Chiff and Fipple Forums

If you have received and played a Cillian O'Briain improved Feadog and/or a Freeman Blackbird over the last year or so...
What do you think of them? How do they compare?

Did you find the O'Briain sufficiently "improved" to be worth 5 times as much as the original Feadog it's modified from?

If you knew beforehand what you know now about either instrument, would you still order it, or pass?
Why? (If not already explained)

Thank you.

The O'Brain is a player's whistle. It is everything I want in a whistle, it's easy going without pretending to be something other than simply a straightforward whistle, set up and voiced for playing traditional music. It's my go to whistle and if I'd loose it I'd have to get another one straight away. Can't fault it.

The O'Briain and the Blackbird are two very different whistles.

Mr.Gumby wrote:The O'Brain is a player's whistle. It is everything I want in a whistle, it's easy going without pretending to be something other than simply a straightforward whistle, set up and voiced for playing traditional music. It's my go to whistle and if I'd loose it I'd have to get another one straight away. Can't fault it.

The O'Briain and the Blackbird are two very different whistles.

Very much seconded. I couldn't do without the O'Briain. I never play the Blackbird I own. It could be me, but I just can't make interesting enough music with the Blackbird. I can be expressive with the O'Briain and make the sound I want; I can't do that with the Blackbird, although there's nothing wrong with it. I mean, it sounds OK.

I can be expressive with the O'Briain and make the sound I want; I can't do that with the Blackbird

I am not sure I'd go as far as that, I suppose it depends on where you find your expression in music. But I think I know what you're getting at. I'd agree with saying the blackbird has a much more narrow tonal focus.

But at the same time I am not sure Michael is interested in nuances like that. Which whistle is a good choice really depends on what you are looking for in a whistle. Which makes writing about these things a bit of a futile exercise, unless you know who's writing and how they play, and know it well, it's not easy to weigh someone's words. I mean, a while ago I read a review saying 'this whistle will easily take whatever ornamentation I can throw at it', which is a strange statement in the first place, but the clip that was attached to the review showed the writer using no rolls at all and barely a cut or grace where you'd expect them. Which put the whole thing in quite a different light. Dancing about architecture, words are cheap and all that.

It is ofcourse equally difficult recommending a whistle without knowing in some detail what someone's abilities are and what they're looking for.

I'm having mild deja-vu. No matter. I don't own a Blackbird, so I can't make a proper comparison but I do have the D and Eb from O'Briain and they are in constant rotation. I like the Eb more than the D, maybe because it's my first whistle in that key so it's a novelty but I also love the sound and it feels really reactive. As a matter of fact I did a video of Rocky Rd to Dublin for a friend last night on it to compare notes. No, I won't play it in this shark tank. Hah

Money well spent in my opinion.

Polara Pat wrote:No, I won't play it in this shark tank.

Oh go on.

benhall.1 wrote:

Polara Pat wrote:No, I won't play it in this shark tank.

Oh go on.

haha, no.

This tune haunted me for a while since I sort of learned it wrong early on, then decided to pretend that it didn't exist for a while. Now that I'm a slightly better player I decided to re-visit it and figure out my mistakes. It's pretty good but not grand. Still needs polishing.

The OP might consider checking out the whistles of Timothy Potter, located in Altadena, CA—not all that far from Orange County (even by California mileage). He makes a nice product (although there is a religious overtone to his advertising) and, by visiting, it might possible to try before buy.

Best wishes.

Steve

Mr.Gumby wrote:

You could have substituted this for your avatar—if you could get a nappy on its head....

Best wishes.

Steve

Steve Bliven wrote:The OP might consider checking out the whistles of Timothy Potter, located in Altadena, CA—not all that far from Orange County (even by California mileage). He makes a nice product (although there is a religious overtone to his advertising) and, by visiting, it might possible to try before buy.

I do think Potter relocated to Utah from Calif. Nice whistles.
http://tjpottermusic.com/index.htm

I do have both whistles O'Briain and Freeman Blackbird and they are two different sounds to my ear. Very nice whistles with good price point.

Is this what shark fin soup is made from?

ytliek wrote:Is this what shark fin soup is made from?

It's cruel, is what it is. Look it up. I've had it once, but I wouldn't ever have it again.

benhall.1 wrote:

ytliek wrote:Is this what shark fin soup is made from?

It's cruel, is what it is. Look it up. I've had it once, but I wouldn't ever have it again.

It's a brutal business. Millions killed. Another species on the road to extinction at the hands of the human race.

ytliek wrote:I do think Potter relocated to Utah from Calif. Nice whistles.
http://tjpottermusic.com/index.htm

From an ebay listing, looks like he is shipping from Council, Idaho. Too bad for OP, thought he could run over to Mr. Potter's and try out some whistles to compare.

I like the Potter for learning tunes—it's soft and relatively quiet and less offensive to those within hearing range during the stumbles and bumbles.

Best wishes.

Steve