Clarke D or Feadòg?

[AuLoS303]

Feadóg vs Clarke D? I have both and as was posted above they are two completely different whistles. I have a Clarke Sweetone key D and I like it very much(really cheap black whistle w/plastic head) and a Feadóg Pro Key D w/plastic head. I like this whistle too! Both can be dunked in hot water to loosen the head for removal(make tune-able,very easy)The Clarke Sweetone has a chirpy bird-like quality. The Feadóg Pro not as chirpy and second octave is shrill and will cut through anything(Band,walls,glass, cement, etc.). Between these two whistles ease of play the Clarke Sweetone wins....JMHO. Clarke is also cheaper as a stock whistle..... Very forgiving to play! Downside of this whistle....almost all of them stock will not be in-tune with itself! You must do the hot water trick and make it a tune-able whistle! You will probably encounter the same with the Feadóg whistle(all of them)and the hot water dunking is no big deal at all. In really hot water(15/20 seconds dunk the head holding said whistle(note: don't let whistle rest at the bottom of cup/glass, hold it!) then dry and twist-off head....that's it! Remove any glue put cork grease (buy at any music store)on the tube and presto tune-able whistle! Good Luck! M

Thanks for the tip! I also play recorder so I have plenty of joint grease

[mickey66]

Feadóg vs Clarke D? I have both and as was posted above they are two completely different whistles. I have a Clarke Sweetone key D and I like it very much(really cheap black whistle w/plastic head) and a Feadóg Pro Key D w/plastic head. I like this whistle too! Both can be dunked in hot water to loosen the head for removal(make tune-able,very easy)The Clarke Sweetone has a chirpy bird-like quality. The Feadóg Pro not as chirpy and second octave is shrill and will cut through anything(Band,walls,glass, cement, etc.). Between these two whistles ease of play the Clarke Sweetone wins....JMHO. Clarke is also cheaper as a stock whistle..... Very forgiving to play! Downside of this whistle....almost all of them stock will not be in-tune with itself! You must do the hot water trick and make it a tune-able whistle! You will probably encounter the same with the Feadóg whistle(all of them)and the hot water dunking is no big deal at all. In really hot water(15/20 seconds dunk the head holding said whistle(note: don't let whistle rest at the bottom of cup/glass, hold it!) then dry and twist-off head....that's it! Remove any glue put cork grease (buy at any music store)on the tube and presto tune-able whistle! Good Luck! M

Thanks for the tip! I also play recorder so I have plenty of joint grease

You're welcome!

[Mr.Gumby]

Was this thread about a choice between the feadóg and a sweetone? I initially didn't read it like that and responded from that point of view. When I think 'Clarke', I think of the woodblocked classic design. The sweetone, to me, doesn't register as worth considering for any musical application and never entered my mind as a possible option.

Sorry if I misinterpreted the original question and confused matters.

[Adrian W.]

Always interesting to see people's preferences and the reasons why. PERSONALLY, I like the wooden fipple Clark a lot.... we have two newish D's in the house and a vintage C.... and I hate the plastic fipple one; have a few of those, plus some Megs around the place too. I have given up on trying to make a sound I like with them. I also have a Feadog Pro and would choose that over the Clark (plastic fipple) any day of the week. I don't remember it being shrill, but I'll go back to it. I did pick it up for a bit a couple of weeks ago and didn't hate it. Of my inexpensive whistles though, I have a nickel Generation that to me is the best (and a Gen Bb that is also very good).

[Mr.Gumby]

I also have a Feadog Pro and would choose that over the Clark (plastic fipple) any day of the week. I don't remember it being shrill,

I'd choose just about anything over Sweetone/Meg (well, within reason..). The Feadóg Pro I got was just unfortunate, serves me right for not sticking to my mantra of not buying untried whistles. A rainy Sunday and an on-line sale, that's my (feeble) excuse. I am sure there are nicer ones to be had, if you're lucky. By the way, it's more raspy-ugly than shrill

[AuLoS303]

Was this thread about a choice between the feadóg and a sweetone? I initially didn't read it like that and responded from that point of view. When I think 'Clarke', I think of the woodblocked classic design. The sweetone, to me, doesn't register as worth considering for any musical application and never entered my mind as a possible option.

Sorry if I misinterpreted the original question and confused matters.

No not the Sweetone. I stayed away from that model after reading negative comments about them on a facebook group. I was meaning the classic Clarke D, its dark in colour with diamonds near the finger holes

[AuLoS303]

It's funny how some hate the Sweetone yet others like them! Horses for courses eh...

[Mr.Gumby]

It's funny how some hate the Sweetone yet others like them!

Horses for courses it is. But you need to ask the question: do you know any whistle player, well regarded, half decent or more or less seriously committed to the instrument, who plays one?

I certainly can't think of even a single one. I have never seen one used outside beginners classes and even there they are very rare (teachers do not tend to recommend them).

Last year there were a few yougfellas being obnoxious in the street, blowing high squeaks at passers by. It was a pink one. They didn't get it though when I asked them if they enjoyed playing the pink whistle.

[AuLoS303]

It's funny how some hate the Sweetone yet others like them!

Horses for courses it is. But you need to ask the question: do you know any whistle player, well regarded, half decent or more or less seriously committed to the instrument, who plays one?

I certainly can't think of even a single one. I have never seen one used outside beginners classes and even there they are very rare (teachers do not tend to recommend them).

Last year there were a few yougfellas being obnoxious in the street, blowing high squeaks at passers by. It was a pink one. They didn't get it though when I asked them if they enjoyed playing the pink whistle.

As a beginner i dont know any tin whistle players period! Its all new to me

[Adrian W.]

It's funny how some hate the Sweetone yet others like them!

Horses for courses it is. But you need to ask the question: do you know any whistle player, well regarded, half decent or more or less seriously committed to the instrument, who plays one?

I certainly can't think of even a single one. I have never seen one used outside beginners classes and even there they are very rare (teachers do not tend to recommend them).

Last year there were a few yougfellas being obnoxious in the street, blowing high squeaks at passers by. It was a pink one. They didn't get it though when I asked them if they enjoyed playing the pink whistle.

The only player I can think of is POSSIBLY Stewart MacNeil of Cape Breton band the Barra MacNeils, and that's just hearsay that he plays a Clark.... but it might be the wood block one.

Was it you in the past who challenged a pro-Sweetone person to play a scale in tune with one? I have a hazy recollection of some sound files and a spirited debate.

I pulled out some of the whistles we are talking about this morning; you're right, the Feadog is raspy unless you play it very softly, and then it's very quiet. Obviously. The wood block Clarks are very nice; breathier though, even with the usual mods. The old C one is nicer for some reason I can't explain than the newer D. The nicest overall was the Generation, to my taste. I have other whistles I play most of the time now, but they are all quite decent. I may have got lucky with the Gen.

[Mr.Gumby]

Was it you in the past who challenged a pro-Sweetone person to play a scale in tune with one? I have a hazy recollection of some sound files and a spirited deba

I didn't exactly challenge anyone, as I remember it, but I had a C I thought evil and Hoopymike offered to take it off me and record with it. Which he did after I sent it to him.

I tried another Feadóg yesterday after posting, that one isn't raspy. The present model seems a bit gritty by nature but that Pro I got is just one of those unlucky ones. Looks nice in all black but it isn't really going to get played as long as there's an alternative in the house.

I have never been a particular fan of the woodblock Clarke although I don't hate them. Got an old one some time ago and follwing a discussion here I fiddled around with it a bit, took it from quite nice to unplayable and then back to Very Nice. So a bit of patience can work wonders, tiny little adjustments can make a world of difference.


It's the grey/metal one below

[Tyler DelGregg]

Mr. Gumby, I remember that thread about tweaking the Clarke original. I somehow ruined two good Clarke original C's fooling with the windway. One of them became a nifty flower vase which I like, buy makes me feel a little guilty. I do, however, have one in D whose windway I narrowed very slightly. It actually plays well, or it sounds good to my ears, even though it is a little flat. I play it late at night when I try not to annoy myself.

[Mr.Gumby]

I somehow ruined two good Clarke original C's fooling with the windway

If you haven't cut away anything you should be able to bend everything back into place and get them going again. It's always a bit disconcerting when you have a go at a half decent whistle, make the tiniest of changes and find it doesn't anything anymore. A bit of patience and an understanding of how things work should do the trick.

[AuLoS303]

Having watched countless videos its now apparent that whistles with a wooden block sound quite different to a plastic fipple. Theyre more flute like. Different instruments. But seeing as I now have a D whistle as well as 3 recorders ( c, f and low C<tenor>) I'm kind of covered. For now...
I quite fancy an ocarina tho...

[Mr.Gumby]

By the way, it's more raspy-ugly than shrill

Just to come back to that raspy all Black Feadóg Pro, I have had a little go at it and have more or less resolved the raspiness as a result and imrpoved balance, leaving it a playable and nice enough whistle.

I'll put up a little clipeen later, if I get a few minutes to sit down.