Mellow Dog or Cillian O'Briain?

[Mikethebook]

I wonder can those of you who have both the Freeman Mellow Dog and the O'Briain Improved compare them for me in terms of tone, loudness, playability etc, including ease of playing in the upper second octave. I'm trying to make a choice between them. Thanks.

[maki]

The Mellowdog is louder with a strong bottom end and a nice chiffy sound.
The Mellowdog C is a particularly fun one.

The Cillian O'Brian is sweeter, slightly quiter, with a nicer top end.

I love them both.
Though now, I have other whistle that I play more often.

[Mikethebook]

Thanks for that maki. Does the O'Briain require minimal air at the bottom end in order for it to have an easier top end?

[benhall.1]

OK. My perspective. I've just dug out the Mellow Dog and the Cillian O Briain. Now, it may be worth noting that I have had both of them a similar length of time - something like about 2 or 3 years for each, I would say. I pretty soon stopped playing the Freeman whistle in favour of the O Briain (not necessarily the whistle's fault, but probably more to do with me, as you may discover below), so when I try a comparison now, it is possible that I'm simply more used to the O Briain and therefore not giving the Mellow Dog its day.

Everything is as I remember. The air requirement is very similar between the two whistles, IMO. Slightly less breath required for the O Briain, presumably reflecting the narrower bore of the O Briain compared with the Mellow Dog. It doesn't feel all that much different, but when you go from one to the other it's very noticeable in the sound. If you go from the Mellow Dog to the O Briain, you tend to overblow and produce a harsh sound with lots of squeaks. Going the other way, from the O Briain to the Mellow Dog, you get squeaks because of under-blowing. So perhaps there's more difference in the air requirement than I think.

Despite the difference in air requirement the volume of the two whistles seems about the same to me and, because the tone of the O Briain is more trebly, it tends to sound clearer and to cut through more when played at a session. I find the O Briain easier to play in both octaves, but that could well be what I'm used to. For me, the O Briain performs much more like a standard Generation than the Mellow Dog does, and that suits me. The Mellow dog is, as its name suggests, more mellow, with a deeper tone than most whistles, and certainly mellower than the O Briain.

I think the O Briain is more similar to Jerry's Blackbird whistle than to his Mellow Dogs, if mine is anything to go by (I also have a Blackbird). I prefer the Blackbird to the Mellow Dog, which may tell you something in itself. But I'd still rather have the O Briain which, to me, has more of a traditional sound and feel. It's probably not as smooth as Jerry's whistles, but I don't mind about that. I like a bit more chirp at least, and the other sounds that can be played on the O Briain are ones that I can use. Jerry's whistles are just a bit 'clean' sounding for my taste.

To answer two specific queries about the O Briain: it plays very easily indeed right up to third octave G, and certainly plays all of the second octave very easily - for me, more easily than the Mellow Dog, and probably about the same as Jerry's Blackbird whistles. The bottom note (bell note) also plays easily, and I don't really have to think about how much air it takes. Unless I've just changed over from the Mellow Dog!

Hope that helps.

[Mr.Gumby]

My vote would be for the O'Briain as well. I am not a fan of wider diameter whistles.

I'd note though that like all (tweaked) whistles not all are equal and I went through a few dozen to pick the one I eventually bought. Any would have been fine but there are always small differences and you may as well select one that 'feels' more suitable than some others.

I also note that at present I have the O'Briain head on a nickel plated Feadóg tube which gives it a slightly 'deeper' tone (how do you describe something like that well?).

[Mikethebook]

Thanks for that thorough appraisal. Very helpful. One question I have is back pressure. You say the bottom note on the O'Briain plays very easily but do you have to breathe gently for it not to break as with the Blackbird which, I'm told, does require breath control far more than the Mellow Dog. I like the idea you can play high notes easily with the O'Briain. I guess I'm more concerned about breath control in the lower octave.

[benhall.1]

Thanks for that thorough appraisal. Very helpful. One question I have is back pressure. You say the bottom note on the O'Briain plays very easily but do you have to breathe gently for it not to break as with the Blackbird which, I'm told, does require breath control far more than the Mellow Dog. I like the idea you can play high notes easily with the O'Briain. I guess I'm more concerned about breath control in the lower octave.

I don't have to breathe particularly gently to play the bottom D. In fact, I can blow quite hard and still get the note, clear and strong. But, as they say, YMMV. My suggestion, FWIW, is that breath control is, in any case, something that you just have to learn in order to play whistle. Once you have, playing the low notes isn't an issue, unless there's something radically wrong with the whistle.

[Mikethebook]

Thanks again. My main whistle is a Goldie Low D; I play low whistle far more than high whistle so I wonder whether I would be more likely to overblow the O'Briain than the Mellow Dog. But I do like the idea of reaching third octave notes without too much trouble.

[benhall.1]

Thanks again. My main whistle is a Goldie Low D; I play low whistle far more than high whistle so I wonder whether I would be more likely to overblow the O'Briain than the Mellow Dog. But I do like the idea of reaching third octave notes without too much trouble.

Ha! They sound fine. Even so, make sure you put the cat out first.

[Mikethebook]

Thanks for the help. My decision has been helped solved by a generous soul on the forums who, knowing it is my birthday today (through Facebook) has offered to send me a Mellow Dog, freeing me up to buy the O'Briain too. Some lovely people on these forums!!!

[megapop]

Happy birthday then!

[Loren]

I also note that at present I have the O'Briain head on a nickel plated Feadóg tube which gives it a slightly 'deeper' tone (how do you describe something like that well?).

Peter, hope you've been well. Do you know if those are the same nickel tubes he used on the original improved whistles, back when he offered a nickel version? I still need a back-up O'Briain with a nickel tube but imagine I'm going to have to pick-up a brass version and swap the tube out.

Loren

[Mr.Gumby]

It's a nickel tube from a standard nickel Feadóg I bought a while ago in Gleeson's in Kilrush, basically an old fashioned hardware/bicycle and everything else you need around the house store. While I was trying out whistles the man of the house told me a rake of stories about Paddy Killoran's visit in 1948 (and a few later ones as well). That alone would have made it worth it.

Anyhow I just swapped the heads. Diameters and hole spacing are identical although the nickel somehow feels a bit more substantial.

[Loren]

Ah, I miss those types of stores, precious few survive here in the U.S. and certainly we don't get those same stories

Thanks.

[Mr.Gumby]

They're getting scarce here too but there are still a few left. The generation who had the stories of the old players has virtually disappeared now too. Although like here, there should be a few left with memories like that in the US.