I've been playing tine whistle since 1987 - pubs, festivals, duos, trios, solo looping, etc. I went to a shop in the UK where you can try expensive whistles before you buy them. They said they wash them. I tried a couple that were hundreds of pounds, and I couldn't stand them - too much breath needed, or shrill high notes. I tried the somewhat less expensive whistles that you read about everywhere (initials TD), and I didn't like those, either. Then I tried the Glenluce high D, brash finish. At first, I didn't like the weight. It IS heavy. But I absolutely loved the tone and how easily it slips in and out of the highest notes. After playing it for a couple of months, I now love the weight, too, since I find it adds a stability that lets me rip through faster reels with a solid gravity base. Finally, the brass finish has tarnished so that there's no stickiness on the surface that you get on nickel or plastic whistles. This lets me bend notes very smoothly and quickly. I'm going to replace all of my whistles of different keys with Glenluce.
