Chiff and Fipple Forums

Much difference? Worth paying the extra?

I haven't ever had the chance to try one, but here are a couple of good reviews and sound samples from back in the day:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=33909&p=435458
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34763&p=447260

I've actually never tried the pro d. I heard one of my colleagues play one and it sounded really nice. As far as the "regular" feadog goes, I prefered my brass, though my nickel one looks better You certainly wouldn't be losing any musicality in choosing the regular....

At their price range, however, you could easily buy both to try out and see which one you like better For what its worth, years ago, I found the brass easier to play and easier to control than the nickel, though the nickel had a brighter and more appealing (at least to me) sound. Nowadays, it doesn't really make much of a difference to me since I play high-enders, but I would probably now go with the nickel since to me it has the nicer tone.

Ultimately, though, if you like the sound of the Pro D, I would go for it
Hope this helps!
Cheers!

I've yet to try a Feadóg Pro, but I have a standard Feadóg Mk III. Though I can't always get a good sound when jumping into the second octave (that's partially due to my playing technique), it is in all other respects a mighty fine instrument...it even looks really good. I'd recommend the standard Mk III to anybody. But if you can't get enough feedback on the Pro, it is scarcely more expensive than the standard Mk III, so you could just buy one of each and compare them.

I can't recall hearing about the Feadog Pro. I see those threads were from 2005 which is before I joined here.

So it's implied that the wall thickness of the tube is greater.

If the same head is used, the OD has to be the same, so greater wall thickness means a narrower bore.

Unless it's nearly the same head, and the socket has been enlarged.

With these mass-produced injection-moulded-head whistles much can be done simply by selection, in a QC way.

I've often told the tale of when I got a crack at a new right-from-the-factory box of 24 Generation D whistles. I tried them all. They were all over the map.

One was superb, right up with some of the best high D whistles I've ever played, far better than many $200 to $600 whistles I've tried.

Thing is, Generation could go through each batch, pick out the best of the best, throw out the rest, sell the supberb whistles for $200 each, and gain a reputation as one of the world's top whistle makers.

Or they could pick out the top 50%, throw out the rest, sell the good whistles for $75 each, and gain a reputation as a very good whistle maker.

But no, everything goes out the door, the superb and the horrid, for $10 each. (Some of the whistles in that batch of 24 had terrible harsh raspy flat 2nd octaves.)

Generation, Feadog, or any mass-produced injection-moulded-plastic-top whistle maker could pick out the very best of each litter and put a different-coloured tube on it and call it "Pro" and sell it for more. It's legitimate in my view to do that.

So I do wonder about these Feadog Pro whistles. If the head is the same head, is there somebody at the factory that chooses the best heads from each batch to get the "Pro" body and label?

I'm old-school, my go-to whistle is the one on the left, which I've been playing for nearly 40 years

So I do wonder about these Feadog Pro whistles.

I got one out of curiosity and was thoroughly underwhelmed. I cannot see any difference with a regular one, perceived tube thickness, well if there's any more to it I think it's the layer of paint of the one I got. I was probably unlucky with the one I received, it's not a whistle I will ever want to play. I liked the all black look of it though, looks good in the vase with the never played whistles.

Mr.Gumby wrote:I think it's the layer of paint of the one I got. I was probably unlucky with the one I received.

I am curious as to why you think the paint was suspect. Too thick? It had a negative impact on the whistle's sound? My Feadóg Mk III is painted, and I have no problems with its paint. And it's certainly held up better than whatever coating was used on my brass Walton's Irish D.

Sorry for being unclear. I meant the paint was probably responsible for the (perception of) increased thickness of the tube. It doesn't have any effect on the playability. The whistle as a whole, as I received it, is a failure although the tube with a different head on it is fine.

Buying whistles, you really need to try before you buy and nearly each time I don't live by that rule, I live to regret it (this was an online purchase from feadog.ie but Feadóg wraps individual whistles to make pre-purchase testing impossible anyway. Buying a new Feadóg, it's the luck of the draw).

[quote="Mr.Gumby"]

I got one out of curiosity and was thoroughly underwhelmed. I cannot see any difference with a regular one, perceived tube thickness, well if there's any more to it I think it's the layer of paint of the one I got.

That was my impression as well. I could percieve VERY subtle differences between the two, but overall if the pro was significantly more expensive, than I wouldn't really see the point. I will mention though that my colleague made the Pro D sound fantastic. Almost like those nickel killarneys. I'll check and see if he tweaked his at all.....
Cheers!

Mr.Gumby wrote:Buying whistles, you really need to try before you buy and nearly each time I don't live by that rule, I live to regret it.

I agree that one should try before buying, but in practice, that can be rather difficult. One might live in an area devoid of brick-and-mortar stores that sell whistles, forcing them to buy online. Retailers might be hesitant to let their customers try before buying, especially in the case of whistles sold in gift boxes. Some regulation, somewhere, might expressly prohibit buyers of wind instruments from trying them in a retail setting...unless, of course, the mouthpiece is easily interchangeable.

As for the issue of the paint, my Mk III seems to be covered with just enough to protect the metal and provide a decent sheen. The paint on your Pro must really be slathered on if you perceived the tube as being thicker!

Well I'll stick with my non-pro Feadóg. I was playing today and managed to get the second octave clean, no cracks or squeaks. It was loud tho, to be expected. But it felt good.
Someone mentioned a mkIII, would that be the one I have, with the yellow round sticker like the one posted above by pancelticpiper, the one on the right?

AuLoS303 wrote:Someone mentioned a mkIII, would that be the one I have, with the yellow round sticker like the one posted above by pancelticpiper, the one on the right?

I believe the whistle at the right of pancelticpiper's picture is a Mk III. Below is a picture of my Mk Iii...it's posted elsewhere on this site, but I couldn't get a link to that post to work properly.

I could percieve VERY subtle differences between the two, but overall if the pro was significantly more expensive, than I wouldn't really see the point

Differences don't seem any greater than the variance you'd expect between injection molded whistles. Some will be poor, some will be great and most will be mediocre/OK-ish serviceable instruments. Or perhaps the differences between regular and pro are masked by that variance. I visually I don't detect any difference between the one and the other.

I realise, as I said, I drew the short straw with the one I received. It was a poor one (it was on sale, only a tenner incl post. It was a rainy sunday afternoon and my curiosity got the better of me. That's my excuse anyway). I have now stuck another, regular, Feadóg head on the pro tube and that works fine even though the blue/black combination isn't quite as pleasing as the original all black version.

Mr.Gumby wrote:I cannot see any difference with a regular one, perceived tube thickness, well if there's any more to it I think it's the layer of paint of the one I got.

The difference between the 2 nickel versions are immediately obvious to sight and feel.

The difference between the 2 nickel versions are immediately obvious to sight and feel.

Not to me, obviously. Although i am comparing plain brass, nickel and painted (pro) versions of the tube, visually. So there may be an element of apples and oranges there. The head, the important part, doesn't appear different at all.