I actually like the natural sound better than the mastered sound. I know everyone wants a processed sound these days, but you make everything beautiful!!!
I ordered a Carbony Low D whistle from Carbony Celtic Winds. I, also sent them an email that acknowledged the CutiePie review of the Carbony Low D whistle for my decision to buy.
Thank you SO MUCH for your review on this whistle. I've finally taken the plunge and received my whistle today and it's all that you say, and more. I can't put it down. It's taken an effort to move away from piper's grip but once I allowed my hands to relax, being able to put pads on all the holes is fantastic. I got the two thumb hole version and I'm so glad I did. This is indeed the Whistle Of Whistles and I can't imagine using another one now.
I just received my Carbony low D with close finger hole spacing and have been playing around with it. I've found that even with the close holes, it's more comfortable for me to play with a piper's grip than with my finger tips. I've been playing a Tony Dixon Low D so that's the only one I can compare it to. The Carbony does feel nice in the hand and is lightweight. Some comments on the sound. It is very breathy, way more than the Tony Dixon which has very little to no breathiness and sounds a bit like a clarinet to me. I'm not sure that I like that much breathiness as the Carbony has, but my spouse says he likes it. The Carbony does take a bit more air to play than the Tony Dixon. It is much quieter/softer than the Tony Dixon, but the volume is more even as one goes up to the second octave, which I appreciate. It's a mellow sound. The base note seems a tiny bit off, but that could be my playing. The Carbony seems to be a very expressive whistle in comparison, the slides are easier to play clean and clear without the accidental raspiness that can occur. Half holing is pretty easy. Overall, I like it, but I think it will take some time for me to love it.
This really is a breakthrough whistle, it appears. While it is expensive for a whistle, compared to other top of the line musical instruments, it's not expensive at all. The Grey Larson video is worth watching, as the whistle can do even more (thumb holes for easy C and F natural) if ordered that way.
I got a Carbony low D the first year they came out. Easy to play, Light weight, great tone and a nice even breathiness. Easy to move between registers. Great whistle.
Really, I need one of these. I have a number of low D whistles and I struggle with them. Especially as dexterity is now a problem with the onset of arthritis. So I’m saving up for this one. Love your videos and thanks for this review:)
As a beginner flute maker this is a wonderful review, especially the explaining of the angled chimney along with the thick walls, it all makes sense...you can't have angled chimney's without thick walls ! :D
This video might help you understand their uses: ru-vid.comDseu2xlxhys?feature=share There benefit is you can play two additional notes per octave,, without having to half- hole. The downside is, you have to place your thumbs over the holes at all times to play the whistle, and the holes may not be in the most comfortable position.
Everything you say about this whistle is true. The close hole spacing fixes the issue I have had with low Ds due to my hand injury. The only problem I have with it is that below the windway, and to either side, the tip is cut so that there are downward facing edges which dig into my lip after playing a while. I wonder if anyone else has this problem. Maybe I can adjust my approach to fix this?
You don’t have to worry about the chimney tubes coming loose when cleaning the whistle; they are set in stone so to speak. Should they still manage to come off just contact Carbony, for the whistle has a lifetime warranty.
Nice! I am travelling to the US to hike the Pacific Crest Trail next year and was thinking of bringing my low whistle with me. I love the idea of floating some tunes down into the valleys from atop the high sierras. Carbon fibre whistle would be an excellent choice. Thanks for posting and keep up the lovely work. Michael from Ireland. (Have you done tabs on Eanach Dhuin by any chance?)
Thank you for all this fine content!! I am about to purchase my second low D and for me it comes down to the Carbony vs. the Mk pro. Can you give me any advise regarding air requirements for those whistles? On my Shaw Low D I am struggling to reach the higher octaves :(
I actually have a high G carbony whistle and they sound really nice. I am not surprised that the low D is spendy because the High G whistle runs $250 but I really do like their High G so I am sure their low D is lovely as well.
The carbon fiber body of these make sense now that I know the sorcery behind the finger holes, and the cost is now justifiable. All that R&D that must have went into these is crazy.
Thanks so much for such an informative video!! I have tried multiple times to use the tips of my fingers and cannot achieve this. I believe my problem is that along with my small hands comes a very short body and hence the whistle itself is too long and must be held in the piper's grip to cover the holes. If the top of the mouthpiece (fipple) was located about 3 inches lower I could use the pads of my fingers. But the piper's grip certainly works and I love my carbon low D!!! PS: love your other videos!!! Keep up the good work.
I ordered one this week. Rob has a new head design, with “air dams” around the voicing window to strengthen the low notes. The new heads will be ready by the time my whistle ships. :)
@@TheGazzadj I enjoy the whistle a lot…and it is very much easier to play than a conventional whistle, both because of the finger spacing which keeps your hands relaxed, and because the breath requirements are low and consistent through the range. It does not have the deep resonance at the low end of an MK, but it is well balanced and much easier on the high notes. Pleasant sound overall. I am actually considering selling it on at the moment, as it is considerably more whistle than my level of skill is ever going to justify…and it deserves a better home. :)
@@StephenIngraham It is quite pricey isn't it. I think I would have to think long and hard before I splashed out also. Thanks for your insight and reply. Rgds Gary
As always ! Its so perfectly awesome ! You are amazing my dear ! Why not for a next video to play an (Optima) Goldie Whistle ? 😁🤗♥️😘😍 Im proud to following your work 🥰
Whoa! I feel like this is a paradigm shift in the construction of woodwind instruments! I never would have even realized you can change the outer location of a hole relative to the inner location! I'm wondering if there are any traditional instruments that make use of this principle?
Thanks for sharing this whistle with us. For those who have the extra money and need the closer hole spacing I'm sure this is going to be great for them. But $500 is way out of my ability or desire to pay for a single whistle when my used MK Kelpie does just fine for me (plus I really like the sound of MK whistles).
I'm actually pretty good with the piper's grip now but with my larger hands that closer finger spacing would be amazingly easy for me to play :) Yes, Carbony whistles are expensive but the one high D that I have is absolutely perfect. And this genius design with those chimney extenders is outstanding, you can tell Rob has a passion for his craft. These whistles will out last most of their owners I bet lol. P.S. I've been wearing my Low Whistle Warrior shirt and I love it :D
Hey, thanks for the review! I found the 2nd octave A and B require an ungodly amount of air on the Carbony. Was this the same for yours? Is this just a trait of all Low D whistles? It is such a huge jump from the G that it doesn't feel right, but I am not playing for long :)
@@arielninio5955 I seem to remember Shaw's low D had closer spacing than the Howard low D that I play now. But something about the breathing required on the Shaw always made me dizzy!
This video was enlightening... I have bought close spaced Low B, Low C and Low D, Mezzo G and High C and D. Call Rob on his line to ask for discount if you are ordering 3 or more whistles. The sound is superb... like a real hardwood instrument.
The Shaw low D whistles had chimneys on hole 3 and 6 to reduce the spacing. They weren't the easiest to play but I regret selling mine as it had real character.
Hello Stephanie...I found another Low D Whistle called Mountain Made Low D Whistle. It claims to have two offset ring finger holes that makes it easier to play for people with small hands. It is inexpensive which makes me wonder about the quality of sound. If you can check this WHISTLE out I would love to hear what you think of it. Thanks. Joanne
I'd love to have one one as they have a really nice sound. That is the first time I have seen a hard rubber mouthpiece on a whistle and I quite like that. I have a low D V3 Chieftain (non tuneable) and find it hard to play as I have normal palms but slightly short fingers so don't play low whistles much, the lowest I can play well is low F and low G. These whistles though are just a bit expensive for me at the moment but I can understand the price given how these are made and sound. Saying that I play saxophones and I am just about to upgrade to a professional alto sax and it costs over 10 times as much as one of these. Have you played a tabor pipe? I have one. I don't remember the make of the top of my head but I think its a Dixon Traditional in D. I find I am only able to play low or high notes and can't get the middle notes to come out at all no matter what I have tried and can't seem to play any tunes on it.
I have worked a tiny bit with carbon fiber (not with musical instruments) and I'd imagine so. The whistle will also be VERY difficult to break. It should be largely indifferent to ambient temperature as well.
Sounds great, I got a Warbl recently and was wondering if you'd be able to share your settings? I'm having some trouble getting mine to feel just right :( Do you have a screenshot of your settings or the software you use?
On the Warbl website at the online configuration tool, I don't really change anything other than the whistle key, and what the buttons do 😊 I use the Fluid Synth Midi Android app to make sounds.
In this video and one other one I hear some interesting intonation with this whistle. Is it just me? Also not sure whether to buy the small or large bore, and whether I want one or both thumb holes
I’m really ready for one of these, have to sell my impossible ( for me) Chieftain as it deserves to be played by someone with bigger hands! Or I’d give it away if a Carbony came my way 😊
Hi CP! My question ( and my major issue with low whistles as ever!) is how easy is it to get up into the second octave with? Thus far for me only my Chris Wall low D gets up there easily - no such joy at all really with Howard, MKPro or Chieftain V5 ( all of which were more expensive instruments, considerably so in case of the MK) So how does this ( even more expensive) one, which certainly has a unique attraction with its finger hole spacing, actually compare in this respect with your Chris Wall??
Maybe I'm getting old but my first thought was how can you clean the whistle with those chimneys inside? :-D But it sounds lovely - like all the Carbony Whistles.
Great review, thank you! I would not have considered getting a low D ever, even though I love the sound of low whistles, my hands just can't do it. But with this, maybe I could. I struggle with a Bb but can somewhat manage. A high C is much better for me. Would you say the finger spacing on these is more in line with a Bb or a high C?
I have a normal Ab and a low E with the chimneys and the finger spacing is almost identical. Here's a picture with the low D and a measuring stick if that helps: greylarsen.com/shop/product/big-bore-low-whistles-with-close-spacing-via-chimney-extenders-keys-of-low-c-d-e-flat-e-and-f/
another thought. He does the chimneys up to an F if you think the D is too much. Personally I was unsure about the reach on the D so I went with the E. (It's probably bad RU-vid etiquette to link to your own channel but I do have some vids with the low E. Search for "carbony low e chimney".)
I would love to see you do a tutorial on how to play Vode An (From Republic Commando soundtrack) on a low D flute. Something i would love to learn to play after i finish building my own flute.
Damn! Wish I knew about this earlier. I have a low D and struggle with the piper grip. The biggest problem is my fingers are skinny, so covering the holes along with the grip is discouraging. Other than spending $540 USD on this whistle any suggestions? Tape the fingers to make them thicker? Gloves? 🤷♂️ Help! 🙏
Great invention indeed. I'm wondering, how low can they possibly go? I have a Shearwater bass G, and that's the absolute max that my fingers can handle. But with the Carbony principle? Hmm...
Is this low D whistle a standard size bore? And do you recommend the additional thumb holes or is it easier for a beginner to not have to worry about closing thumb holes.
@@jandunn169 I'm not sure what bore size I have unfortunately. I would assume it's standard though. Thumbholes are entirely up to you. You don't need them, but you can cover them with tape and not have to worry about them at all, and then you may wish to use them later on 🤷♀️ I prefer to half hole to hit additional notes, so I wouldn't choose them personally, but if you feel you'd rather not half-hole, then go for the thumbholes ❤️ If you don't know about half holing, there's a video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Tueb0Q778CQ.htmlsi=6K2VOrlV6MXw9TJL Whereas this is how the thumbholes work: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-G21qJQv-Dqg.htmlsi=_PWQZTRiLXJki5Cu
My Whistle Smith low D just arrived today. Yes, the fingering is easier to reach. The whistle is quieter than my Tony Dixon low D which makes it easier on family life. But, the first register is not as accurate as the second register. First register: D=spot on ; E=E# or Fb about 44 cents off on my tuner. The rest of the first register is not completely accurate. I'll use it for my knock around low whistle.
I have one...an older whistle I bought on ebay and had the WhistleSmith professionally clean and revoice. He gave it a new fipple and mouthpiece cover and resized the holes for more accurate tuning...as he said it looked like the whistle had gotten baked, maybe in a hot car at some point in its life. Long story short, it is quiet, as noted, but it has a nice round rich tone, and a very easy second octave. The bottom E is still the weakest note, but if you get your breath just right it can be blown, if not into tune, at least to a pleasing sound. And the finger spacing is as close as you are going to get on anything short of the Carbony reviewed here. For $70, it is certainly worth a buy as a “first” low whistle, and definitely for anyone who struggles to reach the holes on a conventional low whistle. I have a review of inexpensive low whistle that includes the WhistleSmith on my channel...nothing as refined as the review and tutorials here, but...
I have one, it is easy to play, but very quiet, and I agree the low E is hard to play. I would love to get a louder with a deeper tone Low whistle, but the carbony winds is Way too pricy for me. It is a great place to start it $ is tight
Is an wild A major slow whistle popular. I received a present of one. There never mentioned or discussed. D seems used most. I can't find any slow airs using an A whistle. Thanks.
The widow hey doesn't really matter of you use tabs. This video might help explain a little more: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SRgKbwRzwAA.html
Yes! You definitely don't need too, it's just a force of habit 🤣 I actually keep overshooting the bottom holes as I'm so used to playing larger whistles, so it's taking a bit of getting used to for me. I use the Piper's grip on my little Bb whistle too, though only ever on my bottom hand. I use finger pads on the top hand regardless of the key/size 😆😆
@@CutiepieTinWhistle my fingertips. Are so small, that I have trouble covering the holes, especially on my low E Setaitta whistle. You mention finger pads? Can you give me information on that please?
@@jobarrieglenn this video shows you how to cover the holes with finger pads on tin whistle: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g2PNC49fyMI.html You should never use your finger tips to play.
Not bad at all on the clogging front :) like all whistles they clog a little from time to time, but not immediately, and certainly not in a way you can't play through. I haven't washed mine, as I'm somewhat afraid to disturb the inside of the main body of the whistle, but you can remove and wash the mouthpiece in diluted dish soapy water and clean the outer body of the whistle with a damp cloth :)
@@CutiepieTinWhistle I can’t find a video on RU-vid played by the tin whistle, but here is one played by the recorder with tabs😊 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IlHkzm6UxeE.html THANK YOU!!
Have you ever seen those Davie504 Bass videos? for a moment I was expecting a "Husband playing with the Piper's Grip at 3.000 views" challenge 😀 Actually, the balance between the upper and the lower notes is impressive.
No other low whistle had spacing like the Carbony, but I've found the Tony Dixon Polymer one piece whistle to be pretty achievable. Susato also make a whistle with tone hole keys. I have reviewed both of these.
@CutiepieTinWhistle you're awesome, thank you. I just recently had heart surgery and a pacemaker implanted, so my budget isn't much, but I'm looking at this to be some therapy for me. Both physically and mentally. There is a particular sound and tone I'm trying to get to as close as possible. The first song I want to learn is Titanic. There is another girl on YT playing it on a Kerry Busker mezzo B, but it was originally played with a Kerry Pro low D. But I like the sound of both. But I think the B might be a better beginning fit for me. IDK. lol
@@jasonwalton1985 a Bflat is a lot more common than a B, and it's a lovely key of whistle 😊 easier to play too, and usually pretty affordable. Susato Oriole and Generation make whistle Bb whistles. Do you play already? If not, I'd also recommend a cheap high D whistle to learn on, as most tutorials will be in the key of D. x
@CutiepieTinWhistle not really, I've tinkered with them off and on years ago. I had a couple of Clarke whistles a C and E I believe. But I didn't like the tone of them. But I know a little more about key and tone now than I did back then. Lol I thought about getting a ivolga tunable high D or a Kerry high D. I have a Wild B flat currently that I ordered based on your titanic video, but it just doesn't sound right to me. I know that a High D is going to be higher pitch, but I'm trying to find one that has a deeper more mellow sound. The bigger bore whistles seem to be like that. After having them for a while now, what's your thoughts still on the ivolgas? Or should I stay with a metal or plastic?
@@jasonwalton1985 the iVolga high whistles I have are lovely. The low whistles...I wouldn't recommend. Low F and G are also gorgeous keys! But the iVolga low whistles are hit and miss quality wise.
This quite fascinating. My only question would be about fine tuning which could be done by using tape to sharpen or actually carving the bottom of the hole to flatten. I'd like to hear what note bending you could achieve by rolling your finger to transition from one note to a higher note. Great playing BTW.
Granted the price range isn't for everyone. They're not the most expensive whistles out there, and as instruments generally go, it's still fairly cheap 😂 most other instruments cost an absolute fortune, whether that's a harp, a handpan, a recorder, a piano, a violin - professional quality instruments come with a much higher price.
@@CutiepieTinWhistle I do understand. The technology used is very interesting and I'm sure expensive to produce. But for those who love music, and I myself am a flute maker, the price is a bit high for the average person in these times and in this economy. I also understand that pianos and other instruments are much more expensive and much more complicated to manufacture but this is a flute, and it is a simple instrument, with wind orifices that produce sound and the cost to me, for a lay person, who loves the idea of playing a flute and attaining a good instrument, a lifetime instrument, this just doesn't fit the bill. I do appreciate the craftsmanship and engineering that is went into it and I thank you for presenting it for the public to see, and those that are interested to purchase. I love your instructional videos and have learned a lot about Irish flutes. I prefer from a Craftsmanship standpoint, and the beauty of the instruments, to produce Native American style flutes, and derive immense enjoyment from playing them in nature. Have a wonderful day and thank you for the reply and blessings to you all.
It's really not. I'm under no obligation whatsoever to make reviews of the items that are sent to me. In most cases I don't even get asked by the whistle makers who choose to send me products. It's just a great whistle. I'm honest with every review I make, and as I make paid commercials for business worldwide as my day job, I don't make unpaid adverts or any adverts 'acting as a customer' in any capacity, especially not here on my RU-vid channel, which I work hard to ensure is a trustworthy, informative and free resource for those wishing to learn to play tin whistle.
I'd much rather make a purchase having listened to a review of someone who loves playing (and there are plenty of other videos of her just playing it). This one has gone on my 'wish list'
