Excellent comparison, thank you. From this end you can hear the breathy nature of the Optima, some of that "sizzle" that Phil talks about. The overall warmth of both stands out but for 62$ you cannot beat that Low D for a starter.
So funnily enough I managed to snatch both a used Optima (with differently sized holes than the current design, eg. bigger 5th hole) and a Howard and I like them quite a lot, however I noticed that both whistles are noticeably sharp when playing the high A and above, something that doesn't happen with my MK. If I try to play softer, the whistles simply drop back to the first octave.
That's great to get both of those used. Which head is on the Howard? They had an original plus the three new ones. I do find they each handle the A and above differently. Well done finding those.
That “could” be the reason. Although, some folks prefer the original head. Howard does have three new heads now, and I’ve heard they are reworking he Chiff head.
I'd actually be interested in a comparison between the MK Pro and the Kerry low D since you have both. Would be interesting to compare two whistles from the opposite ends of the price spectrum
@@LowDWhistle Thank you! Curious to see them side by side. From the videos I've seen, the low notes in the Kerry seem a bit "rounded" in tone but it's sometimes hard to tell because the microphone position affects things a lot (how high in relation to the sound window the mic is etc.). Seeing them side by side helps with that since I also have the MK so I'll have some frame of reference.
I appreciate you asking. The video will release in a few hours. The Kerry low D is amazing for the money. The Kerry plays well top to bottom, but the tone is more thin. I hope some of that comes through.
Actually kinda curious, got a used but NICE MK Pro, which is my first metal one. How much time or warmth do they need? Any tricks for warming them up fast?
That's a great question, and worth a conversation. I'll add that to our list. There are a couple tips / tricks. Most people cover the tone hole and breathe warm air into the whistle for a bit. You can also purchase some anti-clogging stuff, which I need to try. Some drip a little diluted soap into the head to make the surface less prone to holding the moisture. I tried that last one and it was just OK.
@@LowDWhistle THE anti clogg stuff works quite well on my kerry busker Bb but you have to repeat it a few times it seems to put some kind of coat on them it absolutely has worked for my wooden one's
The kerry low D can be made tuneable by putting the head in hot (not boiling) water to loosen the head, its a fantastic whistle and i am able to get it in tune. Absolute bargain.
@@LowDWhistle its my first low D whistle, its a fantastic move from kerry as the price of most low whistles is what was keeping me from getting one earlier.
Thanks for sharing that good news. I have always been surprised that you can purchase a nice whistle for not much more than one that is, well, not so nice. Kerry is really changing the game here, and I appreciate that. A whistle that plays well that you will be happy to keep for a sensible price.
Phil said there's no glue in this one. Plastics do generally have a greater thermal expansion coefficient than metal which might make the head easier to dislodge?
For what it's worth, I preferred the sound of Optima F to Chieftain V5 but it's hard to compare because of the different key. I feel like Chieftain is more mellow and less "focused" than Optima. However, the Chieftain was so pleasant in the 2nd octave and the tuning was impeccable. Tunable version of course.
Excellent comparison, thank you. From this end you can hear the breathy nature of the Optima, some of that "sizzle" that Phil talks about. The overall warmth of both stands out but for 62$ you cannot beat that Low D for a starter.
I know. The “sizzle” is fun, but I was so impressed with his “intro” whistle.
So funnily enough I managed to snatch both a used Optima (with differently sized holes than the current design, eg. bigger 5th hole) and a Howard and I like them quite a lot, however I noticed that both whistles are noticeably sharp when playing the high A and above, something that doesn't happen with my MK. If I try to play softer, the whistles simply drop back to the first octave.
That's great to get both of those used. Which head is on the Howard? They had an original plus the three new ones. I do find they each handle the A and above differently. Well done finding those.
@@LowDWhistle I don't know actually, I asked the seller if he remembers
Thanks. There may be a marking on the back of the head.
@@LowDWhistle So apparently the different head options didn't exist back when he bought it
That “could” be the reason. Although, some folks prefer the original head. Howard does have three new heads now, and I’ve heard they are reworking he Chiff head.
A want an Optima in f, but it's breathy, whets my mk pro purple?
A purple MK Pro. Fun color.
I'd actually be interested in a comparison between the MK Pro and the Kerry low D since you have both. Would be interesting to compare two whistles from the opposite ends of the price spectrum
That is a splendid idea. I will happily do that. I’ll get that done either tomorrow or Saturday.
@@LowDWhistle Thank you! Curious to see them side by side. From the videos I've seen, the low notes in the Kerry seem a bit "rounded" in tone but it's sometimes hard to tell because the microphone position affects things a lot (how high in relation to the sound window the mic is etc.). Seeing them side by side helps with that since I also have the MK so I'll have some frame of reference.
I appreciate you asking. The video will release in a few hours. The Kerry low D is amazing for the money. The Kerry plays well top to bottom, but the tone is more thin. I hope some of that comes through.
one thing i noticed about all Kerry whistles they do like to be warmed up properly and sound better the more you play them.
Agreed. Metal bodies, and especially metal heads, just like to be warm.
Actually kinda curious, got a used but NICE MK Pro, which is my first metal one. How much time or warmth do they need? Any tricks for warming them up fast?
That's a great question, and worth a conversation. I'll add that to our list. There are a couple tips / tricks. Most people cover the tone hole and breathe warm air into the whistle for a bit. You can also purchase some anti-clogging stuff, which I need to try. Some drip a little diluted soap into the head to make the surface less prone to holding the moisture. I tried that last one and it was just OK.
I'm still trying to figure that out on my MK. One of the reasons I want to try the anti-clogging stuff.
@@LowDWhistle THE anti clogg stuff works quite well on my kerry busker Bb but you have to repeat it a few times it seems to put some kind of coat on them it absolutely has worked for my wooden one's
The kerry low D can be made tuneable by putting the head in hot (not boiling) water to loosen the head, its a fantastic whistle and i am able to get it in tune. Absolute bargain.
Thanks for sharing that helpful info. I wondered if that was the case. It is a great whistle, and would still be even if it cost more.
@@LowDWhistle its my first low D whistle, its a fantastic move from kerry as the price of most low whistles is what was keeping me from getting one earlier.
Thanks for sharing that good news. I have always been surprised that you can purchase a nice whistle for not much more than one that is, well, not so nice. Kerry is really changing the game here, and I appreciate that. A whistle that plays well that you will be happy to keep for a sensible price.
Phil said there's no glue in this one. Plastics do generally have a greater thermal expansion coefficient than metal which might make the head easier to dislodge?
@@Tremendouz thatll be it, ill edit my original message
I was just getting ready to purchase the V5 until I watched this video. Kinda stuck. Hmmm
Hmm - I’d need to watch more of Phil’s videos, but I imagine the V5 can be more expressive
It is hard. The more I watch Phil's videos the more I like his style and whistles. Let me know what you decide. Rough decision.
For what it's worth, I preferred the sound of Optima F to Chieftain V5 but it's hard to compare because of the different key. I feel like Chieftain is more mellow and less "focused" than Optima. However, the Chieftain was so pleasant in the 2nd octave and the tuning was impeccable. Tunable version of course.
That’s great to hear. I haven’t played a chieftain, but it sounds intriguing.
I went with the V5. Im looking forward to practicing with it and comparing the sound to my Shaw low d