F Whistles (and flute) - Carbony, MK Pro, Goldie, Reviol, Thunderbird
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- čas přidán 10. 11. 2019
- I just acquired an MK Pro Low F (in red!!) and a Carbony F Flute, so I thought that now was a good time to do a rundown of the F things. It's pretty bare bones due to my camera randomly stopping whenever it feels like it, so I didn't do much commentary. Maybe that's a plus. (TIME STAMPS IN COMMENTS)
The main tune I'm playing is "The Hills of Bounty", an old favorite of mine I got off a Vishten album.
Love the paw, lol!
I'm not a professional player but I have to say I love the sound of the MK. 🎶
I have a Mk pro low f.It is very exact and great wistle.And wery god sound.But "bending"notes not so good.Shifting octaves,pretty easy..
beautiful you make them all sound good.
Love my Goldie F. Not sure what type of blower it is since I bought it used and it wasn't specified. I would love an MK low F but not sure I can justify it as I already have a Syn and Impempe low F's to go with my Goldie. Then again that has never stopped me before :-). I really enjoy your comparison videos. Keep at it with the flute you'll get there!
Since I make my last comment I've acquired an Alto F direct from Colin Goldie. He wants to have a chat, and I'm glad we did, he played six different F's he had to hand and we discussed how they played and what were my preferences. We agreed upon a whistle and it arrived in a week! It's fantastic, by far the best F I've owned, and one of the best whistles of any key I've owned. It has a solid low octave, strong bellnote, sweet easy 2nd octave, and nice tone and tuning overall. Also it's very air-efficient. I will say my Alba F has a dirtier/more complex tone, while the Goldie is a bit more pure.
I got my whistles from him, but before I had played for very long. I've never been quite satisfied with my A whistle, and I'd eventually like to get another from him, but a soft blower rather than a hard.
Doggo understands music
He wants to play too, bless. All he can do is sit nxt to you, poor sweetie
Thanks for the video, and nice playing! It would be cool if you could mention some of the things that we can't tell as 3rd party listeners, such as the stiffness/ease of the 2nd octave, air consumption, and such, but as it stands your video is very informative. I can hear the fluffy bellnote and sharp 2nd octave on the MK, just like the Low D MK's that I owned. Just from the listening standpoint my favourites are the Thunderbird and the Goldie: solid bellnote, full low register, sweet-sounding 2nd octave (of course I don't know how hard you had to blow the high notes, they sounded civilized).
The Thunderbird probably has the easiest second octave, but it's also the easiest to accidentally overblow in the first. I agree with you on the tone. It's one of the nicest sounding F whistles I've owned. The Carbony is pretty easy to play in the second octave as well. It's one of the snappiest whistles, but you can't push the tone as much as, say, a Goldie... more brittle, less "dynamic range", but I think that's part of the tonal characteristic. The Carbonys remind me of scaled up, more substantial Clarke Sweetones. Breathy, nice in the second octave, a bit weak in the first, but responsive, with kind of a hollow tone. The Reviol reminds me of an easier blowing Goldie, but with a less-veiled tone. Very rich and resonant. The Goldie is a medium blower, so it takes the most push to get it into the second octave.
@@NathanielDowell Thanks! Very helpful! I played a Burke F for years but I just don't care for the Burke thing. I recently got an Alba F but it's a bit "fluffy" overall. I was planning on trying to get a Goldie F, but now the Thunderbird seems like an attractive choice.
Thanks a lot for this, it is really useful! It would be great if you could also include the Shearwater in the comparison.
The Thunderbird and the Goldie sound really similar to me.
Sorry, I don't have my Shearwater anymore. I donated it to a friend. It's got a rounder, clearer tone than the ones here. I do have a video comparing it to the Goldie, but it's filmed outside, so it won't be perfect for comparing volume or tone. It'd give you an idea though.
Here you go: czcams.com/video/b6_BQvC9RoY/video.html
Hi there! I just got my Shearwater Low F and 2nd Octave is slightly flat, specially last G-A-B. Could you please confirm if 2nd Octave tunning is much better on Goldie and MK Low F models? Many thanks!
@@elrondvilya Whistle tuning as an objective aspect is something that I seldom comment on, because it's so variable especially if a tuning slide is involved (and then you have to figure out if you're tuning to equal temperament or just intonation, or a mix of the two). I've carefully tuned whistles with a tuner at home, only to have to smash the slides in as soon as I start playing in a social setting. I might use a tuner to get me in the neighborhood of in-tune, but then I usually adjust by ear from there. There are some whistles that sound great to my ears, and some that feel like something isn't quite right, or like I have to fight against the whistle to keep it in tune. That being said, I sat down with a tuner and the Goldie, and I could blow each note with the needle pointing straight up. I could also accomplish this with the MK. I don't have the Shearwater anymore, but I recall that I really liked the tuning, especially how the 000000 note wasn't flat, relative to the notes around it, as it is on many whistles. However, I never tested it with a tuner. If you have a particular issue with the whistle, you might contact Mr. Bushby directly. Again, tuning is a hazardous subject with whistles because of how much of tuning is in the breath the player supplies.
Thank you, good review~I have Goldie F now
The Goldie F is certainly one of the best whistles out there. I might try a soft blower one of these days, but the medium is great.
@@NathanielDowell I heard Goldie is divided into 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, 10. How many soft blower are there, and what is the medium blower?
My Goldie Whistle F is 9.5.
It's loud and it takes a lot of power
@@user-uf1gj6lc4z My medium blower says .9, which is probably the 9.0 you're talking about. 9.5 must be soft, and 10 must be extra-soft.
As far as I know, 8.5 is soft blue 9.0 is medium 9.5 hard blow 10.0 is extra hard or
It is known that 8.5 is Extra soft 9.0 soft blue 9.5 medium 10.0 hard blue.
@@user-uf1gj6lc4z I could be mistaken, but I believe those numbers correspond to wind way heights, so 9.0 corresponds to .9mm, and 10.0 is 1.0 mm. A 0.85mm windway is going to be harder blowing than a 1.00, meaning it takes more force to push the air through. In other words, the wider the air way, the easier air moves through it (softer blowing).
thanks for the video. I would love to know your personal preference and which whistle you found to be best value for money?
I have a Reviol Low D. Drove to Kerry last week to get the low C body which fits onto the same head and saves a bit of money! But now, I would love the F as well... but I would have to buy the full Reviol whistle as its an alto size I believe. Wondering now if there is a cheaper alternative. Any advice appreciated
There's always a cheaper alternative. It just depends on what you're wanting. Shearwater, Goldfinch, and Thunderbird are all good F whistles, although I tend to play the Reviol because of the gorgeous, complex tone. Clover flutes also make a reasonably priced F Whistle (and you can add inexpensive bodies too), and David's quality is right up there with the best. Contact him through his Clover Flutes Facebook page.
Молодец ! Класс ))
Beautiful reviews and Beautiful song (can't find tabs anywhere 😭😭)
I want to go from a d tin whistle to a low f, love the mk but I'd like to practice with something cheaper. What do you think about Chris wall's ? I love the sound of low f and it's affordable. Did you try them?
I've tried some of his high whistles. He probably makes a solid whistle. The main complaint I've heard about him is that his wait times can be excessive (like a year) and he doesn't do a good job of answering emails. If you're looking for an inexpensive, quality practice whistle, I'd look at Becker. I think his low whistles are $25 or so. Very basic, but good tone and tuning.
Hmmm, I don't see that he makes a low F, but it's worth shooting him an email to see. For about $100, you can get a Goldfinch F, and they've got a really lovely, focused tone, though they have a wait list also (2 to 3 months), though I've had a great experience with their communication. Shearwaters are also fairly inexpensive, solid whistles with a bit of a wait. Chieftains don't have a wait if they're in stock, but they're more expensive.
@@NathanielDowell thank you very much for your feedback! 😊 I'm going to check them out.
@@giorgiadelmonti7653 Nightingale F are like $80 shipped from Russia (the russian store is much cheaper than Ebay). I believe nightingale are great for the cost. I have bought from the russian store so its safe lol. Google translate is your friend.
shamanic.ru/muzykalnye-instrumenty/vistl-low-whistle-nightingale-karavaev-non/
Kerry optima is good and cheap, and new Kerry busker are pretty affordable. Haven't played either.
Can you speak to how the different materials used effect playing in a cooler enviroment? For instance does the Carbony warm up quicker or cool off quicker than say the Mk Pro vs a polished pipe?
I haven't done much scientific testing, but head design is number 1 if you're looking to prevent clogging due to cold. I've never had clogging issues with Carbony or MK, but Carbony whistle heads don't get as cold or as hot to the touch as all metal whistles, due to the ebonite tips. The body material might affect how much the temperature affects the tuning, but they all sound better when it's warm outside. I'd say Carbony might have the edge in a cold environment. No clogging, more stable materials.
Hey Nathaniel, I have a couple questions -
I’ve had both a Chieftain V5 and an Mk Kelpie (low D whistles) for about 3 years now. And something I’ve noticed is that my Chieftain seems to require less air and is also quieter in both octaves than the Mk Kelpie (which reminds me more of a saxophone lol). What property of the whistle am I describing here? If I prefer the quieter and more airy sound of the V5, what does that mean as it relates to whistle terminology? In other words, can you tell me what I like lol? I’m just not sure how to say it in whistle language if that makes any sense.
Having said that, which Low F whistle might be similar to my V5 in that sense?
And finally, is it weird or me to prefer non-tunable whistles? How often do you have to grease the joint and does the whistle ever accidentally shift while you’re playing? Or is there some kind of locking mechanism to prevent unintended movement? I feel like I’m over analyzing tunable whistles but it seems like an unnecessary feature to me, but maybe that’s just because I’m ignorant to how they work or how much maintenance they actually require..
Less breath would be "air efficiency", typically found on whistles with higher back pressure. You might see how retired Stacey O'Gorman currently is. She makes Alba whistles, and they are very similar in design to Chieftain V series whistles. They've got a great complex tone, a bit thicker than the Chieftain, but a bit more breathy than the MK, at least the ones I've played. Chieftain makes an F whistle as well that has a great tone, though maybe not quite as airy as the V5 series. The previous generation (Thunderbird F) is what I played here. I think it's the "Busker" F now.
As far as the tuneable question, I like the simplicity of non-tunable whistles, but they have to be spot on to begin with, and temperature can put you in a situation where you can't blow it into tune with those around you. Tuning slides do tend to stick, but so far, I've only had issues with my Burke low F and low D getting stuck.
@@NathanielDowell Thanks for the recommendation! I agree in that I appreciate the simplicity of non-tunable whistles as well; I think they appeal to me for that reason primarily.
I briefly checked out Alba Whistles and they seem very reasonably priced, though sadly I don't see any non-tunable models for sale. I might send an email just to see if this could possibly be done.
As it relates to Goldie whistles, is it possible that these could have similar qualities that I admire in my V5 such as the quiet tone and such? Or is it more likely that Goldie whistles would be loud and require a lot of air, perhaps more similar to my MK Kelpie? Do you think it's possible that Colin could customize a Goldie to make it sound like how I want it to if I were to describe this to him, or does it not work that way?
Time Stamps!
0:57 - Chieftain Thunderbird F
2:14 - MK Pro F
3:22 - Reviol F
4:24 - Goldie F
5:26 - Carbony F (Whistle)
6:36 - Carbony F (Flute)
It is so funny .I do it the same way,i SIT on them.I own a Thunderbird low d and a Mk pro low f.And others.
The MK F, in particular, seems to benefit from being warm; not for clogging, but rather for tone, since it's such a thick whistle.
@@NathanielDowell Ooh the Thunderbird needs a lot of more assworming.I regret when i bougt the typhoon,they offerd it with a body A and an F i think.And the same moutpice.And i was to cheap not to buy it
@@urbankotto9685 I haven't heard of a "Typhoon" whistle.
@@NathanielDowell Sorry i meant Thunderbird.
is the tune the hill of bounty originally played in low F
It''s originally in D.
i hear like 2nd ocave on Thunderbird sounds a little down pitched, isnt it?
I'm not sure, but usually a flatter second octave means I just didn't blow hard enough to bring it up to pitch, or I'm overblowing the first octave, or some combination of both. Pitch on whistles can really vary based on how the player blows, and how well they know the instrument.
What song are you playing?
The Hills of Bounty by Vishtèn
czcams.com/video/qePbwFNZRG8/video.htmlsi=Lb77T3WQ7zp0qToW
What is happening to the dog!? LMAO
Ha, she's probably licking her butt. Dogs have even less consideration for video recording than children.
@@NathanielDowell I love it 😂 I orderd a low D now thanns to your videos. Lets just hope i can reach with my small hands...
@@johannabostrom6288 which one did you order? Just remember to use Piper's Grip and that it takes a few days to a few weeks for your fingers to figure out how to cover the holes consistently. I could hardly play anything when I got my first low D, due to initially poor finger placement.
@@NathanielDowell I ordered a Chieftain custom. The only one avaible in Sweden basically. I hope it works. Yes I figured I have to re-learn from my high d small tin whistle 🙈
@@johannabostrom6288 what a coincidence! Phil just put a Custom in the mail for me. I'm excited to try it out.