I gain the impression that Feadogs are generally nobody’s first choice whistle on this Forum. From what I recall (& a quick search)only Cees & I seem to like them, and that’s the Black Anodised D model in both cases. I also have a Brushed Brass D which I like too, and a Nickel C which plays well.
I really like the Black D because it’s thin, black and sexy, like me. Except for the thin part. Oh, and the sexy part. And I’m not actually black, except maybe on the inside. But apart from that. Anyway it looks cool, and plays well. Not like me at all, now I come to think of it.
Votes for who likes their Feadog(s), and why? Please give head colour & body description, & Key. And if anyone really hates them, again, why?
I really like the sound of my Feadog, but I can’t get a clear sound above the second octave G. The note just does not want to come out. The lower octave has a pretty good sound, though. Maybe I will try another one.
The one that I have a brass D with a green fipple.
Well, I have to admit that I’ve come to not dislike Feadog (thinking that ‘like’ would probably be too strong a word still). I had always really disliked them, but I pulled the head out a bit the other day and it made a world of difference. No problems now with mine through the 3rd octave F# .
Don’t call me converted, but I’m no longer tempted to throw it out.
Erik
postedit: I have (2). One with green head/brass body the other with black head/blue paint over brass body. I like the painted one best.
[ This Message was edited by: ErikT on 2002-01-18 09:58 ]
I bought a couple of Feadogs at Dublin airport a few weeks back for the bargain price of 2.60 Euro each. Both are key of D.
#1 - Black fipple, nickel body. Plays OK but not brilliantly. It sounds a bit gritty in the first octave and anything above G in the second is very squawky.
#2 - Black fipple, painted red body. Plays much better than the nickel one but the tone is a bit thin high up in the second octave.
I am not complaining for the price and will get some more when I next pass through the airport (week after next).
(edited to add key)
–
Keith
[ This Message was edited by: keiths on 2002-01-18 10:02 ]
I LOVE my Feadog. I bought it about 12 years ago in Munich, Germany. Then it sat around for years and years and years, during which I started listening to more and more IrTrad, working my way from ballads to tunes, from Altan to pure drop. When I picked it up again, 2.5 years ago I learned to play the Rights of Man and Si Bheags For More, and after that I really got the bug. My obsessive period is now in full swing.
It is brushed, by now tarnished, brass with a green head. I’ve long lost the little sticker that was on it. I think the whistle is so good because I have played it so much. Once I knew a little better what I was doing, I cleaned the airway, filed the blade a tiny bit to make it smoother and pulled out the head. The tone is good, strong and clear and folksy, it plays easily in the upper octave and is not too screechy. It is quite forgiving and easy to play fast on. If I ever turn into a whistle, it will be my Feadog.* It’s the only cheapo I bring to sessions and it is my comfort whistle. The chicken soup of whistles.
*) If you need to read up on the theory of Mole Cules and the slow transformation of persons into bicycles, among other things, please refer to The Dalkey Archives, by Flan O’Brien.
[ This Message was edited by: Bloomfield on 2002-01-18 10:08 ]
The new colored Feadogs are much worse than the old, brass with green fipple model. I bought one of the black model in Galway and it was horrible. I have an old Feadog and it’s pretty great. It should be noted as well that I more or less love Generations, especially the Eb.
Chris
1)A Feadog I brought in Ireland in 1982 is still one of my favorite whistles.
2)I have a bunch of newer Feadogs, I like the barrels but not the mouthpieces (they changed the mouthpiecs in the past couple of years-the older mouthpieces are better) so I replace the mouthpieces with tweaked Walton’s mouthpieces. These hybrids are my second favorite whistles (beware if you want to make one of these hybrids with a painted Feadog, the paint around the end of the barrel for the mouthpiece needs to be sanded off for the Walton mouthpiece to fit on the whistle).
My current favorite is an O’Grady with a tweaked Walton’s Little Black mouthpiece.
I bought a brass Feadog D & C together. The D ended up in the trash can. I still have the C, but it’s mediocre. When I get a Dixon C (b-day coming up), the Feadog C will be relegated to the bottom of the music bag.
Hm, early 80s green head, is thAT Feadog? I have one with a half worn label with a harp, that is as far as I can see identical to a Gen and actually quite nice. The ‘modern’ cheap nickle black headed feadogs (I have two) are playable but have something extemely unpleasant about them, can’t put my finger on what it is but they are shite!
I love my feadog! It’s the first whistle I
got, and is still my favorite. I like it better than my Susato, Generations, and Sweetone. It has a clearer sound than my Sweetone, and none of the shrillness of the Susato in the second octave, and I found the tone to be more pleasant than my gens.
Oops, I forgot–it’s brass with a green mouthpiece and the older sticker that says Feadog in big green letters. It also has green stripes around the bottom.
[ This Message was edited by: celt5 on 2002-01-18 11:33 ]
I’ve got a Feadog that I love, too. It’s probably ten years old or so, and it’s a little too quiet for sessions, but it plays great. I bought another one a year ago, though, and it was awful, so my theory is that things have changed in the last ten years.
On 2002-01-18 09:55, ErikT wrote:
I had always really disliked them, but I pulled the head out a bit the other day and it made a world of difference. No problems now with mine through the 3rd octave F# .
My black Feadog is my favorite whistle, but once in a while it does get squeaky above the second G. What did you do to “pull the head out”? Did you do the hot water trick and then…? Please describe this process to me, i.e., how long in the hot water, how far you pulled it out, and what you used to make it stay in place (or if it stays on its own). I don’t know if I would be brave enough to play with it since I already like it a lot, but if it can be improved and not be squeaky sometimes, then it might be worth it.
[quote]
On 2002-01-18 09:55, ErikT wrote:
Well, I have to admit that I’ve come to not dislike Feadog (thinking that ‘like’ would probably be too strong a word still). I had always really disliked them, but I pulled the head out a bit the other day and it made a world of difference. No problems now with mine through the 3rd octave F# .
I have a Feadog-- brass with green plastic head. I’m having a problem with it getting a funny ‘burr’ or something when I go higher than 2nd octave D… it sort of sounds like both the lower octave and the higher octave are being played at the same time. Does that description make sense? I’ve tried making changes in the way I play, but nothing seems to help so I’m thinking it’s the whistle. (Hoping that it’s the whistle? )
Would moving the head make a difference, do you think? Is there some other tweak I can try? I like the tone of mine for the most part, but can’t stand that sound above 2nd D! And it makes it rather difficult to play the majority of the music…
Andrea,
that burr sound makes me think that you have burrs or debris in your airway or stuck to your balde. That happens the way these cheap whistles are manufactured in molds. Use some very very fine sandpaper strips or whatever to remove them.
Moving the head out a bit: Put the whistle in hot water, not boiling, for 30 seconds, then try to turn and pull the head off. Don’t worry, unless your really brutal you won’t hurt it. You may have to repeat the water dipping: some heads are stubborn. Once it’s off, wash inside the head and the tube to get the rest of the glue of. Then slide the head back on. If it’s like mine, it will be firm enough not to move around. Bush it in all the way, then pull it out again a little bit, maybe 2, 3 milimeters or a 1/8th to 3/16th of an inch.
See also the Whistle tweaking page on the main Fipp & Chiffle page.
Kari and I bought two Feadogs (D)in Bellingham yesterday. No amount of shaving pulling or sanding will make these hold a note. At the lower end is something reminescent of a buzz, cant get into a higher regester, But they look nice
There are about 3 or 4 feadogs floating around our house that were brought from Ireland from visiting relatives for the kids. Of course, I check them out for myself and no one cares, as I’m the only person who plays whistles around here. Most of them are raspy and screechy. But I have one old one, probably over 10yrs old, green head, brass, that has a soft, quiet, very clear tone. No complaints at all. Takes a lot of air to play compared to a Generation. I got a two-piece Clare tube that I attached that head to. It stays in my jacket pocket. The sound is absolutely nothing like the other ones. (And it’s Mine, All Mine.) I think I’ll name it My Preciousss.
Tony
