Dixon High D Tuneable Whistle

Nice, lightweight model and easy to handle for anyone with dexterity issues. Produces a sweet, bouncy sound and very easy to get into the second octave. It also has a decent sounding natural 'c' which isn't often the case in whistles at this price point. All in all, a very pleasing, tuneful whistle and very good value for money.

Simply, I bought this instrument to have fun with. I wanted something light-hearted to focus on outside of work. in terms of £/hours of amusement, this instrument is fantastic value. I started my whistling interest with a blue-headed Generation D. Whilst I can't fault it for 'giving me the bug', I, like many others found it to have an inconsistent tone. It sounded hollow and a bit 'hooty' in the lower register with a shrill squeaky tone in the upper register. To accompany the idiosyncratic tone, the brittle head soon cracked and broke, imparting an unwelcome fizzing/buzzing noise to the already sub-melodious character of the instrument. The broken generation was the genesis for a good deal of research into the wide world of whistling. I discovered that whistles are made from all sorts of materials, some wonderfully exotic bespoke models commanding a price of >£500! As a relative newcomer, I set my sights far lower. I wanted a simple, effective whistle, in a common key that was well reviewed. Extensive research revealed consistently glowing feedback for all of the instruments offered by Tony Dixon. The two best offerings in the low price bracket that fitted the bill best were the Trad Brass D and this tunable plastic one. Being indecisive, I bought both. This is a decision I am pleased I made. I wondered how the characteristics of a tube with some holes in could change noticeably. They are distinguished in their own way but both sound wonderful. I have reviewed the Brass D also and would encourage you to read that review too, especially if you plan on only buying just one of them. This plastic whistle sounds highly melodious. The tone is soft, even and there is no real change in the character of the sound produced as you move into the upper register. I am reliably informed (by the internet) that plastic whistles echo many of the characteristics of a fine wooden whistle, without requiring the same degree of careful moisture management that wooden ones do. The tone is marginally more mellow than its brassy cousin which perhaps suits slower airs and ballads. Conversely you could say that it requires a firmer tonguing technique to match the slightly staccato nature of the brass trad. The fingering of this plastic instrument is more relaxed; different combinations of fingers produce the same note with near enough the same tone (the brass one is a little more precise/picky in this aspect). Most notable is that high E can also be played with the thumb off (like high D) if you are being lazy or forgetful, which I often am. The instrument is also provided with a small sheath which is rigid enough to offer good protection in transit. One piece of advice I would offer is that when played extensively and placed into the sheath, a considerable amount of condensation and/or saliva can be seen. My solution to this is to place a small sachet of silica gel (found in new shoe boxes) at the bottom of the sheath. This insures that the instrument is dry when you next come to play it. Once established with this instrument, I contacted Tony Dixon via his website. He imparted concise information regarding my queries the same day and was very happy to help. He even directed me to the tutorials on his website, which was nice...

Please read the other helpful reviews on this page - I did. I am a complete beginner on the Irish whistle. I wanted an instrument that would last me for years without the need of a replacement as I advanced. Because of that, I sense that I was correct when I chose the Tony Dixon Model DX004 Whistle in the Key of D. The strong whistle is made entirely of high grade plastic and is in two parts. The assembled instrument can be lengthened or shortened to allow for tuning - that is important when playing with other musicians. The whistle is as light as a feather. The outside plastic appears to have been brushed lending the instrument the warm feel of wood. The instrument is, indeed, a joy to hold. I am making comfortable progress and as best I can judge the whistle is supporting my efforts. I like the look of my whistle, the way it sounds when blown and the pleasure of handling it. So far I have no regrets. Incidentally, should you wish, you can obtain a piccolo head (designated DX028H) which can be used interchangeably with your existing whistle head. This lets you play your instrument in the transverse flute position. [ If you are an absolute beginner, I recommend that you complete your package by gaining 'The Tin Whistle Book' by Tom Maguire from Ossian Publications. Use this simple, thorough book as your main tutor book. The one book will teach you all you need and so is strictly sufficient. 'How to Play the Penny Whisle' by Gina Landor and Phil Cleaver from Wise Publications will give you useful reinforcement. Both books are inexpensive. The books will show you how to read music as well ]

Lovely soft toned whistle. I bought it because I don’t like playing loudly and my Clarke Sweetone needs to be played loudly to reach the upper registers. This whistle reaches them well without any screechiness. It has a really nice tone and doesn’t need warmed up. It’s lovely and light in your hands and the mouthpiece is small and comfortable. I wasn’t sure about it first because I was used to the sweetness of the Clarke but now I really prefer the lovely soft mellow even tone of this great whistle. Excellent value for money and great service from 1 to 1 music!!

I bought this to replace my old brass Feadog which was starting to sound a little flat. I already own a Dixon Low D which I love so this was a no-brainer for me. It's British made too which is another excellent reason for buying one; it's good to be loyal to decent British manufacturers. I'm so glad I bought this whistle. Its polymer construction gives it a wonderfully sweet, almost woody tone and the slide means I can fine-tune it when playing with other instruments. As far as quality goes, this whistle can hold its own among far more expensive whistles. One thing I added was to click a little thumb support on the back, from a Susato whistle. I find they make it more comfy for me but I haven't given the whistle less stars because it's more to do with personal technique than the quality of the whistle itself.

It's ok. "tuneable" should be replaced with "toneable". It's got a nice tone to it, not too shrill. Tunable-ish as in can get the lower-D in pitch, however by the time you get to high D it's about half a tone out, the further up the octave you go, the further out it goes. Poor manufacturing I guess. I have a low-D dixon polymer non-tunable whistle that is at best half a tone out, dixon seem to produce poorly made instruments. However that's reflected in the price so can't really complain.

As advertised and promptly delivered.

A reasonably priced high D whistle. So useful that it is tuneable, when playing with other instruments. A nice tone but can't always manage to play a full scale spot-on in tune -- probably me rather than the whistle. A disconcerting moulding line around the barrel means it doesn't look as smart as the larger (lower) models but it doesn't affect the sound.