Could anyone tell me the difference, if any (beside the price), between an Ó Brien and a Freeman improved Feadóg D?
My Feadog was producing great, solid tone in two octaves, with chiff go leor and beautiful, expressive articulation. Then, today I noticed some poster putty on the edge of the blade, and like an amadán I wiped it off. Of course, it ruined it. 
I haven’t been able to resurrect it on my own, so I am hoping either Ó Brien or Freeman can help me out.
listen to the soundclips on the site of David O’Brien and find out he makes fantastic whistles, beautiful sound, beautiful to look at at very solid. Feadog is a cheap whistle, it’s less nice looking, less solid and the sound is less stable most of the times except of course Jerry Freeman tweaks it. But still you can’t make a dime out of a penny we say in Holland. If you have an O’Brien, you have a better whistle, in all aspects.
That doesn’t make any sense. The Freeman Feadog does not have
free-floating poster putty anywhere. There should be a clear piece
of plastic on the blade, maybe this fell off, and you saw the stuff
that was once holding it on. That would definitely ruin the sound.
Jerry should be along soon to give advice. Or, I’m sure he can fix
it if you send it to him.
I still don’t know what any of this has to do with O’Brien…
I’m not sure from the post that Séamas actually owns a Freeman Feadog. I got the impression that he had a self-puttied Feadog that he mistakenly changed and is wondering if O’Briain or Freeman (both known for their work on the Feadog whistle) could possibly help him with it.
I haven’t played one of Jerry’s Feadogs but I own one of Cillian O’Briain’s Improved Feadogs and I love it. It’s a gutsy whistle with a very complex tone and you are able to push it a little bit more than the standard Feadog. That said, I just like Feadog whistles so if you don’t like 'em then an O’Briain Feadog probably won’t be the whistle for you.
An O’Briain Improved Feadog is a completely different whistle from either a stock Feadog or a Freeman tweaked Feadog (which attempts to stay close to the original voicing whilst cleaning up the way it plays as much as possible). The O’Briain Improved has its own, very pure, sweet voicing.
Best wishes,
Jerry
That clears things up a bit, thanks. Though I’m even more confused
about a regular Feadog just spontaneously sprouting poster putty…
Mr. Freeman,
Unless my O’Briain whistle is a fluke, I’d strongly disagree that his “Improved” model is sweet or pure. It’s certainly a bit more focused than the standard Feadog but the tone is too complex to be called pure or sweet. Then again, I play mostly cheapies and a Sindt D so maybe it’s just the way I’m in the habit of playing.
O’Briain’s tweak changes the voicing of the whistle to something different than a Feadog but it still retains some of the same characteristic sounds to my ear (having also played standard Feadogs for quite some time).
Hmmm …
That sounds quite different from any O’Briain Improved whistles I’ve encountered. Do they vary? The ones I’ve played/heard are not what I would call complex. Very much at the opposite end of the voicing spectrum.
Best wishes,
Jerry
This site calls it pure as well…
http://www.sessioneer.org/reviews/instruments/instrument_display.asp?ID=55
I guess I must’ve lucked out then 
I wouldn’t have liked mine if it were a sweet pure whistle… the gods must’ve been lookin’ out for me!
That review that fearfaoin posted says it’s a quiet whistle too, which mine is not at all. The review was also posted four years ago so who knows how it compares to what he’s doing now.
Mine is a little more pure sounding than a Generation, and much more focused and responsive, but still has a rough edge to it.