Oz Whistle reviews

MTGuru · Post by **MTGuru** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 5:24 pm

Since Mitch is probably too nice a gentleman to toot his own flute ...

There are two excellent new reviews of the new Oz tunable whistle by Tony Hinnigan and Phil Hardy. Also an extended video demo and commentary on Tony's site, a must-see. It's the last video on the page, Whistle Wishlist inc OZ Whistle High D, starting at 9:23.

I have no commercial interest in Oz Whistles. Just happy to see a fellow Chiffer get some kudos.

BEC · Post by **BEC** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:09 pm

I just watched/listened to Tony's review - and feel serious WhOA coming on......!

These tunable Oz Whistles aren't even on the web site....makes me wonder how much backlog there might be, especially after Mr. Hinnigan waxes so enthusiastically over it.

PhilO · Post by **PhilO** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:11 pm

I've had a tuneable delrin Oz whistle (maybe Mitch's first delrin?) for some time now and love it. Was Tony playing a delrin or blackwood Oz in the clip?

Philo

Steamwalker · Post by **Steamwalker** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:20 pm

That's mighty high praise from a well-known player/reviewer. Hopefully Mitch doesn't feel the need to raise his price to 250 pounds times two.

Mitch is a standup guy and I appreciate his communication with me over the months about a whistle as well as his feedback on other great makers. I am on his tunable US whistle tour and was planning to get a whistle from him early next year as well.

By the way, what tune is that that Tony plays on the Busman and later on the Oz?

MagicSailor · Post by **MagicSailor** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:33 pm

Shame on you MtGuru!

I've got a five key kopper set coming from David O'Brien and just told Doc I want a Thornton D, and now you post THIS!!!???

I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles.

Help me, please!

You know, I actually thought I was cured when I started building my own whistles and found they were coming out quite good... Don't need to buy whistles when I can make my own, right?

This has got to stop!

Regards,

Owen Morgan

Yacht Magic
Anchored in the lagoon, St Maarten

My new blog.
Click here for my latest reported position. (Use the satellite view.)[/size]

Mitch · Post by **Mitch** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:36 pm

Thanks MT,

I appreciate the support!

It is true that I'm not making a big noise about my whistles - they take a long time to make and I've been gradually improving tooling and technique to save time, get things right and keep the quality up. Small steps.

Tony has the European tour whistle - gidgee/phosphor-bronze. I believe it somehow improved in-transit! And it's no longer the tour whistle - I have a blackwood/sterling on it's way to take up that duty.

Aanvil has the tunable delrin/sterling US tour whistle. Hope it goes well.

PS - the tune Tony is playing is Tabhair dom do lamh (sp?) beautiful tune!

And to add to Steamwealker's comment - the whistles in Tony's review are all top-shelf and worth having. In my experience every single whistle comes out slightly different, in some cases the difference will strike a special raport with the player. It seems like about 80% player, 10% whistle and 10% what the player feels about the whistle (haven't been able to measure goat content, but I'm sure that's important too). Just so long as the thing gets the job done then it's top-shelf.

Trixle · Post by **Trixle** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:52 pm

Steamwalker wrote: By the way, what tune is that that Tony plays on the Busman and later on the Oz?

It's name is as Mitch said, you can hear a pipe/ensemble recording of it on Planxty's Planxty album, it's the second part of the "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" track.

Aanvil · Post by **Aanvil** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:35 pm

Hmmmn... I think Tony might like it some what.

I hope you got enough material on hand.

Someone is going to getting a boat load of orders.

The Derlin and silver... I got it. And I've been playing it.

Incredible attention to fit and finish.

Its simply beautiful to look at.

I think is probably gonna be due to move on soon.

I've been trying to do a vid review of my own tonight

Tony is gonna be hard to beat.

I will put one up though.

I need a glass of wine now however... hehe.

Mitch, this one seems voiced little different that the one Tony has.

But it might be just me.

I'll PM you a few observations that way we can see if others have similar.

I really enjoyed the first wood one that toured.

I'd sure like to try one in black wood.

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:13 pm

I have a delrin and silver model of the Oz Vambrace. It is a wonderful whistle. Beautiful to look at and to play. It challenges me, and I like that. It really cuts through at session (which makes me practice even more!

)

And, of course, Mitch is a great guy to deal with.

JordanII · Post by **JordanII** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:35 am

Whoa! Triple post!!! lol

JordanII · Post by **JordanII** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:36 am

I guess this is why you don't use C&F on a slow connection.

JordanII · Post by **JordanII** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:37 am

MagicSailor wrote:Shame on you MtGuru!

I've got a five key kopper set coming from David O'Brien and just told Doc I want a Thornton D, and now you post THIS!!!???

I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles. I can not afford any more whilstles.

Help me, please!

You know, I actually thought I was cured when I started building my own whistles and found they were coming out quite good... Don't need to buy whistles when I can make my own, right?

This has got to stop!

Regards,

Owen Morgan

Yacht Magic
Anchored in the lagoon, St Maarten

My new blog.
Click here for my latest reported position. (Use the satellite view.)[/size]

What's a "whilstle"?

After watching Tony's review I REALLY want one. First it was the Chieftain, then the Thin Weazel, and then the Copeland, and now THIS!!!!! What am I going to do?! I guess it's time to get back to making my own.

karl · Post by **karl** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:40 am

I see Mitch has already posted here on this topic but just wanted to pick up on the comment of backlog by BEC. I had an email from Mitch yesterday and I quote "I have a couple left in African blackwood/sterling silver from the current batch. …… The next batch will not be complete until late January"

Needless to say I ordered one from him. I would also like to whole heartedly agree with the comments here that Mitch is a great guy to deal with. I actually sent him some rather confusing emails wrt the price which he dealt with in a fantastic way, and answered very quickly (which I think is great when dealing with makers).

Since I have mentioned the price and Steamwalker expressed his hopes that they wouldn't raise

I will give you the information Mitch gave me in the hope that people don't mess him around as much as I did! prices edited out by evil moderator dude per request of the the price setter. Sorry, but in the future may I ask that permission first be sought prior to posting private correspondence? I have made this mistake as well with someone I respect deeply, so, heh, let's be a little more careful please? Thanks a zillion.

Mitch · Post by **Mitch** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 7:23 pm

karl wrote: ...
If I have got any of that wrong (again) Mitch please let these good folks know otherwise

Hi Karl,

Many thanks - BUT

It might be an idea to consult with me before making public pricing anouncements and assumptions on my behalf or divulging commercial in-confidence negotiations.

Please remove pricing details in your post. They are incorrect.

This is my livelyhood.

(Edited for clarification:

My hand-made whistles are a completely separate component of how I make a living as opposed to the good-old Oz Whistles web retail store, or the Oz WHistles travelling festival shoppe. With a hand-made whistle, the maker-player relationship is a good deal more complex and personal. Pricing is sensitive to a host of additional variables including the players requirement. For that reason pricing may have a general benchmark but is treated on a case-by-case basis and subject to review. I make such quotations by email, by phone or in-person. Great as it is, C&F is not a suitable medium for that purpose. For the hand-made jobbies, the up-close-and-personal approach allows me to tailor pricing to the benefit of my customer, and avoids having to apply a one-size-fits-all price that would necessarily be the absolute maximum.

My apologies to Dale for going on and on in this commercial vein - I do try to apply as light a touch as possible with my CPs - C&F has better things to do)

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:41 pm

Mitch wrote: PS - the tune Tony is playing is Tabhair dom do lamh (sp?) beautiful tune!

aka Give Me Your Hand. It is typically ascribed the blind harpist Rory Dall O'Caghan, at least that is what Edward Bunting says in The Ancient Music of Ireland. It was written about 1603. I have heard two stories about the origin of the tune: One was that Blind Rory wrote it when he made up with his landlady with whom he had quarreled. The other is that it was written for a woman whom he gave his hand to help her into a boat and whom he recognized by her scent. That second story doesn't sound very likely to me, or would you want to be helped into a boat by a blind man?

The tune is sometimes ascribed also to O'Carolan---and who could keep their blind harpers straight?

X:63
T:GIVE ME YOUR HAND
R:Other
O:Ireland
N:R.D.o'C said to have been born c. 1550
M:3/4
C:Ruari Dall O'Cathain
K:G
D|EGG G2D|EGG G2D|EGG GAB|Bed B2A/G/|AAe/d/ BBd/B/|A>BA/G/ E2D| EGG G2D|EGG G2D|EGG GAB|D>BA/B/ G2D| EGG GAB|Bed B2d/B/|AAe/d/ BBd/B/|A2B/d/ e2d/B/| dde g2e/d/|eeg a2g/e/|ggd/e/ ggd/e/|gga b3| bbb b2a/g/|aa/b/a/g/ e2g/f/|eeg/e/ ddg/d/|BBd/B/A2B/A/| GBd =f2e/d/|eeg e2d/B/|ddg/e/ B2d/B/|AA/c/B/A/ G2||

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