I’ve recently bought a one piece Doolin whistle and I’m curious to know the difference between it and the one piece Clare. I can’t find any information about the Doolin in the Inexpensive Whistle section of the site. However the Clare mouthpiece looks very like the Doolin from the photograph. Can anyone help?
They are made and distrubuted by different people. The Clare by David Lebas, who is from Co. Clare but is based in Dublin and the Doolin by Michael Whyte who is from Ennis (in Co. Clare). I understand though, that they both worked togther on a 2-piece model which are now also made separately.
Can I just add, that Shanna Quay now supply both the 1 piece and 2 piece Doolin model (which up to now has been very hard to find in Ireland).
Steve Power
Steve, can you give us a mini-review comparing the Clare and Doolin on sound, playability, breath requirements, volume, etc.? I have a Clare and am interested in the Doolin.
Thanks,
Debra
On 2002-03-24 13:50, dth wrote:
Steve, can you give us a mini-review comparing the Clare and Doolin (2 piece whistles) on sound, playability, breath requirements, volume, etc.?
- Appearance: They are the same length, and have identically shaped mouth pieces (with a ‘can’t roll off the table ridge’ (as Martin Milner put it). The Doolin mouth piece is a darker green than the Clare (and in my view better for it). The barrel is also a different shade of brass(!) slightly darker. The Doolin feel slightly thinner and lighter, but marginally so. The Doolin also seems less prone to blemishing on the barrel, but I can’t be certain of this, as I’ve had the Clare’s in stock for longer.
Sound The Doolin seems quieter than the Clare and needs more controlled breathing. It also seems to have a rounder and smoother tone, with a bit less chiff than the Clare, but it was easier to make less mistakes on the Clare and it (Doolin) was more prone to extraneous squeeks, when I played it. That said, I only played one of each whistle I have in the shop.
Breath Requirements/Playability They both need moderate breath requirements and the Doolin needed to be blown more softly to play well. The Clare was open to harder blowing, but not much. Fingering was about the same on both whistles and both were easy to finger and hold.
Overall The Doolin looks better and is quieter. The Clare has a nice tonal quality but has a yukky green coloured mouthpiece.
They cost about the same and some people might like both as there is probably enough difference in them to warrent the purchases.
I hope this helps,
Steve Power
Thanks for the review, Steve. It did help.
Debra
My Doolin is gonna get painted green and be in an installation in a museum…So there! ;-p
Let it shine! Anna “Dances with Weasels” Martinez
Oh hell, can’t figure out that smiley…
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-03-28 16:44 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Anna Martinez on 2002-03-28 16:45 ]
The 2-piece Clare I purchased from Steve last year doesn’t have quite the same shaped mouthpiece; though it doesn’t roll off the table, and has an icky green head. This gives rise to the possibility of Doolin/Clare transplants and hybridisation. If you get two of each, you could switch the heads over on one pair to hear how they sound.
I got a 1 piece Doolin from Steve at the same time, and now use it with a red Generation head on it. It seems more forgiving than the Doolin Head, maybe I just use more air than the Doolin likes.
I got a Doolin 2-piece recently (alas not from Steve), and there is just the teensiest wobble in the connection. Probably not enough to affect the playing, but just enough to take the edge off my pleasure in the whistle unless I can eliminate it. I had bought another as a present, and checking it today, ooh, there’s just the teensiest wobble in the connection. There’s no wobble in the Clare, which I’ve taken apart and put together hundreds of times.
I really like the Clare; it’s now my most travelled whistle. The Cnat benefits from OXX XOX fingering, but can be blown in tune using OXX OOO blowing a little softer.
I’ve seen a whistle somewhere on the net called an Eagle - it looks identical to the Clare.
Both Clare and Doolin tarnish up quickly with handling, though the Doolin does seem a little slower to tarnish, and the surface has a slightly textured look. I quite like that dirty old look now. You have to suppose the inside is tarnishing up too, and that must affect (soften?) the tone.
I’m suprised nobody does a 2-piece in Nickel, I’m sure there’d be a demand. Market niche anybody?
The only other “collapsing” whistle I know of is the Laughing whistle, 3-part telescoping, still brass, and much more expensive, especially to get one sent over to the UK. I’d like to get one, but the price puts me off for now.
The joy of the 2-part whistle for me is that yuo can carry it easily in a pocket, so it stays warm ready for instant playing.
double post edit
[ This Message was edited by: Martin Milner on 2002-03-29 03:01 ]
I have the 2 piece clare and the 1 piece doolin. I much prefer the doolin. I don’t notice much difference in volume. The doolin just sounds sweeter to me. As with every inexpensive whistle I’ve bought, the mouthpiece was jammed all the way on and the whistle was sharp. Sliding it out a little put it in tune. I always wondered if someone couldn’t make up his mind if it was supposed to be a D or an Eflat.
One thing I noticed about the clare was that crud seemed to accumulate in the joint. Maybe because I tend to play it sitting in my car right after lunch. (or during lunch between bites) Actually I think it is the moisture drying out in the joint. If you don’t clean it once in a while, it messes up the sound.
Anyone wanting to try the Doolin 2 piece can now buy it from Shanna Quay (and, I’m sure, elsewhere). it’ll be in the online store soon.
Steve
(ducking in anticipation of the metaphorical ‘slap’)
All this talk of the two piecers made me look for mine. So here’s an advantage to the Clare: I store my cheapies in glass vases and the ichy green mouthpiece made it a cinch to retrieve the Clare even in low-light conditions! Philo