What’s the consensus on the O’Briain Improved Feadog? I heard it was a soft blower.
Just tried one at a session last week. After consulting with myself, the consensus is that it’s a fantastic whistle. It’s got great tone and very well balanced octaves. It plays like the average whistle: doesn’t take particularly hard or soft blowing.
I should add that the one I tried was just purchased in the last month, and so is probably indicative of the ones currently being made.
The one I have takes a very soft breath. No problem after you get used to it. Ultra clear tone.
Tony
I had a great one (stolen with my car). I wouldn’t say it was a soft blower compared to non-tweaked brass Feadogs and some Gens (some nickel Gens are a bit bolder, I think) . I had played on those mostly before ever getting Burkes and I felt it was just like the non-tweaked, but sounded better.
I guess I would say it was very responsive. I thought it was great for learning cuts and taps. I would recommend that anybody get one. For the money, I don’t see how you can lose…It’s what Feadogs SHOULD sound and play like..
But, I have never had a Jerry Freeman tweaked, right next to an OBrian , and also a Mack Hoover head on one. It would be nice to have all three in one place at one time and see how they compare.
Have all the above.
I prefer the O’Briain…
M
I’d like to edit this statement to say, I do not have a Jerry Mellow-Dog, and from what I hear, this is also a whistle quite like the O’Briain… Anyone???
Well, there ya go.
I quite like my O’Briain, but I would call it a soft blower…especially the low D.
Eric
I love my Ó Briain “improved.” I bought it several years ago, and it’s still one of my favorite whistles. Mine is definitely a soft blower…it’s quite easy to overblow it, in fact. Wonderful sound, though.
Redwolf
What exactly does Cillian do to improve them?
Adds a clear piece to the blade, fills open space in the headjoint - those are the things I noticed for sure. It’s wonderfully in tune as high as the 3rd octave D according to my tuner.
Eric
(From what I remember reading in these forums in the past) Originally he also made new tubes for them but Feadog has since adopted his tube design and he uses those now.
I bought a O’Briain D from Whistle and Drum. From the picture it’s brass with a bkack fipple. I’m assuming this is the newer model.
I’m going to put a note here to clarify, in case those who’ve already read and replied to Whistling Dixie’s original, now edited post may not have noticed the edit and don’t realize that she is comparing a tweaked Generation with an O’Briain Improved. She does not have a tweaked Mellow Dog.
The tweaked Generation is intended to be a tweaked whistle that stays as close as possible to the traditional Generation voicing.
Both the tweaked Mellow Dog and O’Briain Improved are whistles that are intended to be whatever I or Cillian O’Briain want them to be without any attempt to keep the voicing characteristics of the original factory run whistles.
Many people, I think, prefer the voicing of an O’Briain Improved or a tweaked Mellow Dog, compared to the Generation voicing.
There are differences between a tweaked Mellow Dog and an O’Briain Improved, such that I believe different people would prefer one or the other based on the differences in the two whistles’ playing characteristics and voicings.
I think the O’Briain Improved is a terrific whistle, and I’m not trying to say my tweaked Mellow Dog is better. Only that I wanted to make sure it’s clear what was being compared in the earlier post.
Best wishes,
Jerry
I have a Mellow Dog and it’s a wonderful whistle. I’m looking forward to comparing it to a O’Briain Improved.
I just spent a half an hour playing them back and forth. They are about the same volume, with the O’Briain needing a little less push in the upper end. There are definite tonal differences, but neither is better or worse. The larger tone holes on the Mellow Dog make bending and sliding easier.