O'Riordan sound-a-likes?

khl · Post by **khl** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 2:28 am

With the relative scarcity of O'Riordans, and the high price they usually go for when put up for auction, I'm resigned to the fact that I'll probably never have one, and quite possibly, given that I live far away from any real centers of whistle making and playing, I may never hear one in person (only on CD).

If I go for the next best thing--the sound--what whistles approach them in sound, tone, volume, etc.? I remember reading that Greenwoods are very similar in construction. How about in other aspects? Are there other whistles? High keys? Low keys?

Help will be much appreciated.

chas · Post by **chas** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:41 am

I've only tried a couple of wooden O'Riordans. Playing-wise, the Greenwood is definitely very similar. Similar breath requirements, feel, and volume. Sound-wise, I'd say Susatos and Roses are similar.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:07 am

I've got a bunch of the Travelers (black anodized aluminum), but have never played the wooden ones. The Travelers in high D and C could be considered loud (not negative, just a bit high on the comparative volume scale), and are quite pure and clear and full in tone. The Low D is moderate in volume as you'd expect from a Low D and pretty much the same in tonal qualities. The low G is a little freaky. Moderate in volume with the most heavenly angelic sweet tone - it's clear and pure yet has some unique quality that I can't describe in any other words. Haunting, but sweet...I give up - Suffice it to say that the G is my favorite.

Other whistles that sound the same? For high D and C, maybe Silkstone alloy? I don't have one handy anymore, but Jessie or someone else who has played both could tell you if that's so or close at least with respect to the Travelers.

Philo

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:48 am

The Silkstone C I have doesn't even vaguely resemble my O'Riordan Traveller C. (And for that matter, a Susato doesn't sound much like a Traveller, though they do have somewhat similar playing characteristics.)

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:25 am

Hey Colomon, thanks for the Silkstone info. I had a D and C a long time ago, but sold them. Fine whistles, just didn't particularly suit me at the time. There was also some physical discomfort with the D - I think two of the top tone holes felt too close together for me or something...

We were out your way recently, visiting U of Mich in Ann Arbor. We loved it there - one of our favorite cities on this cross country college tour. When I said it was the most beautiful, my daughter (as always) corrected me, saying: "It's not the MOST beautiful, but definitely the COOLEST (not temperature) city we've been to."

Philo

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:31 am

I completely agree, the Greenwood high D is about as close as you're going to get to an O'Riordan in terms of sound and response. I used to have both and the Greenwood had a very slightly lower backpressure compared to my O'Riordan, but otherwise was nearly identical.

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:55 am

eskin wrote:I completely agree, the Greenwood high D is about as close as you're going to get to an O'Riordan in terms of sound and response. I used to have both and the Greenwood had a very slightly lower backpressure compared to my O'Riordan, but otherwise was nearly identical.

That may be true of the Greenwood/O'R Concert whistle comparison. Not true of the Greenwood/Traveler comparison though. I had both (only O'Riordan now). The O'Riordan has a much tighter, cleaner, purer sound. I actually got goosebumps and started shivering the first time I played my O'R high D. I am sure some of that was the mystic nature that has surrounded these whistles for some time, but I also know part of it was the amazingly clean sound it made.

From what I have READ the Rose blackwood is the only other whistle that would come close to the O'Riordan (and maybe even exceed it) for that sort of sound.

colomon · Post by **colomon** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 9:26 am

Steven, I think you got sidetracked and forgot to indicate which sort of O'Riordan you're talking about for the second half of that message. Though I take it the general gist is that the Greenwood is like the Concert rather than the Traveller? I had wondered about that. I wasn't terribly impressed with the Concert I tried years ago -- it's Traveller all the way for me.

PhilO, you should have bopped by and had some tunes. A^2 is indeed a wonderful place to live, and the U was a great place to go to school.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 9:43 am

colomon wrote:Steven, I think you got sidetracked and forgot to indicate which sort of O'Riordan you're talking about for the second half of that message.

My take on IDAwHOa's post was that he's never tried an O'Riordan Concert (thus "That may be true" at the beginning), but that the comparison of a Greenwood and his O'Riordan Traveler was not accurate.

That's how I read it, anyway.

eskin · Post by **eskin** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:07 am

My O'Riordan is a blackwood concert model as far as I know.

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 6:36 pm

The Rose and O'Riordan's are pretty different beasts to my ear and fingers. Not really similar in tone at all - but both with their own niceties about them. The Greenwood is as close as it comes to that quintessential O'Riordan sound many look for but just about all acounts I've heard.

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:25 pm

I used to own a Rose and wood O'Riordans and found them to be very similar in sound. The O'Riordan, I thought was more stable, less likely to chirp unexpectedly. I've never played a Greenwood. The attraction of the O'Riordan (beyond the hype) is it's purity of sound- no breathiness at all. That pretty much describes the Rose sound from the one I had.

I sold/traded them all because I don't like pure sounding whistles. I have an Abell blackwood d I wouldn't let go of. It's got a great tone and some breathiness. It's also a very stable playing whistle. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I mostly play a Freeman tweaked Generation because it has the most 'traditional tin whistle' sound. For a metal whistle that's very pure, the Cillian O'Briain tweaked Generation is one. It takes a very delicate, careful breath control, however.

(Switching the same head between the O'Riordan wood and metal tubes, it's obvious that the tube material effects the sound. There's a different 'color' to their purity.)
Tony

khl · Post by **khl** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:18 pm

I appreciate the answers so far. More are welcome, of course.

What about in the lower keys?

jmiller · Post by **jmiller** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:50 pm

My Humphrey wide bore D/C set reminds me a lot of my D/C Travelers (which I sold a couple of years back).

khl · Post by **khl** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 1:52 pm

Dale Wisely reviewed the Burke sometime back:
http://www.chiffandfipple.com/burkereview.html

In it he says: "The Burke tone reminds me a great deal of the O'Riordan whistles. I have written about how much I love O'Riordan's work. I prize no whistles more than my O'Riordans. Yet, I am not sure how I would do in a blindfold test, trying to pick out Burke vs. O'Riordan. Burke takes a more functional approach in choice of materials. But the tone is very much like O'Riordan. Full, round, pure."

Do those of you who have expereience with both Burkes and O'Riordans in the lower keys agree?