I’ve enjoyed my time with the Reviol and have now sent it on. It’s heading to Indianapolis now. I’d send you a PM, Indy-based-Reviol-tour-participant, but the instructions didn’t mention your screen name.
Since the last participant hasn’t put up their review yet, I’ll go ahead and do mine now. I sent the whistle on to the next person quite some time ago, so I expect you got it early in the week, around Tuesday or so.
Part of the reason I participated in this Reviol tour is because I love my old non-tunable Reviol low D, and wanted to see how the new ones might vary, as I’ve been considering a C/D/Eb set. To my surprise, my very old reviol and the new one are very different whistles. Both good, but quite different. I’m going to compare it a lot to my old reviol in much of this review, as I thought it might be something worth documenting, though I’m not sure how much it will be of interest to most here. However, I will include some standalone info so that those with no reviol experience can get an idea of my opinion on the new tour reviol on it’s own. It’s kind of late for me, so this might be written a bit sloppily, sorry for that. (Edit: By the way, since I compare to my old Reviol so much in the post, here is a link to that very whistle. Mine is the same one that was used to do this review here: http://pipersgrip.50webs.com/Reviol.html)
Some differences I noticed right off the bat were that the windway on the new tour reviol was much smaller than on the old reviol, whereas the old one had a higher windway with more space. So, the new one might be a slight bit harder blowing than the old one, though I classify both as very easy blowers. This explains why my old one has never clogged on me a single time, but the new one would occasionally clog just a tiny bit. Neither of them I found to be problematic in this regard, and simply clearing it once in awhile between tunes will prevent any issues.. but I only say this to point out there is a slight chance of clogging now and again on the new one, and a nonexistent chance on the old one, in my experience.
Second thing I noticed was the window was a very tiny bit longer on the new one, with the ramp being just slightly farther away from the windway exit.
And thirdly, the lefthand holes were larger on the old one. Or at least, the holes seemed similar for the most part, but the second hole on the old one , while having the same width, was more oval shaped and vertically taller than on this new one. So, slightly smaller holes on the new one. Possibly because many people have claimed issues with hole size on the Reviol? When I first got the old one it was problematic for me for a small amount of time, but now it’s just as easy to play as any high D, and the new one seemed the same. The holes on the new one are a bit sharper around the edges, whereas on the old one it is smoother, which I prefer, although it isn’t hugely important. With any Reviol, it might take a player some time to adjust, so please don’t be discouraged at first. I was getting air leaks like crazy my first week on my old one, but after playing it a lot the difficulty became non existent and it’s extremely easy to play now, and I have narrow fingers. So, just give it time.
Also, the finish on the outside of the new one feels a very slight bit more sandpapery, whereas on the old one it feels more in the direction of being slightly rubbery. Might be due to the age of the whistle, though. Mine is the one reviewed on the pipers grip page, and the outside texture of it looks more similar to a new one in the picture, though it doesn’t now. Both whistles are comfortable to grip and will never get even the slightest bit slippery, which I think is something many people would like.
I found the new one to be slightly louder, and less sensitive throughout the range. Able to take a tiny bit more of a push than the old one, which I expected after seeing the shorter windway height on it. However, the comparative pressure difference from one note to the next on both whistles followed about the same increments of pressure change needed. Both whistles respond about the same to ornamentation, which is good, in my opinion.
Overall, I think many people might like the new one better than the old one. I think both are great whistles, but I prefer the old one, simply due to it having a much more favourable sound in my opinion, and also possibly due to having more familiarity with it due to having played it for hundreds of hours. Tone is where I really think the old one wins out over this new model hands down, but if I never had played the old one, I’d still be very happy if I only had this new one, as it’s a great whistle.
The tone on this tour Reviol is very much different, though, by a very noticeable degree. This is actually the single biggest difference I noticed, as all other differences were pretty minor things insignificant things, aside from the new one sounding a bit more powerful. However, the tone was quite different. The lower octave on the old one is extremely mellow and like butter melting over a hot biscuit. It’s downright groovy. On the new one it is a bit more grainy sounding with a bit more complexity, and less unique than the sound on the old one. The upper octave was also more mellow on the old one, but could also get a very slight didgeridoo vibe at times, sort of, with the way it would react to certain things like tonguing a cut when transitioning to a high note, which added for a pretty cool contrast when that would come out in little areas here or there in a tune. The new one isn’t really like this, and has a more consistent sound, and is less “flutey” than the old one (although I hate using the term “flutey” , it doesn’t react as much in a flutey manner to your breath like the old one does, and isn’t as warm and comfy sounding as the old one).
Both whistles really sing in the highest notes, and are nice whistles all around. I can’t imagine going wrong with either. However, if I get new ones made I am going to see if I can send my old non-tunable in to have a new one made identically to it, as it’s what I prefer. But, I’d certainly recommend getting a reviol, even with the new changes. It’s a great whistle! (Also, I don’t know how “new” these changes are, as I don’t know the age of my old one. I know it’s at least a decent sized slab of years older than this tour one, though.) This tour reviol is more similar to a new reviol low F I got last year (which I’m quite happy with) in it’s characteristics of sound. I play mostly reels, jigs, and tunes of that sort on low whistle, rather than slow airs and things of that sort. Both held up well under those conditions, though I think the tonal character of the old one appealed to me more, and I think it would especially appeal to someone playing airs, as that darker warm sound seems to go a bit better with them to my ear.
However, aside from comparisons with the old one, I’ll say that the new tour reviol performs well in every category that I look for. It responds well enough, it sounds great, it’s acceptably in tune for me in each note, it’s not too strong in the high end and not too weak in the low end (though both are sensitive there, but the new one not as much). The new one has an acceptable volume for me. It isn’t a loud low D but I’d rank it as at least moderate and good for a small group of 2 or 3 people or playing solo (which are the only situations where I’d use a low whistle in the first place). The new one seems to use a teeny tiny bit less air than the old one, but still uses more air than many low D’s. I don’t think it’s bad in this regard, though, and not close to the amount a burke, for instance, would use. I didn’t find myself running out of breath on it. Also, while I don’t like the tone as much on this newer model, I still prefer the tone of it to most other low D’s out there. It’s just slightly complex sounding, and overall nice on the ears. M’yup, I’d say it ranks well in about every category that I’d use to judge a whistle. Also, the action in switching octaves is really really smooth on this whistle and doesn’t take a great effort, which I find makes it really comfortable to play. All around a great whistle, and I’d recommend it.
I do like that the new one is tunable though, as my old nontunablel one has a tendency to be ever so slightly sharp throughout the range at times, although well in tune with itself. I’ll definitely be ordering a tunable reviol set soon, regardless of whether or not he can make it like my old one or not. It would have been interesting if the C and Eb bodies were included on this tour!
Hmm, interesting. I read the pipersgrip review at the same time I had the tour Reviol, without suspecting that the two whistles were different. Thanks for describing some of the design evolution!
Sitting down to write this review, I’ll confess to feeling daunted by the task. How does one present one’s thoughts cogently, at this point in the tour, without parroting what has already been said by others? That said, I’ve decided to restrict my commentary to my own subjective analysis based solely on personal experience. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ve over 40 years of clarinet playing under my belt; 30 years of whistle playing; 25 years of guitar and mandolin; and considerably less than that playing low whistle and Irish flute. Ironically, the more playing time I’m able to log, regardless of the instrument, the greater the realization that I’ve barely scratched the surface. I say this not to appear overtly modest. I’ve little time for false modesty. Rather, my intention is to highlight the sheer joy of self-discovery through musical performance, with all the ups, downs, and bumps along the road, with which we are all too familiar.
I came to playing the low whistle several years ago after having fallen in love with the soundtrack to Titanic. Yeah, I know! Roll your eyes if you must but I’m secure enough in my masculinity to admit it. After an introductory period hailing all of the frustration commonly associated with transitioning from the high whistle to one on steroids — mine was a tuneable Dixon poly low D I purchased on-line based on the advice of C&F members — I bought a Reviol. It was a struggle and candidly, I wonder now if it had mostly to do with my inexperience. It required a serious warm-up, clogged easily, had no resistance (back pressure) whatsoever, and I found the finger spacing to be a challenge. On the other hand, it produced tone to kill for. I ended up swapping it for a Goldie low D with another member here. I have since acquired and/or traded away a variety of low whistles including: the Chieftain NR and V3; Hammy Hamilton (my current “go to” instrument); along with a Kerry Custom Pro (brass & alloy bodies). My participation in this whistle tour was largely fueled by curiosity as I felt I had more in my arsenal than any reasonable person ought to justify. Moreover, my one and only previous experience with the Reviol had been disappointing though I freely admit it may have had mostly to do with me rather than the instrument. Still, when opportunity presented itself, I welcomed a second go at it, not knowing if the instrument was essentially the same as the one I had owned previously. To my surprise and delight, it isn’t.
The Reviol low D on tour is a remarkable instrument on all fronts! I say this having been completely satisfied that my days of searching for the perfect whistle were over, that is, until now. I have played this instrument for much of this past week and have had trouble putting it down, it really is that good! Where to start? Someone on here once referred to the Reviol as the Bentley of low D’s. It’s a characterization that is so well put no embellishment is required. The instrument’s visual appeal, along with its finishing work is second to none, and it feels as good as it looks, holding and playing it. Maurice also appears to have resolved the low or non-existent back-pressure issue. I’d say that resistance is modest but ample and required very little adjustment — this coming from a leather-lunged woodwind player! The whistle’s tuning and intonation are the best I’ve experienced to date as both are spot-on to my ear at least. The evenness of tone through both registers is equally remarkable and the timbre is, in my not-so-humble opinion, in a class by itself. This instrument sings. I mean it really sings! It boasts a complex, broad, rich tone that is delightful. It’s volume and projection is superior to any other low D I’ve played and it’s flexibility for nuanced phrasing from loud to soft is pure joy. Apart from the low E and D that others have described as a bit touchy and which I think requires a small adjustment to the air stream, it feels as though it plays all by itself. This ease of play is something I fervently believe every musician yearns for as it frees us to focus on playing artfully rather than struggling to overcome or compensate for an instrument’s mechanical or acoustic shortcomings. I could go on.
All in all, Maurice is a master craftsman who has proven that no matter how good something is, there is always room for improvement. How fortunate we are to be able to reap the benefits of a life-long commitment to such mastery. Thanks are due to Mr. Reviol for his generosity in availing one of his instruments for the tour, to Dale for his ongoing commitment to C&F, enabling this free exchange of thoughts and ideas, and a special mention of Patrick Reen for organizing yet another of these tours. These things don’t happen without effort and I for one am indebted to him for his leadership and perspiration in pulling this together. Where does that leave me? Damned if I’m not re-thinking my collection of low whistles. There’s always room for one more isn’t there? Now, if I can only explain that to my wife… 
Nicely said.
Greetings,
Here are my notes on the Reviol low-D currently on tour.
In a nutshell, I think this is a great low-whistle !
Backpressure:
I rate the Reviol as middle-of-the pack on backpressure. I’ve played some with more, some with less. Ditto on air requirements.
Sound - voice:
The timbre of this whistle really shines ! It’s got a voice somewhere between the crystal-clarity of Susato and the gravel of an MK. I love it. Almost no rushing-of-air-sound. No latent white noise. It’s all harmonic power.
Sound - volume:
This whistle has plenty of power. The 1st octave is in the same league as my MK. The second octave is louder, but not screechy at all.
Toneholes:
The toneholes and their pattern are a little on the largish size. My hands are a little on the small side, so, this whistle took some effort. After a few days, I was finally starting to close the bottom holes reliably
Tuning slide:
Nice and firm. Very smooth. Wont move unless you move it.
Finish:
The matte finish gives plenty of traction for an easy grip.
Weight:
My kitchen scale reads 219g. More than some. Less than others. Light-ish for an all-metal whistle. I really like light whistles. They allow me to practice longer.
All in all:
This whistle has one of the loveliest voices I’ve played. Plus, it’s nice+light, which is good for practicing a lot. The holes and pattern are on the larger/wider end of my experience, but tractable with practice.
of course, Thanks to retired + Mr. Reviol for sending making the tour happen !
(For those keeping track: it arrived here 6/11 and I mailed it to the next on 6/14.)
Oh, BTW: I hereby nominate the packing for the “tour-packing-hall-of-fame”. No muss, no fuss, plenty of protection ! Plus: a clearly labeled “open this end” ! It’s the little things . . . just like a good fipple. 
trill
YEs, OK.
I no longer do retail - I did for a while, and while I was doing that the ethics forbade me from saying a single thing that might affect the market.
I don’t do retail anymore and, after a suitable grace period, I can now offer my humble opinion:
Maurice is part of a thousand year tradition - he has done all the hard-yards and represents, not only himself, but those who went before him.
In the media, I will note that Cillian Obrien has an equal footing with Jerry Freeman on the subject of “tweaking”.
Now, I have never communicated with Cillian, I talk to Jerry sometimes, but I will note that most the whistles getting produced under the Obrien banner were being made by Maurice for a long while before Maurice moved to New Zealand.
A story: Paddy Keenan was on the bill at a festival I attended (selling whistles). I was remarking about how stingy the festival organisation was that the stall-holders were not given access to the performances and I would have loved the opportunity to see Keenan’s performance.
It so happened that Paddy was walking past my tent at that moment - he heard what I said, poked his hatted-head round the corner and said “boo”.
I didn’t immediately recognise him so I asked “You play whistles then?” He replied “I’ve been known to play one or 2”.
So, at that time, I had the most known low-whistles in my shoppe - and Paddy tried out all of them - he settled on the Reviol low D and, to my knowledge, still plays it.
But that’s not such a great stretch - he uses Obrien whistles a lot - and that is Maurice when it comes to the low whistles - has been for a while.
In the key of F .. now that’s a different matter.
I have been in conversation with Maurice for a while - not in the last year, so I don’t know where he’s going lately, but what I do know is that he knows what he’s doing - his lineage is truly traditional, and you could do a lot worse.
I have said it here before - if you want a tamed-down whistle that plays in tune and just .. kinda .. fades into the mix .. then don’t get a Reviol - the Reviol will do that, but it’s like a champion stallion - it will not like to be held back - and when you want to fly? Well .. Pegasus comes to mind - Listening to Keenan taught me at least that much.
(edit: Have the flute-players amongst you tried the Reviol cast-bore flute? I’d be interested in your impressions - I got to try-out a couple .. I like them - but I’m not a flute player (much) . but it was the easiest flute I ever held .. and it went where I wanted it to go ..but I’m not a flute player)
I had the whistle for a bit and sent it along. I had one of the first Reviol Low D’s made in NZ. I sold it as it was too free blowing for my taste. The tour whistle is still rather free blowing but less so than the earlier version. While not ideal, I could play this whistle as my main axe. Tuning was fine and it has plenty of volume. I played it at a session and asked a few other players to comment on the difference between it and my Reyburn low D. Most commented that they seemed about equal in perceived volume, although when playing both at home it seemed like the Reviol sounded a bit louder. I liked the tone. Session listeners liked the the tone from the Reyburn more, being fuller and rounder. Maybe the tonal difference made them perceived as being about equal in volume in the session. The one down side is the weaker bottom D and E. The rest of the scale and second octave had plenty of volume. The Reyburn is more balanced at the bottom end. I am glad to see a less free blowing whistle from Maurice. It is a well crafted instrument, well in tune with its own tone and good volume (except the bottom two notes). Thanks to Maurice and Patrick for making the tour available.