Advice please

[Fraser todd]

I have just started learning the whistle during lockdown have bought a couple of cheaper whistles thought I was getting on ok so bought a Killarney nickel d whistle after reading some great reviews. I am struggling to play this whistle there is scratches on the inside and outside fairly deep scratches I wondered if this would affect the sound . As I am a novice it could be that I need to practice more but any advice would be greatly appreciated thanks

[Mr.Gumby]

Deep scratches on a newly made/bought instrument are never good and could be reason to send it back and ask for a replacement if you feel so inclined. At the current price you should expect a half decent finish.

The first two Killarneys I received, early in their production, were not quite up to scratch with regards to finish and assembly but I kept them as they played well. A later one was flawlessly finished.

You didn't specify he location and nature of the scratches so it's not possible to tell if they affect the whistle's performance. Probably not but no way of telling with the information at hand.Do you experience a specific problem playing it? What were you playing before the Killarney?

[Squeeky Elf]

What is it that you find yourself struggling with?

[Katharine]

Deep scratches on a newly made/bought instrument are never good and could be reason to send it back and ask for a replacement if you feel so inclined. At the current price you should expect a half decent finish.

The first two Killarneys I received, early in their production, were not quite up to scratch with regards to finish and assembly but I kept them as they played well. A later one was flawlessly finished.

You didn't specify he location and nature of the scratches so it's not possible to tell if they affect the whistle's performance. Probably not but no way of telling with the information at hand.Do you experience a specific problem playing it? What were you playing before the Killarney?

I had first assumed the scratches meant OP bought the whistle secondhand-- possibly for a good price because of the damage-- but if it was bought new, that would be a bit concerning to me and I would think, as you do, that a talk with either the maker or the shipper might be in order...

[whistlecollector]

First question: what do you mean by "deep scratches"? Is it just the nickel plating that's scratched, or are you literally looking down the Grand Canyon when you're playing the whistle?

It would take quite a lot of force to really deeply scratch or cut a piece of brass tubing, even if the walls are thin.

This of course leads me to think first of the old bromide: three kinds of people blame their tools: the beginner, the insecure, and the one who shouldn't be using the tools at all.

Could you possibly take some pictures of the scratches? It is entirely possible that if your whistle is deeply gouged enough, there could be an air leak that really would make it unplayable!

[Mr.Gumby]

I had first assumed the scratches meant OP bought the whistle secondhand--

And I assumed automatically it was bought new. Which perhaps I shouldn't have, not knowing one way or another.

[benhall.1]

As whistlecollector said, it would be good to see some photos of these scratches. I'm puzzled as to how they could have happened on the inside of the whistle. Have I missed something?

[ytliek]

Yes, photos of scratches please. Are you talking about scratches on the tube section or the fipple area, specifically the ramp where the milling machine marks are visible? I'm not a whistlemaker and not sure of the proper wording for machining the ramp. That's the only scratches on the ramp area on all of my Killarney and Sindt whistles. Tooling marks may be a better way to describe the ramp area.

I was searching for a closeup image of Killarney whistle window and ramp area. Here's an image (scroll down to ramp area) of what I tried describing:
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewt ... 1&t=106790

[Nanohedron]

Photos, please.

[Polara Pat]

Whistle damage aside, I'm thinking back to when I first started out just 2 1/2 short years ago and played a few cheapies before buying a Killarney as well. I found it difficult to play at first with tighter tolerances and much more need for accurate breath control. I blamed myself at the time for struggling a bit with the instrument but love it now and try to keep in rotation.