Goldie whistles prove that perfection is possible

[Cyberknight]

I want to make this post because of how blown away I am at how good Goldie high D whistles are. I got a second-hand one a few months ago and liked it so much that I ordered (and just received) a brand new one with some small differences. Although I’ll probably sell my old one because I like the new one marginally better, both of them are pretty much perfect.

Initially I thought Goldie whistles were too sharp in the second octave, until I realized I was blowing way too hard and overcompensating because I’ve played out-of-tune whistles for so long.

The fact is that these whistles are pretty much perfect. Extremely loud in the first octave (my new one has a low D that’s louder than some of my Susatos), without being too loud in the second octave. And all while staying perfectly on pitch and being relatively easy to play. Their tone is also more traditional and doesn’t have any recorderiness that so many people dislike.

These whistles prove you can make a cylindrical bore instrument without annoying pitch issues, octave spread, or volume imbalance. It shows that there isn’t really any excuse for super expensive whistle-makers who make instruments that are out of tune or have flat second octaves. With proper undercutting, pitch can be essentially perfect.

I don’t know why every maker doesn’t copy this design. I just can’t believe how good it is.

[Kedster]

All I heard was... You're selling a Goldie?

[pancelticpiper]

I've not tried any Goldie "high whistles" but the Goldie Low D, Low C, and Mezzo F I have are just about as perfect as whistles can be.

The troublesome bit with most whistles is "going over the break" with good intonation.

On my Goldies I can go up the scale from low-octave B to C natural to middle D to E in the second octave on a pretty even breath and every note is bang-on.

It's a remarkable achievement, and one beyond many if not most makers, at least without sacrificing the tuning somewhere else.

(Yes there are whistles that can play that sequence well, but have a flat Bottom D or sharp low E or sharp high B or some other tuning quirk.)

And you're spot-on about having a full low octave but civilised high notes.

About having "the chat" with Colin, I highly recommend it.

Years ago I had a frustrating fortnight of phone-tag (California and Germany being several hours apart) after which I gave up and bought a Goldie Low D on the used market.

But when I set out to get a Mezzo F I had more patience and finally was able to have the person-to-person chat.

It was well worth it! Colin played several F's he had to hand over the phone, we chatted about various characteristics of each, and came to agreement as to which F was perfect for me.

It arrived amazingly quickly in the post and it's the best Mezzo F whistle I've ever played. (It would probably be my "stranded on a desert island" whistle.)

[Cyberknight]

All I heard was... You're selling a Goldie?

I almost certainly am, yes! I'll probably post about it in this forum when I do.

[Cyberknight]

About having "the chat" with Colin, I highly recommend it.

Years ago I had a frustrating fortnight of phone-tag (California and Germany being several hours apart) after which I gave up and bought a Goldie Low D on the used market.

But when I set out to get a Mezzo F I had more patience and finally was able to have the person-to-person chat.

It was well worth it! Colin played several F's he had to hand over the phone, we chatted about various characteristics of each, and came to agreement as to which F was perfect for me.

It arrived amazingly quickly in the post and it's the best Mezzo F whistle I've ever played. (It would probably be my "stranded on a desert island" whistle.)

Oh yes, I had a long conversation with him. Absolutely wonderful fellow to talk to. He took the time to explain whistle-making to me and even to answer all sorts of questions I had out of pure curiosity. I can't remember the last time I bought something from someone who was so enthusiastic about the product and the customer's needs.

[sfmans]

Agreed 100%. I've owned my Goldie low D for many years, have tried loads of other makers' examples since, and nothing has ever come close. There's Goldie whistles, and then ... there's everything else.