Tony Dixon whistles

Subject: Tony Dixon whistles
From: forty two
Date: 25 Jul 01 - 06:19 AM

Played a low D whistle the other day made by Tony Dixon

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These are something else! I would usually play Susatos - but give these a try. There is even one where you can take off the mouth piece and replace it with a flute mouth piece.

Has anyone else any experiences?

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 25 Jul 01 - 07:40 AM

Any idea what price they are? No point enquiring if they're out of my league.

I'm a long-time fan of smaller Susatos - brilliant tone and loads of volume, but definitely a challenge when it comes to moving back and forth between the the higher and lower registers. Do their larger whistles overcome this difficulty?

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Drumshanty
Date: 25 Jul 01 - 07:57 AM

I bought one with the interchangeable heads as my first Low D. The price was amazing and, even though I am a complete beginner with a relatively small reach, I could get a recognisable tune out of the whistle within a few hours of practice. I still have a long way to go but I would encourage any Low D beginner to try a Dixon first because it is so easy to play that it is not discouraging.

I have not mastered the flute yet, but that is an embouchure thing!

Tracy

PS: The website is Tony Dixon Music

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: forty two
Date: 25 Jul 01 - 12:29 PM

They cost less than Susatos and the low D is much easier to play too. They require very little blowing! But, Drumshanty, more than recommending these for beginners, Dixons are serious whistles and good for any standard.

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Drumshanty
Date: 25 Jul 01 - 02:10 PM

I couldn't agree more. Two friends of mine have had a go of mine. One has been a piper since childhood, the other a whistler. They both loved it and at least one of them has ordered one. I bought it to see if there was any way I could play a low whistle and intended it to be a stepping stone to one of the better known brands - I am not going to bother now. I can't imagine that I would like the tone of any other low whistle better than my Dixon. I am toying with the idea of a soprano D now!

Tracy

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: IvanB
Date: 25 Jul 01 - 07:06 PM

I have the Dixon interchangeable setup. Cost $68 US plus shipping from Hobgoblin USA about a year ago. I haven't been able to do anything with the flute head, but I love it as a whistle - and the removable head has the advantage of making it tunable!

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: alison
Date: 25 Jul 01 - 08:49 PM

Fionn - I have a low A, low F, and low D susato... and they are much better switching between the two octaves than the smaller ones.... the A especially has a beautiful tone.

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Kernow John
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 03:47 AM

I have been playing Tony's whistles for about 5 years and can't praise them enough. Tony is an outstanding piper and makes his own sets so understands the needs of the player.
If you ever see him at a festival go through his odds bin you won't be dissapointed.
KJ

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: alison
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 04:58 AM

was it the polymer one you got? I checked out the site 35 pounds sterling ($84 US)for a low whistle........ pretty good...... but I'll wait 'til our exchange rate sorts itself out a bit....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Hawker
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 02:48 PM

I got a low D & a D - both with flute / piccolo heads and whistle heads (interchangable) they are very good, though I am not so keen on the flute heads, mainly 'cos I can't get the knack!
I have a Susato D as well and must say that I much prefer the Dixon model comparing the two, I do however prefer my Harper D to these 2 - horses for courses!
Lucy

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 28 Jul 01 - 09:00 PM

Sorry I didn't get back to this thread sooner - I guess Tony won't mind it being refreshed.

That's interesting about the bigger Susatos, Alison. I'm tempted to try one, as I do actually like their standard D, even though I'm permanently terrified of landing in no-man's land between its two registers.

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: alison
Date: 31 Jul 01 - 03:38 AM

definately worth trying Fionn......

I always loved the tone of my generation Bb... but the Susato A wins by a mile.... and they are relatively cheap...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 03:51 PM

Well I haven't got a Susato A either, so I'll try that first. I agree entirely about the Generation Bb. (Mine's brass/red.)

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: alison
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 12:54 AM

mine too...... *grin*

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: GUEST,Mike
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 03:50 PM

Hi I bought a Dixon plastic flute a couple of years a go in Hobgoblin in Bristol for £35. I had fiddled a bit with the tin whistle and saw this and on impluse bought it. I was quickly able to play simple tunes on it. I let an experienced flute player Martin Shane (Alison above knows him) play it and he sat all night in a session and played it just to show me that I didn't have to spend £400 on a Sam Murry flute to make a good acceptable sound. I bought the whistle head to make it into a low D and was impressed by the quality. To be honest about this I went on to buy a polomer flute from Michael Cronnley and a Sam Murry boxwood flute, however the Dixon is in work and once or twice a week at lunchtime I still play it. Tonys instruments good value and are well worth buying.

Mike

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: forty two
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 06:56 PM

Well after all the chat I have just ordered a D, a low D and B flat. Tony told me he makes two styles of B flat. There is a standard and a wide bore. The latter, he says, has a fatter sound and has the advantage that the mouth piece can be used on an A and G although to be fair it is not the best on the G - he says.

Should have them next week.

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Deni
Date: 04 Aug 01 - 06:19 AM

Sounds like Tony's doing well. I think after all this, I might buy one out of curiosity!!!

deni the duck

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: GUEST,alison
Date: 23 Nov 01 - 01:24 AM

well my dad brought me two of them across when he came over....... and I love them... the tunable D is beautiful, great tone and lovely to play... the low D is also good.... and for a change my little fingers can actually reach and cover the holes to make it playable..... woohoo, (most low d's are too big for me)... it is also reasonably light and doesn't take much puff to get a sound.....

can't recommend them highly enough... going to get a "C" next...... a friend of mine tried them in england last year and recommends the "low G" too...

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: jimmyt
Date: 10 Sep 04 - 08:30 AM

I just revived this thread as I have a full set of Tony Dixon's on Leadfingers'recomendation and I think they are the best whistles on the market for the price THey are a little soft toned for a crowded pub, but for tone, tunability and cost, they are hard to beat.

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Shanghaiceltic
Date: 10 Sep 04 - 06:07 PM

Thanks for refreshing this. I have just looked at the website and the good thing is that if you live outside of the UK the prices are VAT free saving almost 17% on the price.

The Low D looks interesting.

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Leadfingers
Date: 10 Sep 04 - 07:03 PM

I use Chieftens for P A gigs and Dixons for acoustic work - The Dixons are NOT loud , but are great value for the price . And Tony is a really nicer bloke to do business with !

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: GUEST,Mark Perrins
Date: 08 Mar 05 - 12:38 PM

I recently took up whistling, after a Feadog and Clarke Sop d's I bought a Dixon tuneable A - fantastic sound, I cant put it down. The upper octave is very sweet, not shrill like most Sop D whistles. The lower Octave is warm and great for legato playing. Im going to order a tuneable G next. I'll probably also get the more expensive brass slide tuneable polymer C & D Sop whistles. I was less impressed with the Dixon Low D's, great for the money but I find the plastic models a bit too soft when you're going down that low, but now Tony's brought out an Aluminium bodied range theres a good chance I'll like the Low D version!

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: GUEST,jill
Date: 25 Aug 12 - 09:47 PM

Just bought tony's nontunable polymer high d whistle. Hope I like it. I just started learning to whistle this wk and got a walden mellow d that sounded awful. So I got a clark original which sounds better but having difficulty getting decent f+, e, and d notes. Not sure if I'm blowing too hard or too soft. Hope tony's d is easy to play!

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: weerover
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 03:09 PM

Finally bought a Dixon (D) in Ireland recently. I have the usual crop of Generations as well as Susato, Chieftain, Clarke, Shaw and Reviol examples and they all have their pluses and minuses - The TD seems to be very true across the scale.

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Aug 12 - 03:14 PM

He does? Is it while he works or just anytime?


Spaw

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Dec 20 - 10:40 PM

Bu y a Tony Dixon very good D Whistle .

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Jack Campin
Date: 02 Dec 20 - 03:10 AM

I normally play recorders in sessions. When somebody starts playing a Dixon or Susato high D, I switch to something that plays in a different octave.

All cylindrical bore whistles go flat in the high register, and Dixons and Susatos go VERY flat and VERY loud. A recorder doesn't, even a cheap one - I can stay dead in tune with accordions and fiddles. But the shrieking dissonance of two high fluty things playing a high A a quartertone apart is not something I want to be part of. Listeners can't tell which one is the culprit so if I just back off they'll know it isn't me.

Please get a Clarke or save up for a Burke instead.

Subject: RE: Tony Dixon whistles
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 02 Dec 20 - 05:58 AM

I know what you mean. My son and I could never play the whistle and harmonica together in high register for that very reason. As for me, I could never get past crude-beginner on the whistle as my fingertips appear not to be connected by a direct enough pathway to my poor brain. Tony brought his flutes, whistles and pipes to our sessions many times in the days when we frequented the Wellington in Boscastle and the Tree Inn folk club, especially after it moved to the Globe in Bude. He is the most cheery and affable bloke you could wish to meet, though it must be twenty years since we last crossed paths. He once "stole" my brand new A blues harp one night at the Welly. Months later, same venue, he opened his pipes case and I spotted something glinting in one of the recesses. There it was, my harp, untouched and unnoticed by him as it nestled among all his other paraphernalia, in pristine nick!

If you read this, Tony, I absolutely assure you that I haven't touched that bodhran this side of the millennium! :-)