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I've got new Reviol Whistles!!!!

Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2018 11:24 pm
by AngelicBeaver
I've received a set of Reviol whistles (two whistle heads and eight bodies). So far, these whistles are amazing. I think that the alto A is going to surpass both my MK and Goldie, and I finally have a great alto G.

The smaller whistle head (A, G, F, E) has more backpressure than the larger whistle head (Eb, D, Db, C). The smaller head is in the Goldie range (medium to medium-hard blowing), which totally surprised me, as the Eb I tried in Dingle (prompting the order) was very soft-blowing, even less than an MK.

The large whistle head is pretty soft-blowing, but the tone is great. The Eb is better than I recall. The D is right up there with the MK or Goldie (the tone feels like a cross between them), and the C and Db are good, although I haven't had a chance to really play them in.

The bottom line is that these are some top-class whistles, and Mr. Reviol has been great. There were some problems in the fulfillment of the order and he threw in three or four extra bodies to give me the full set, which made me extremely happy.

I am looking forward to making some comparison videos, and really getting to know these whistles.

Re: I've got new Reviol Whistles!!!!

Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:44 pm
by AngelicBeaver
Here's my first comparison of my Reviol Alto A body with my other two Alto A whistles (hard blowing Goldie and MK):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnPbk4v ... e=youtu.be

It's a little louder than I'd like at the top, but the bottom is strong, and I love the tone.

Re: I've got new Reviol Whistles!!!!

Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:55 am
by s1m0n
Congratulations! You must be pleased.

Re: I've got new Reviol Whistles!!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2018 7:39 am
by AngelicBeaver
s1m0n wrote:Congratulations! You must be pleased.
I am pleased. It's been fun sorting through the pile of whistle bodies to see how they all play. Each one is different, and I finally have some keys I've been wanting for a long time, like an Eb (Julie Fowlis and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh play soprano Eb whistles on their album "Dual" and I could never play along, or even figure out the key for the longest time). Also, I've never been quite happy with any of the other G whistles I've had, and this one is nearly perfect for me.

If anyone is interested, here's the rest of the comparison videos. I still haven't done one for the low E (lowest body on the small whistle head), Eb, Db, or C bodies.

Low D comparisons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ERi452xi5g&t=71s

Low F Comparisons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWxdbm6h-LU&t=18s

Alto G comparisons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11d-fP9e1UQ&t=27s

Re: I've got new Reviol Whistles!!!!

Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2018 6:59 am
by AngelicBeaver
Last one. Low E, Eb, Db, and C comparisons (with an MK low D and a Carbony E).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py-GbNB ... e=youtu.be

Re: I've got new Reviol Whistles!!!!

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 6:56 am
by pancelticpiper
Thanks for doing those, they're excellent. Yes the Reviol seems to have a tone that's more "woody" and complex, and has a full round bellnote as you say.

I'm surprised that the MK, in the "A" video at least, seems to come off with the least complex tone. When I had dozens of Low Ds go through my hands the MK stood out as having the most complex/dirtiest tone. Also I hear the fluffy bellnote (on the MK A) which my MK Low Ds all had to various degrees.

I did have a Reviol set, Low C/D/Eb. What I thought was so interesting and cool was the way that even though it was the same head, the three each had distinctive sounds. The Low C sounded darker, the Eb brighter.

After playing that Reviol set for a few months I ended up not liking it as much as the MK (now, years later, I can't recall just why) and I sold it and played the MK for a few years. Now I'm on to the Goldie.

Re: I've got new Reviol Whistles!!!!

Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:08 am
by AngelicBeaver
pancelticpiper wrote:Thanks for doing those, they're excellent. Yes the Reviol seems to have a tone that's more "woody" and complex, and has a full round bellnote as you say.

I'm surprised that the MK, in the "A" video at least, seems to come off with the least complex tone. When I had dozens of Low Ds go through my hands the MK stood out as having the most complex/dirtiest tone. Also I hear the fluffy bellnote (on the MK A) which my MK Low Ds all had to various degrees.

I did have a Reviol set, Low C/D/Eb. What I thought was so interesting and cool was the way that even though it was the same head, the three each had distinctive sounds. The Low C sounded darker, the Eb brighter.

After playing that Reviol set for a few months I ended up not liking it as much as the MK (now, years later, I can't recall just why) and I sold it and played the MK for a few years. Now I'm on to the Goldie.
Yeah, I expected the MK A to be a lot stronger, like the low D, but while the tone is complex, it just doesn't have the strength of it's larger brother. I wonder if increasing the bore diameter slightly would improve it. ***EDIT*** Don't get me wrong. I think the MK is a very nice whistle. People seem to like the sound of it, and I do suspect that increasing the bore might make the top end too harsh, and I'm sure Misha did a ton of work to make a balanced instrument. I just wish it could have had a more resonant first octave, but that's the nature of the whistle beast.

As far as the low D, the Reviol has very low backpressure and a higher air requirement than the MK. It also strikes me as being a bit less forgiving in how you blow it. The Reviol's tone is like the MK, but less dampened. If I had to choose between the two, I think I'd go with the MK for the extra backpressure, stability, and the slightly... rounder? tone. However, the Reviol has the advantage of the additional bodies, and I really like the Eb. It's why I originally ordered the Reviol, and it's my favorite of the large head set, and maybe of the entire order.

I also noticed your observation about the various bodies. The higher you go, the brighter the sound. As you go down the bodies, you can almost hear the tone being swallowed deeper into the whistle. With the A, it's right there at the top. With the E, it feels like it's somewhere just above the holes.