Favorite Whistles

[Mr Ed]

At the moment whichever one I'm playing that I didn't make. Long story short: too much time spent (and frustration) making them lately that could've been better used improving rhythm and phrasing. Oh, and having fun with it.

[singintime]

I made a nice C whistle following the excellent howto by Guido Gonzato (www.ggwhistles.com), and I think it is also my favorite. I also love the tone of my Bb alto whistle, also made by me, and a Dixon polymer with brass slide in D.

@Mr Ed: I think making whistles is a LOT of fun But I agree with you, it's more fun playing them!

[Mr Ed]

I made a nice C whistle following the excellent howto by Guido Gonzato (http://www.ggwhistles.com), and I think it is also my favorite.

The Guido Gonzato guide is excellent. I just wish there was an easier/better way of bringing the dowel down to the right diameter.

I think making whistles is a LOT of fun But I agree with you, it's more fun playing them!

My last 3 attempts have been far from fun. A few in between the decent whistles were also frustrating. Maybe it was one of those things that was something to experience but not a regular thing for me to do.

Anyway, I really enjoy the Generation nickel Bb and Waltons D. A Generation nickel D has been on the wish list lately. If they're as good as the Bb one will have to be ordered soon.

[Tor]

I have a nickel Generation F which is, as far as this relative beginner can tell, perfect in every way. Its only problem is that it's in F..

It's completely untweaked, and I didn't test it before buying, it came straight from the box during an "Ooh, candy!" moment where I grabbed and bought a handful of whistles while waiting at the counter to pay for my new ukulele. So, unless there's something special about these Gen. F whistles, it appears that I managed to get one of those mythical 'good ones' by accident. No squeaks, no intonation problems, goes easily into second octave without any (for this beginner) harsh in-betweens, all second-octave notes are fine, it's clean-sounding.

This F is much better than any of my other Generation whistles, it's even better than the tweaked D. But it's also my only F whistle, so I'm not sure if those are supposed to be like that (well, my Gen. high-G isn't at all equal, but then again the G is too small for me to play easily).

-Tor

[Lars Larry Mór Mott]

This is my best whistle, a "magic" Pre-80's Bb Generation. It looks somewhat like Rory Gallagher's Stratocaster, but it out-plays every Bb i have tried and own/ed. Playing it neck to neck with my new Jerry Freeman tweaked Bb Gen, the old one buzz betwen the fingers and has a much more haunting tone, reminding me of Paddy Moloney's sound from the very old Chieftains recordings.
I really wish i had one to sell to everybody who's asked me

[ytliek]

As a newbie, I have to say the favorite is Freeman Bluebird in D (for now), however, I did obtain a few other whistles and like very much. I'm just teething on that freeman Bluebird while learning whistling and may have to purchase another one as a spare because of all the chew marks. It's embarrassing, but, I'm not showing anyone anything! Especially Jerry Freeman

[Tor]

Ok an Impempe high D just came in the door, and this one I really like - it took five seconds. I'm basically a beginner, and the Impempe not only sounds good, it's very easy to play too. It does what I want to, it's easy to get the sound I want. Something else that's useful for a beginner is that it's very easy to feel the holes. One problem with it is that it's very difficult to put away.

The previous poster mentioned the Bluebird D - I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, I'm looking forward to that.

And I suspect an Impempe C will be my next acquisition after that, as soon as I can find one.

-Tor

[Lars Larry Mór Mott]

Ok an Impempe high D just came in the door, and this one I really like - it took five seconds. I'm basically a beginner, and the Impempe not only sounds good, it's very easy to play too. It does what I want to, it's easy to get the sound I want. Something else that's useful for a beginner is that it's very easy to feel the holes. One problem with it is that it's very difficult to put it away.

The previous poster mentioned the Bluebird D - I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, I'm looking forward to that.

And I suspect an Impempe C will be my next acquisition after that, as soon as I can find one.

-Tor

Good plan there!
I have iMpempes in Bb,B,C,D,Eb and E and they're all great with the B one being my favourite.

[An Draighean]

I have a sentimental attachment to my first whistle, a brass Generation D that I bought in Belfast in 1975. It has been around the world with me several times. It has survived British army check points, IRA and UDA/UVF road blocks, a 4WD rollover, camping, customs, airport security, etc. It is dented and scratched but still plays more or less in tune. I tried to replace it with a nickel Generation but I still pack the old brass one every where I go as my travel whistle.

As far as favorite to play, I like my Generation brass C (also bought in Belfast in 1975 or '76) and for a low whistle my Hohner G. The Generation C is spot-on in pitch to all my Seamus Ennis records/cd's. Since Ennis' flat-set was supposed to be in C#, I don't know if his pipes were flatter than C#, the recordings are off, or my whistle is sharp.

[maki]

[quote="An Draighean"]... It has been around the world with me several times. It has survived British army check points, IRA and UDA/UVF road blocks, a 4WD rollover...[quote]

Dude, I'm glad you survived.

[Tres]

My favorite whistle fluctuates between the Burke narrow bore brass D and my "Frankenwhistle"-- an Oak D head on a nickle generation body. Probably the absolute best sounding whistle I have is an older style Generation Bb that is magical!

[Tres]

This is my best whistle, a "magic" Pre-80's Bb Generation. It looks somewhat like Rory Gallagher's Stratocaster, but it out-plays every Bb i have tried and own/ed. Playing it neck to neck with my new Jerry Freeman tweaked Bb Gen, the old one buzz betwen the fingers and has a much more haunting tone, reminding me of Paddy Moloney's sound from the very old Chieftains recordings.
I really wish i had one to sell to everybody who's asked me

My old Generation Bb is magical too. My Sindt Bb is as close to perfect as a whistle can be, but the old Generation just has a little etherial, haunting, something extra.