Patrick O'Riordan REVIEW--by Dale Wisely
From Chiff & Fipple 10/17/98

See below for an update (1/3/98)

	Before I begin this review--a word about my reviews.   As careful readers of the 

Chiff & Fipple will know (and really, while I am delighted that there 600+ readers of this 

newsletter--I certainly hope there aren't too many CAREFUL readers), I am sometimes a 

little self-conscious about my reviews (This baffles my friends, who think I would do better to 

be self-conscious about my hair and my choice of clothing.)  Specifically, I sometimes think 

they are too positive.  (My reviews, not my friends).But, the truth of the matter is:   I rarely 

meet a tinwhistle I don't like. (However, I have met someone who speak to me in mean 

voices, saying, "Abandon Your Long Wait For the Crystal People!")   As best I can tell,

the real trick of tinwhistle design is balance--If you improve one aspect, it is often at the 

expense of another aspect.  So, I tend to be forgiving of a whistle's faults, because they all 

have them.  (Like people.)   I also appreciate the diversity in sounds and timbres and so a 

whistle rarely sounds bad to me.  (My longstanding dislike of Generation Ds is a

notable exception.  With time, I've grown a bit disillusioned with the Kerry Low D.)   

	Furthermore, I have the greatest respect and admiration-- envy even-- of 

instrument craftsmen.  (As well as admiration for the whole line of fine Craftsmen tools at 

Sears.)  To me there is something wonderful and mysterious and holy about someone 

making a musical instrument with his or her hands.  (We need more "her" craftspeople).  

So, I am admittedly extremely reluctant to be critical of handmade whistles.  (I sometimes

offer a bit more negative critique in answering email inquiries.)  In addition, I do think it is 

true that the instruments made by the great whistlemakers (Copeland, O'Riordan, Overton, 

Goldie, and Abell would be my current list, greatness here being a function of quality work,

time-tested, diversity of instruments) are uniformly very good instruments and so positive 

reviews are going to be appropriate.

	I also tend to write reviews too quickly after get a new whistle.  I've played the 

O'Riordans I am about to review more and longer than any whistle prior to posting a review.  

So, here goes.   

	Due to a wonderfully supportive and generous member of the Collective who

shall remain nameless, I was able to purchase his O'Riordan D/C set (one headjoint and 

two shafts in a double- pouch cloth bag) for a very good price.    I guess I have had these 

for about a month. 

	This is a particularly hard whistle to describe physically, due to it's

unusual construction.  (For convenience--I'll describe this set in the singular).   The 

headjoint is made of a dense black plastic with a somewhat flat finish.   It's a really unusual 

material.  It doesn't SEEM like plastic.  The fipple window is very simple--just the window 

and a simple fipple blade...nothing apparently fancy.  The fipple plug is made from the 

same material as the rest of the head.   There is a lip curve. It's got a nice feel.  The airway 

is arched at the top, flat on the bottom (A bit like my Aunt Edna.)   There is a decorative 

brass ring with carved shamrocks just south of the window.  Pat O'Riodan's signature and 

date (this one is 1994) appear etched on the side of the headjoint.   The slide

consists of a brass ring on the south end of the headjoint and another on the north end of 

the shaft, and a long brass tube that rises from the top of the the shaft and slides into the 

bottom of the headjoint.   (It's a really good thing that I don't have to read this review aloud 

at a junior high).  It's a good slide, although it's too easy to slide.  There's a little etched 

mark on each slide which seems to indicate where the precise concert pitch is.  I don't 

know if this is original or put on by the previous owner. I suspect O'Riordan put it there.

My O'Riordan "Concert" whistle in D


	The shaft is wood.  I don't know what kind.  It's medium brown color with

very dark graining.  In addition to the brass ring at the top, there is another brass ring at the 

bottom of the shaft.  The overall combination of materials works--these are very attractive 

and unusually professional looking instruments.   The holes are somewhat larger than is 

typical of these keys and they are very comfortably spaced.  However, I would say

that the #4 and #5 holes on the D are a bit too close to each other.  I have smallish fingers 

which tend to touch each other when placed on these two holes.  But, overall, I really like 

this fingering.


	Ok.  The sound.  (<sigh> This is where my musical vocabulary shows its

weakness).  Moderately loud, but sweet at the same time.  Very, VERY smooth across two 

octaves.  Perfectly tuned to my ear and to my low-end Korg electronic tuner.  Not much 

breathiness at all in the sound.  Very comfortable wind requirements.  Smooth low-to-high 

octave transitions...not too easy to overblow, not too hard.  


	Here's another thing I like.  When I first got my Copeland high D, one of

the things that I noticed immediately is I don't make as many mistakes playing it.  Mistakes 

like the occasional flubbed note due to coming down wrong on the hole.  (Note to self:  

"Coming Down Wrong On the Hole": New and Selected Poems by Dale Wisely).   

Mistakes like overblowing or any of the other things that make a note just go suddenly 

freaky.  Well, this relative-freedom-from-error- effect (RFFEE) is prominent in these

O'Riordan whistles.  If you are a mediocre player like I am (I'm way too busy being Internet 

Whistle King to practice enough) you'll love this feature.


	Finally, a note on the bag.  Good whistles ought to always come in a case

or bag.  This is a really nice corduroy bag with two pouches.  You stick those boys in there 

and flop over the top and tie it with attached cords. It's good.

 	As far as my taste and playing style go, these constitute the best high

D and high C whistles I have played.  (I believe it is important to note that I've not played an 

Abell whistle--can't justify the expense-- and I don't own any other "high-end" Cs).  My 

Copeland high D, compared to the O'Riordan is a close call and probably comes down to 

a near dead-heat.   I prefer the construction of the Copeland.  I prefer the Copeland tuning

slide.  I think I like the tone of the O'Riordan a tad better.  I should also say that most of the 

people in the Collective I have heard from who have experience with both favor the 

Copeland over the O'Riordan.   Another close call is the Overton high D (C. Goldie).   



So there you go.  I enjoyed writing the review.  Among other things, it helped me avoid 

doing laundry.


UPDATE 1/99

I phoned Mr. O'Riordan on 1/3/99.  What a lovely man.  He tells me that he will soon celebrate his 50th
 wedding anniversary and his 72nd birthday.   His waiting list is now 2 years.  He supplies whistles to a 
number of professional players, notably, Joannie Madden.  He is currently making whistles (I think I got this 
right) in the following keys:  High:   D, C, Eb   Low:  G, E, Eb,  D.   He is NOT making Bb or A whistles.  In 
addition to the whistles I describe above, he makes black aluminum whistles.  I gather all of his low whistles 
are this style.

 

--Dale