Now that I've had my "bent" O'Brien Bb for 3 weeks and got to know it a little better I feel more qualified to give my impressions of it.
The main selling point for this whistle is without a doubt the angled mouthpiece.
I can see that for some people the angle of the playing position could be an advantage but for me, personally it has more novelty value than practical use.
The whistle is still quiet but not as quiet as before i.e. I've unconciously adapted my technique to suit it.
The whistle is still a bit too breathy for my tastes. However, it appears to sound very different from the listening position. Almost everyone who has heard it is positive about the sound. There is a nice bit of chiff although my own personal preference is for a purer sound. The real plus is that it is great to use as a contrast to my normal prefered whistles - a mixture of Burkes, Goldie Overtons, Chieftains and a much loved Thin Weasel.
Of course, it is unfair to compare it to these as price-wise it is more on a par with Dixons.
The bell note errs on the side of weakness but not excessively so. The second octave is not shrill but does greatly benefit from a more aggresive, confident approach. The third octave is similar, if you must but as you'd expect ear-plugs are a real advantage.
The lucite (clear) fipple looks and feels good. The problem with the looseness caused by the short tuning slide has been resolved by the simple addition of a little beeswax a la Serpent. As I said before the tuning is spot on all the way through the useable range.
The workmanship is fine and the whistle looks really good. It could easily double-up as a bodhran beater or as something to beat a bodhran player with.
The O'Brien Angled Bb is an interesting addition to any whistle collection but is not in my opinion really suitable as a first whistle mainly because of the need to take firm control of it. At the price it is a real steal and the straight C O'Brien that I've had for about a week is even better value. I'll post more about the C in a few days.