Nice with your comparison videos! Thanks! I play bass recorder (most often in the tenor range since I like tenor tones on the bass recorder better than playing them on the tenor recorder). I have a 19th century simple system flute, nach Meyer, but get problems with my arms holding it as I should. So I thought about buying a low D whistle. What I can buy is Tony dixon, Kerry Optima, or Chieftain custom or V5. Which of these do, in your opinion, sound most like a simple system flute or böhm flute and not as much as a recorder? When playing my nach Meyer, I often play hymns, so I would like to reach the first tones of the third octave. :/ I think I played e in the third sometimes. Its hard to not beeing able to try them out before buying. I am not sure if I like the breathy sound of the V5 or not. Cannot hear it in real life. Thanks again for making comparising videos! They are really valuable.
@@fornamnefternamn4869 the Dixon has a really nice tone and a slight taper to the bore, similar to a simple system flute. Of the ones you mentioned, that would be my choice for being closest in tone. However, I wouldn't consider any of those to be particularly "flute-like". "Flute-like" whistles, in my opinion, have a strong, hard bell note, focused, reedy tone, and less air noise. An Onyx by Walt Sweet is probably the closest low D whistle to a simple system flute (or its wooden Sweetheart versions). Burke whistles also have that hard low D and a thick, warm sound, and I think they're easier to play than the Onyx. However, the Dixon is much more affordable. The third octave E is going to be a bit iffy on any whistle.
@@NathanielDowell Thank you so much for taking time to answer. I checked a comparison video Chieftain vs Kerry Optima, and the on playing, called the V5 "more flute like" so that "flute like" seams to mean different things to different people. (It was on kerrywhistels YT-channel). I can understand though what you describes, and what you describe is what I get from listening to the three instruments on YT. I for sure want something not sounding like a recorder. If I wanted, I already have recorders. I also have heard that Dixon is hard to play low notes on and that they are more out of tune in higher notes than others. If thats correct, maybe the Kerry Optima is best. I may not know what sound "reedy" describes. I think about the reed thaat shawn/oboe/basoon/dulcian has when hearing that word, so in my head "reedy" becomes the more airy sound that the V5 has, but I may have gotten it totally wrong. (English is not my first language, I'm from Sweden.)
Your custom sounds so much different in this video than mine does. Not sure if there's a difference in them, but I absolutely love how my custom plays and sounds.
Gotta admit, I think the custom sounded awesome in your video. Would have held on to it probably. I have a V4, amazing whistle. Just ordered a custom as well. I have a MK Pro as well. Its good, but most of the time I prefer the more even, compressed octaves of the chieftain. They just play so easy to me. I find the MK hard to lay back on, especially in the upper octave. You have to push it pretty hard all the time.
Sorry for being a bit off-topic here: did you think about trying Kerry Low D? Phil has resurrected that old model with a bulk plastic head at a pretty low price.
Do think it is important to choose the tunable Version of an Instrument? Your kerry optima is fixed, does than mean it is not well tuned? Thanks for helping.
Sorry, I miss this comment. In general, if a whistle is well tuned, I don't think it absolutely needs to be tunable. However, if you play with other instruments, or in extreme temperatures (outdoors), then tunability can be beneficial. If it's cold, for instance, you might play a bit flat, so pushing the slide in can bring you up to pitch (again, assuming you have to match someone). A guitar can be tuned to match a fixed whistle, but if you're playing with an accordion, or some other non-tunable instrument (even another whistle), a tuning slide is handy. For my casual uses, I've never really needed one, but it doesn't really hurt to have it and not need it, other than adding complexity to the instrument, and something that needs some maintenance.
Which one out of your low D whistles would you say is the closest to Goldie sound-wise? I really like its "nasal" first octave sound that cuts well though a mix with other instruments. I like the Dixon low D for a similar reason even if it's quiet. I just got a Chieftain V5 and it doesn't quite sound how I expected/wanted which is a shame cause it plays so wonderfully.
@@NathanielDowell Yeah another person already told me to get Goldie if I want a Goldie sound haha. By the way, since the V5 is my first aluminum low D whistle, how would you say the weight compares to Goldie? I find it a bit heavy coming from Goldfinch and Dixon but not too much so. Also, the V5 plays very easily (easy to seal the small holes, not large stretch, no squeaks whatsoever). I've heard some people say that the V5 is easier to play than Goldie.
@@Tremendouz probably similar weight. The Goldie might be a bit harder to play because it has more back pressure than the V5. You have to push harder to get the second octave, but it's fine once you get used to it.
@@NathanielDowell I would probably be fine in that regard. The V5 has more backpressure than Goldfinch but after a few minutes I didn't even notice. I wish I would've grabbed that soft-blower low D someone was selling on Chiff and Fipple a few months back but I wasn't confident enough about being able to handle it.
So Iona, kerry optima D I don’t like it because I find it just very hard to get a tone and I think it’s just too breath for me so I’m looking into a V5 chieftain I own currently an MK kelpie, which is like flute and it’s very easy with little back pressure. when I switched that as my second whistle over the Optima, I was amazed how easy I could play because I started to believe I was a really bad player, but it turns out it was just the optima as my first low whistle was difficult and I was frustrated. Only kelpie, even though it’s not as complex has a good strong tone and I feel really confident with it. It’s also more slender and much heavier, and it’s not tunable, but it seems to work in small However, I still like that complex smoky sounds in the Optima but I want something less breathy maybe I’ll look into thunderbird Thanks for the demo. I realize I don’t like super brassy sounding whistles. It took some time. I always had a hard time getting the height second octavwith Carrie, and my lower ends would break I think it was just too fragile for me.
Hey Nathaniel, I have a question - I have a Chieftain V5 and an MK Kelpie. I actually find myself preferring the V5 to the Kelpie because it's a bit quieter and has more of that "rasp" or "airy" quality to the sound (which I really like). Do the Carbony whistles offer a similar "rasp" or are they more pure and loud like the Kelpie? Any other whistles you can recommend that might have the kind of quiet, raspy sound that I'm looking for?
Carbony whistles are totally different animals. They're not pure toned, but they're just warm and woody. You might look at Dante Music's offerings. They've got some nice rasp to the sound, remeiniscent of my V3, though not as punchy. I really like the alto whistles, but the low D is good as well. You can check out my overview of them.
What would you suggest for a beginner Low D Whistle between a Kerry Optima and a Tony Dixon (aluminum body)? Which of the two has clearer sound, requires less air pressure, clogs less and is more durable? I'm asking you about these two models because as far as I'm concerned they're the most affordable and decent ones (regarding their price) out there. I'd like to know your opinion as an experienced whistle player. Keep up the good job with your channel!
That's a tough call. I'd probably go for the Dixon based on my experience with the Alto G. It's a quiet whistle, but sweet and easy to blow. The Optima developed cracks its way to me, and while Phil Hardy provided a replacement, it makes me nervous.
@@NathanielDowell Thanks for answering Nathaniel. I'll seriously take your advice into consideration. The cracked Kerry Optima mouthpieces seem to be a usual complaint...
Bb is a tough one for me. For sheer price to performance ratio, the Generation is impossible to beat. For overall favorite Bb, my Carbony is excellent, as is my Chieftain Thunderbird. The Goldfinch is nice too.
Hi, Mr. Nathaniel, May i ask you? I have the Chieftain Low D whistle, V4 model. Which model is breathing less of Custom and V4 or V3? I'd like tone of the Custom model. Have a good day. Thank you. LEE from south Korea. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The V3 takes the most air. If I had to guess, I'd say the Custom is probably the most air efficient model, but the V4 and V5 are close behind it, if I recall. I sold the Custom and it's been a while since I played a V4 or V5, so I can't say for certain.
how do you get such rich mellow sound from your low whistles? i just started practicing with my Chieftain v5 (my first instruments) and the sound just seems to come as way more sharp, even when i try to tone down how hard im blowing, any tips?
As far as I know, you just have to find the best blow strength for wherever you are on the whistle. Some whistles need to be blown softer, some harder. You might spend some time on a single note, finding where it sounds best and getting familiar with how it feels to keep it there, but it's mostly a matter of practice.
@@tonipennanen1470 sure, the nice thing about whistles is that the head generates the tone, so you just have to give it the air it wants and cover the holes properly and it does the work for you. All those factors being equal, after a little practice, you should be able to produce the same quality of tone on that whistle as the finest players on the same whistle. On the other hand, if you move over to 'Irish' flute, you'll find you're much more responsible for tone quality, and so a professional with a phenomenal embouchure will produce a very different tone from a relatively new player, and two different professionals might get two different tones from the same instrument.
Time Stamps
12:07 - Kerry Optima
They are mould lines not cracks. Cheers
anyone who bought one knows this ;)
My Optima low D has the clear head and it has been cracked since I got it. Seems to play good, so I never ordered any replacements for it.
Nice with your comparison videos! Thanks! I play bass recorder (most often in the tenor range since I like tenor tones on the bass recorder better than playing them on the tenor recorder). I have a 19th century simple system flute, nach Meyer, but get problems with my arms holding it as I should. So I thought about buying a low D whistle. What I can buy is Tony dixon, Kerry Optima, or Chieftain custom or V5. Which of these do, in your opinion, sound most like a simple system flute or böhm flute and not as much as a recorder? When playing my nach Meyer, I often play hymns, so I would like to reach the first tones of the third octave. :/ I think I played e in the third sometimes.
Its hard to not beeing able to try them out before buying. I am not sure if I like the breathy sound of the V5 or not. Cannot hear it in real life.
Thanks again for making comparising videos! They are really valuable.
@@fornamnefternamn4869 the Dixon has a really nice tone and a slight taper to the bore, similar to a simple system flute. Of the ones you mentioned, that would be my choice for being closest in tone. However, I wouldn't consider any of those to be particularly "flute-like". "Flute-like" whistles, in my opinion, have a strong, hard bell note, focused, reedy tone, and less air noise. An Onyx by Walt Sweet is probably the closest low D whistle to a simple system flute (or its wooden Sweetheart versions). Burke whistles also have that hard low D and a thick, warm sound, and I think they're easier to play than the Onyx. However, the Dixon is much more affordable. The third octave E is going to be a bit iffy on any whistle.
@@NathanielDowell Thank you so much for taking time to answer. I checked a comparison video Chieftain vs Kerry Optima, and the on playing, called the V5 "more flute like" so that "flute like" seams to mean different things to different people. (It was on kerrywhistels YT-channel). I can understand though what you describes, and what you describe is what I get from listening to the three instruments on YT.
I for sure want something not sounding like a recorder. If I wanted, I already have recorders.
I also have heard that Dixon is hard to play low notes on and that they are more out of tune in higher notes than others. If thats correct, maybe the Kerry Optima is best.
I may not know what sound "reedy" describes. I think about the reed thaat shawn/oboe/basoon/dulcian has when hearing that word, so in my head "reedy" becomes the more airy sound that the V5 has, but I may have gotten it totally wrong. (English is not my first language, I'm from Sweden.)
Your custom sounds so much different in this video than mine does. Not sure if there's a difference in them, but I absolutely love how my custom plays and sounds.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's some variability in the copies. Maybe you got a great one.
Gotta admit, I think the custom sounded awesome in your video. Would have held on to it probably. I have a V4, amazing whistle. Just ordered a custom as well. I have a MK Pro as well. Its good, but most of the time I prefer the more even, compressed octaves of the chieftain. They just play so easy to me. I find the MK hard to lay back on, especially in the upper octave. You have to push it pretty hard all the time.
Sorry for being a bit off-topic here: did you think about trying Kerry Low D? Phil has resurrected that old model with a bulk plastic head at a pretty low price.
@@pavelsorokoletov2558 I've seen Phil's videos with the new design, but I haven't watched any of them yet.
Do think it is important to choose the tunable Version of an Instrument? Your kerry optima is fixed, does than mean it is not well tuned? Thanks for helping.
Sorry, I miss this comment. In general, if a whistle is well tuned, I don't think it absolutely needs to be tunable. However, if you play with other instruments, or in extreme temperatures (outdoors), then tunability can be beneficial. If it's cold, for instance, you might play a bit flat, so pushing the slide in can bring you up to pitch (again, assuming you have to match someone). A guitar can be tuned to match a fixed whistle, but if you're playing with an accordion, or some other non-tunable instrument (even another whistle), a tuning slide is handy. For my casual uses, I've never really needed one, but it doesn't really hurt to have it and not need it, other than adding complexity to the instrument, and something that needs some maintenance.
Which one out of your low D whistles would you say is the closest to Goldie sound-wise? I really like its "nasal" first octave sound that cuts well though a mix with other instruments. I like the Dixon low D for a similar reason even if it's quiet. I just got a Chieftain V5 and it doesn't quite sound how I expected/wanted which is a shame cause it plays so wonderfully.
The Kerry Optima, though its first octave isn't as strong, it's got a more open tone and takes more air. It's sort of a budget Goldie.
Honestly, the Goldie is in a class of its own, especially in how it plays.
@@NathanielDowell Yeah another person already told me to get Goldie if I want a Goldie sound haha.
By the way, since the V5 is my first aluminum low D whistle, how would you say the weight compares to Goldie? I find it a bit heavy coming from Goldfinch and Dixon but not too much so.
Also, the V5 plays very easily (easy to seal the small holes, not large stretch, no squeaks whatsoever). I've heard some people say that the V5 is easier to play than Goldie.
@@Tremendouz probably similar weight. The Goldie might be a bit harder to play because it has more back pressure than the V5. You have to push harder to get the second octave, but it's fine once you get used to it.
@@NathanielDowell I would probably be fine in that regard. The V5 has more backpressure than Goldfinch but after a few minutes I didn't even notice.
I wish I would've grabbed that soft-blower low D someone was selling on Chiff and Fipple a few months back but I wasn't confident enough about being able to handle it.
So Iona, kerry optima D
I don’t like it because I find it just very hard to get a tone and I think it’s just too breath for me so I’m looking into a V5 chieftain
I own currently an MK kelpie, which is like flute and it’s very easy with little back pressure. when I switched that as my second whistle over the Optima, I was amazed how easy I could play because I started to believe I was a really bad player, but it turns out it was just the optima as my first low whistle was difficult and I was frustrated.
Only kelpie, even though it’s not as complex has a good strong tone and I feel really confident with it. It’s also more slender and much heavier, and it’s not tunable, but it seems to work in small
However, I still like that complex smoky sounds in the Optima but I want something less breathy maybe I’ll look into thunderbird
Thanks for the demo.
I realize I don’t like super brassy sounding whistles. It took some time.
I always had a hard time getting the height second octavwith Carrie, and my lower ends would break I think it was just too fragile for me.
Hey Nathaniel, I have a question -
I have a Chieftain V5 and an MK Kelpie. I actually find myself preferring the V5 to the Kelpie because it's a bit quieter and has more of that "rasp" or "airy" quality to the sound (which I really like). Do the Carbony whistles offer a similar "rasp" or are they more pure and loud like the Kelpie? Any other whistles you can recommend that might have the kind of quiet, raspy sound that I'm looking for?
Carbony whistles are totally different animals. They're not pure toned, but they're just warm and woody. You might look at Dante Music's offerings. They've got some nice rasp to the sound, remeiniscent of my V3, though not as punchy. I really like the alto whistles, but the low D is good as well. You can check out my overview of them.
What would you suggest for a beginner Low D Whistle between a Kerry Optima and a Tony Dixon (aluminum body)? Which of the two has clearer sound, requires less air pressure, clogs less and is more durable? I'm asking you about these two models because as far as I'm concerned they're the most affordable and decent ones (regarding their price) out there. I'd like to know your opinion as an experienced whistle player. Keep up the good job with your channel!
That's a tough call. I'd probably go for the Dixon based on my experience with the Alto G. It's a quiet whistle, but sweet and easy to blow. The Optima developed cracks its way to me, and while Phil Hardy provided a replacement, it makes me nervous.
@@NathanielDowell Thanks for answering Nathaniel. I'll seriously take your advice into consideration. The cracked Kerry Optima mouthpieces seem to be a usual complaint...
Love your videos man. Could. I ask which Bb Whistle is you favourite? 👍
Bb is a tough one for me. For sheer price to performance ratio, the Generation is impossible to beat. For overall favorite Bb, my Carbony is excellent, as is my Chieftain Thunderbird. The Goldfinch is nice too.
@@NathanielDowell Thanks man .
I suggest Gary Humphrey and Becker Whistles.
Hey Nathaniel, which brand low F would you recommend? Are there good alternatives to Goldie? Does Thunderbird F worth it?
The Thunderbird F is a good one.
Here are some other options:
ruclips.net/video/jEEvggey2wM/видео.html
Hi, Mr. Nathaniel,
May i ask you? I have the Chieftain Low D whistle, V4 model. Which model is breathing less of Custom and V4 or V3? I'd like tone of the Custom model.
Have a good day.
Thank you.
LEE from south Korea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The V3 takes the most air. If I had to guess, I'd say the Custom is probably the most air efficient model, but the V4 and V5 are close behind it, if I recall. I sold the Custom and it's been a while since I played a V4 or V5, so I can't say for certain.
Thank you for fast reply.
how do you get such rich mellow sound from your low whistles? i just started practicing with my Chieftain v5 (my first instruments) and the sound just seems to come as way more sharp, even when i try to tone down how hard im blowing, any tips?
As far as I know, you just have to find the best blow strength for wherever you are on the whistle. Some whistles need to be blown softer, some harder. You might spend some time on a single note, finding where it sounds best and getting familiar with how it feels to keep it there, but it's mostly a matter of practice.
@@NathanielDowell thanks alot for answering! ill keep practicing
@@tonipennanen1470 sure, the nice thing about whistles is that the head generates the tone, so you just have to give it the air it wants and cover the holes properly and it does the work for you. All those factors being equal, after a little practice, you should be able to produce the same quality of tone on that whistle as the finest players on the same whistle. On the other hand, if you move over to 'Irish' flute, you'll find you're much more responsible for tone quality, and so a professional with a phenomenal embouchure will produce a very different tone from a relatively new player, and two different professionals might get two different tones from the same instrument.
3:20 -> Chieftain Custom
12:07 -> Kerry Optima
18:58 -> Goldie
I have a v3 and a standard v5 My v5 is both louder, easier to blow and more rounded than my v3.
Interesting. What's the serial number on your V3? They went through a few design changes. Mine is from 2007.