton D is one of my two favorite whistles, both of which are high Ds. The other is the Silkstone PVC, yet the two are so totally different that it's difficult to compare them. The Silkstone is the easiest of whistles to play, sweet, clear, and with no extra effort required for the upper octave. OTOH, the Overton, while you really have to push the air into the upper octave, has a ringing, bell-like tone that I have never heard in any other whistle. If you recall, the signature line in "Lord of the Dance" is a high D refrain of the first few bars of the second verse of Simple Gifts. When played on the Overton, it soars so sweet and clear that even a duffer like me can briefly imagine the feeling of perfection. I can't imagine a more perfect instrument. (Except maybe the Silkstone, but then...)
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adriancarrington
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I'm afraid I have no experience of the whistle in question here, but am writing to express my agreement with the comments made about whistle clogging being related to atmospheric humidity. There's no doubt that clogging occurs more in high humidity, and we should be very aware of this when hearing horror stories about a particular whistle. One of my favourite whistles is utterly unplayable in humid conditions, and while I still love the whistle concerned, it could never take the title of top whistle as a result. Shame, really...I mean when did you ever have a cheap Generation clog up on you??
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'Scuse me for this late contribution, but when Eldarion posted his question I had only just got my Overton. It's a "modal" whistle, but I assume that it behaves very much like a regular Goldie Overton high D.
I've being playing it a lot for the last 10 days and I just have to say I think it's a tremendous instrument. I like it more than any high-end soprano whistle I've tried, by a long chalk. The sound is beautiful and the notes feel as solid as a rock. It is on the loud side, but it's very well balanced and the top end is fine, not piercing. Sure, you have to blow the thing, but actually I find the backpressure very satisfying.
Did I say unreservedly? It's not tunable, and if I understood Colin right, he's not about to start making tunable sopranos any time soon. (On the other hand, it is about as perfectly in tune as a whistle can be.) And it's made of aluminium. This doesn't seem to bother many people, but I think I'll be ordering an anodized one in due course.
Clogging? If you follow the advice on Colin's web site - warm it up first, and develop the reflex of blowing it clear between tunes - you shouldn't have many problems, even without the soap trick. As Deane said, playing in the high octave keeps things pretty clear too. BTW Montreal is pretty humid in the summer, although maybe not as humid as Singapore.
My advice? Go for it!
I've being playing it a lot for the last 10 days and I just have to say I think it's a tremendous instrument. I like it more than any high-end soprano whistle I've tried, by a long chalk. The sound is beautiful and the notes feel as solid as a rock. It is on the loud side, but it's very well balanced and the top end is fine, not piercing. Sure, you have to blow the thing, but actually I find the backpressure very satisfying.
Did I say unreservedly? It's not tunable, and if I understood Colin right, he's not about to start making tunable sopranos any time soon. (On the other hand, it is about as perfectly in tune as a whistle can be.) And it's made of aluminium. This doesn't seem to bother many people, but I think I'll be ordering an anodized one in due course.
Clogging? If you follow the advice on Colin's web site - warm it up first, and develop the reflex of blowing it clear between tunes - you shouldn't have many problems, even without the soap trick. As Deane said, playing in the high octave keeps things pretty clear too. BTW Montreal is pretty humid in the summer, although maybe not as humid as Singapore.
My advice? Go for it!
