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Yeah, the thick walled Dixons are in the same general price range. I haven't played either the brass or aluminum versions, so I can't say how they compare to Nick's. Definitely hard to find the right whistle without playing them first. I can't tell you how many whistles I've pulled out of a package and known within seconds that they weren't right for me.

@@GypsieSeeker I may have unlisted my follow-up. The first octave bell note played flat, so I ended up cutting off a bit of the end to bring up the pitch, but then I found that it might have been correct for a fife that's meant to be played in the 2nd and 3rd octave. After that, I gave up on it.

@@NathanielDowellgot it. Thx for the reply.

@@toninichols2984 Contact Maurice Reviol through his website. He's on Facebook sometimes as well, so you might also try there if you don't hear from him. www.reviol.co.nz/HTML/Prices.html

She is very much a "touch me don't touch me" cat. Sits just out of reach, demands attention, quickly gets overstimulated, leaves, comes back, repeat cycle.

Bummer. Hope you got to see some other amazing places to make up for it. It wasn't a long adventure for me. I'd heard the waterfall while driving, and pulled over to explore, leaving my wife and kids in the car (they were absolutely wiped out from the day).

Possibly due to its size compared to the American Goldfinch.

All are in D

Lol. He tries to catch house flies.

Yes. Low F, alto F, same thing.

Goldfinch is great, and Jakob Goldfinch is very active on Facebook. They have a pure, warm sound. I've never tried a De Quelery. I get the impression that they are quirky, maybe a little hard to blow, based on other reviews. That's not to say they aren't good whistles for some people, but I don't have any experience with them. As for your observations on different makes of whistles, I totally agree! Each maker creates a whistle with a unique tonal profile, to the point where it would be difficult for me to choose just one.

​@@NathanielDowellThanks a lot! God bless you!✝️🕊

I'd describe my Cobre's sound as "edgy". Focused, crisp, requiring more precision in blowing than some, or it tends to squawk. Not a lot of extra breathiness.

The hole spacing doesn't seem crowded to me, but I've never encountered a high D whistle that felt crowded. It's got more space between the holes than a Clarke Sweetone

Sorry, I sold it on a few years ago. I see them pop up occasionally, so it might be worth asking around on a Facebook group like the Irish whistle and Flute marketplace, or Chiff and Fipple. There's also the newer version of this whistle in the Busker series, though I haven't played the Busker F.

@@NathanielDowell It was a great pleasure to listen to your playing

I believe it's a tune by the group Vishten, as I've never heard it anywhere else. I learned it off this track from their album 'Vishten Live'. czcams.com/video/qePbwFNZRG8/video.html

That's a good guess, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was a factor in the policy. However, snakes are a vital part of the ecosystem, and remember that most snake species are harmless. If people are afraid of snakes, they can mow around their own houses to discourage them, but I'd imagine the medians would provide the most benefit for pollinators and birds (birds rely on soft caterpillars to feed their babies). No need to mow the whole earth to keep snakes away. Personally, I like seeing snakes in my yard.

lindstruments.com/

The Cnat fingering varies. For Generation type whistles, it's usually OXXXOX, but thicker walled whistles are often OXXOOO. Those are the two most common. Additionally, some work best with OXOOOO, and a few even need OXXXXO.

Thanks for the info!

I don't understand import duties. I think the US charges them on some products, but I've never encountered them for any instruments I've purchased from overseas, though shipping can be significantly more expensive from certain places. You'd think that low-volume, handmade goods would have an exception. It's not like there's a thriving domestic whistle making industry to protect. (Edit: Apparently, personal-use items under $800 can be imported duty-free, but a 4% flat duty is imposed after that, up to items worth $1800)

Honestly, I don't have a great take on the Shaw or Clarke Original. I didn't like the Shaw or Clarke as they came to me, and see them as very similar whistles (too much air upon arrival, need tweaking). It almost seems to me that they are intentionally unfinished, meaning they send them out before being voiced so the user can modify them to their taste. If the user knows what they're doing, they can get a really nice sounding whistle dialed into their tastes. Unfortunately, I ruined the range on my Clarke on my tweak attempt, but the Shaw high D came out okay, but not so good that I enjoy playing it. It had trouble hitting the top notes before modification, and my tweak didn't help much, but I found the tone in the rest of the range improved, and I got greater air efficiency from it. I also modified an awful Shaw Low F that had Quality Control issues, and it came out much better. Jerry Freeman used to tweak Shaws, and Clarkes (I think), but I don't think he does anymore. You might see if you could find one of those kicking around.

Well, you have some flexibility with how you blow. Blow harder for a sharper note, softer to flatten it. If the whistle is well-made, you don't need it to be tunable in a lot of circumstances, assuming the instruments you're playing with are also in-tune. Brian Finnegan had a non-tunable Goldie A whistle for a long time, and he seemed to make it work in a professional capacity, so they definitely aren't worthless. It's certainly nice to have a tuneable whistle for flexibility, but a lot of people just don't need it enough to justify the extra complexity and expense of the tuning slide.

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For me, my MK Pro is what usually goes in my bag when I need a low D. I like the complex tone, snappy handling, big sound, and the fact that it's less fussy about being warmed up. However, if I actually started playing professionally, I feel like the Goldie would be my choice. The consistency in his range is a huge plus (I haven't liked the MK Pro A, G, or F), and I could always call up Colin and get a low D that's more closely aligned to my tastes today (softer blower, more complexity to the tone). I've heard of at least one person who was ho-hum on Goldies the first time around, then eventually called him and got their be-all, end-all whistle the second time. There's a reason so many pros go with Goldies. I quit playing mine as much mostly because the tone is a little softer and blander than the MK, but otherwise, it still wows me when I play it. I play my Burke the least because it doesn't quite match my play style. I've seen some professionals use Burkes, and I wonder if it suits people who do a lot less tonguing, like some flute players. I love leaning into the tone, but I find it breaks in certain spots if I tongue while pushing it toward that buzzy, resonant tone.

On a general level, that's the difference. All things being equal, metal will have a brighter, ringing tone, while wood will be warmer, more dampened. However, design plays such a huge role that you can't really compare beyond that. Material affects the tone, but the geometry largely governs the sound.

@@NathanielDowell I appreciate your pointers and advice. I have been playing Scarborough Fair on my wooden maple whistle in the key of c. Has more of a warmer and haunting pitch and sound. Changing gears I really want to get into the jigs and reels and I see how important the long and short rolls are in playing with repeated 🎵🎶 notes. If you have any pointers for me I would also appreciate any advice and tips. Thank you,John...

Hmm, so two thoughts. Either, 1. You're underblowing the whole thing, and it's causing it to fail at the top end of the range. You might try pulling the tuning slide out a bit more and giving it more oomph throughout the whole range and see if it gives you the top end. 2. Something's wrong with the head. I had one phenomenal small head for my first Reviol, and eventually bought a second from Maurice. It was fuzzier, not as focused as the first one, so he eventually sent me six more to choose from. One of those was almost like my original, and I put that one on my A body, but most of the others had the fuzzier, unfocused characteristic of the 2nd head. However, one of them had an absolutely amazing, huge tone, but it was awful at the top end. I also sent that one back. The way you describe the characteristics of yours, it makes me wonder if you got a similar model. For what it's worth, I just tried mine out, with the head I selected from the 6, and I can hit the third octave A with no issues, though it does still require confident playing.

@@NathanielDowell Thanks for the detailed reply! It's certainly not a case of under blowing. I'm giving it everything I have and then some at the top. Everything above high C needs what I consider a disproportionate amount of puff, and is uncomfortable with an unpleasantly harsh tone. It does sound like my head is similar to the one you described. The bottom end is definitely very powerful with a lovely sound. I may email Maurice and ask. Incidentally do you know what the best way to contact him is?

I did not notice that, but some people are more sensitive to metal taste. I have noticed it on a Chieftain aluminum set.

I started with something by Flook, then I typically use Jerry's Beaver Hat/Kesh Jig/Ashokan Farewell

Si bheag si mhor it sounds like

I think that was just a bit of clogging as it warmed up. It goes away as I play. At other times, it's been a sign that I need to clean out the head of the whistle. My harder blowing Goldie A got to the point where it wasn't readily producing a solid bell note, so I gave it a good cleaning, and it was fine (as long as it was properly warmed up).

I wouldn't be surprised if there's some variability in the copies. Maybe you got a great one.

That's the Goldie hard blowing A. It's really interesting to hear everyone's opinions.

@@NathanielDowell I'm not surprised that's the goldie,the reason that I liked it is it had the lack of chiff and a rounder tone than number one ,so while I liked both and I know what your proclivities are in terms of the sound because I watch enough of your videos, I like a little rounder sound when you get down in that area.

I have several Goldfinch whistles... they're very nice and at fair price.

Thanks a million, guys! We are at your service. :)

Yeah the G was immediately my favorite of the alto set when I first got them. I think it just works well for the bore size.

Depends on how you play the low G. If you're playing with finger pads, you'll probably need to switch to a Piper's grip. If you're already feeling stretched on a G, and you're already doing Piper's grip, the F might be too big. From what I've seen, Piper's grip makes even low D's accessible to most women, assuming healthy hands.

@@NathanielDowell Thank you for answering so quickly. I do a kind of combination, finger pad mostly and the lowest finger more of a piper's grip. I don't have any trouble with the low G. So, maybe I'll be alright. How much farther apart are the finger holes on the low F compared to the low G? As I said I have an aluminium Tony Dixon low G. It has a wide bore and a lovely rich tone and resonance. Did you ever hear of McNeela Music? Check them out. It is easy for me to order from them because my order arrives here the next day, or two days later. But they ship all over the world. You may want to try out the Wild Irish whistle, they truly are lovely but alittle expensive for me. Thanks again for answering so quickly. Your children are adorable. We have five and one in heaven. A precious gifts from God; true blessings! Slán agus beannacht Dé oraibh!

@@ChildOfKingJesus57 yeah, I'm familiar with McNeela, and I've tried a few of their whistles, including the Setanta brass and Wild D/C. All were nice whistles, though ultimately not for me.

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Thank you Nathaniel that's very nice of you to point me to it :) @@NathanielDowell