Chiff and Fipple Forums

regor wrote:So do I. I am seriously considering getting an MK Low D. I already have a Kerry Songbird Low D, which is very nice, but I'd like a tuneable whistle and the MK is a very attractive (look and sound) option. I also consider Sweetheart but it seems impossible to get a sound bite from it from anyone I am considering the Copeland as well. Difficult choice.

I've got an MK, which I'm trying to get time to review. I'm finding it a little quiet, I think.

Dale

I wouldn't say the Mk is that quiet. It is louder than my Chieftain and it has a bit of bite to it if you push it. I like it because the tuning is a lot better than others I've tried.

I love my MK low D. I can push the volume up with more pressure without breaking octaves. It has a nice pressure range, which allows for expression. The tone is to my liking and tuning is spot on. Not any whistle will suit all occasions, but my MK is getting the most playing at present.

That sounds good, and very tempting... I got a birthday coming up...

I've been playing my overton low D quite a bit recently. Mostly because it's tunable, and my Chieftain is not.

Differente sound than the NS Chieftain, and quite pleasurable in it's own right...

Borderpiper wrote:I wouldn't say the Mk is that quiet. It is louder than my Chieftain and it has a bit of bite to it if you push it. I like it because the tuning is a lot better than others I've tried.

You're right about it not being quiet. My original impression was based on acoustic troubles in the area where I first played it.

Wanderer wrote:I've been playing my overton low D quite a bit recently. Mostly because it's tunable, and my Chieftain is not.

Differente sound than the NS Chieftain, and quite pleasurable in it's own right...

Chieftains in my opinion are easier playing from a breath perspective than Overtons, and a little bit like an Overton in voice.

But the voice in the Chieftains I've played is murky and un-focused compared to Overtons - while the backpressure in an Overton really contributes to it's flexibility, presence, and volume when you want it.

I am pleasantly suprised by my MK. I have had it for a month and keep finding new tonal possibilities. I tried a used Copeland, but it was not up to some others I have played, so I didn't buy it.

I also love the sound of Cillian O'Briain's low D, but he is no longer making them. They have a fairly low backpressure, unlike the Overtons and their kin. Paddy Keenan and a number of other pro players prefer the O'Briains. Maurice Reviol, who apprenticed with Cillian for about five years, has just finished a batch of black anodized aluminum low whistles. Maurice made a number which have the O'Briain name, over the years they were made. I have one of his on the way from New Zealand and will post a review after it arrives. His tuneable low D cost just under $250 US, including postage.

Ted wrote:I am pleasantly suprised by my MK. I have had it for a month and keep finding new tonal possibilities..

Yes, I'm finding that I really like mine. It's got some of that tonal quality of the Overton with a somewhat more forgiving, if less assertive, high end. It's really well made and, of course, visually very cool.