I agree that the tuning slides on my bent whistles are short. That’s a problem with the fittings I use. The slides on my straight whistles are over twice as long. I could make a bent whistle with a long tuning slide, but it wouldn’t look very nice and it would be even heavier. I would solder the same type of slide I use on my straight whistles below the bent fitting at the bottom of the head joint.
Let me put the record straight. I do NOT see the short tuning slide as a problem as the whistle is so well in tune anyway. Additionally warming up doesn’t seem to be an issue, for me at least.
This whistle is a great bargain and strangely reminds me of some of Serpent’s offerings, not a bad thing at all.
Nice looking whistle. The clear fipple is very interesting. Can a whistle be made, completely, from the same material? It would be like the crystal flute. I have a gorgeous Hall’s crystal flute I can’t play … yet. I would love a crystal whistle! 
~Judy
It’s interesting to see somebody that uses the same curved-blade-windway-fipple plug design that I have been using for a while. Although I’m not up to selling any yet. There are a few misterious problems with this particular design. For instance this disign gives that breathy sound that I saw mentioned. You can’t realy do anything about that. I personally like 'em a little breathy anyway. The other problem is the almost lack of a 3rd octave. At least on my whistles. You can hit, D,E,F#,G,A,B,Cnat,C#, d,e,f#,g,a,b,cnat (half holed),c#,d3,e3,f#3,g3… and that’s about it…
This is what they sound like made of Aluminum:
http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/1-03/AmhranNaLeabhar-JustinP.MP3
http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/7-03/Coombe-JustinP.mp3
And this is what Copper sounds like with a mapple fipple:
http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/Audio/11-02/ScarboroughFair-JustinPanovec.mp3
No I could have sworn I posted “southwind” on my PVC Eb but it’s isn’t in the clips and snips… oh poop. Oh well.
I’ve just received a straight C copper whistle from Mr. O’Brien and first impressions are wow what a bargain.
I’ll post more in a couple of days when I’ve had a chance to give it a proper test drive.
I have had some success with a curved blade on my own copper whistles (link at bottom of page)although I counter/curve mine the other way, similar to the Clarke design of blade. Couple this with a flat windway and I find that it mellows the tone a tad an removes some of the chiff and breathyness that can be apparent with a traditional flat windway/flat blade arrangement.
PS A couple of my whistles are doing the rounds at the moment on a pan-american tour. Results (good and bad!) should be on the Forum soon.
The syns are curved like this, and are not breathy at all!
Now that I’ve had my “bent” O’Brien Bb for 3 weeks and got to know it a little better I feel more qualified to give my impressions of it.
The main selling point for this whistle is without a doubt the angled mouthpiece.
I can see that for some people the angle of the playing position could be an advantage but for me, personally it has more novelty value than practical use.
The whistle is still quiet but not as quiet as before i.e. I’ve unconciously adapted my technique to suit it.
The whistle is still a bit too breathy for my tastes. However, it appears to sound very different from the listening position. Almost everyone who has heard it is positive about the sound. There is a nice bit of chiff although my own personal preference is for a purer sound. The real plus is that it is great to use as a contrast to my normal prefered whistles - a mixture of Burkes, Goldie Overtons, Chieftains and a much loved Thin Weasel.
Of course, it is unfair to compare it to these as price-wise it is more on a par with Dixons.
The bell note errs on the side of weakness but not excessively so. The second octave is not shrill but does greatly benefit from a more aggresive, confident approach. The third octave is similar, if you must but as you’d expect ear-plugs are a real advantage.
The lucite (clear) fipple looks and feels good. The problem with the looseness caused by the short tuning slide has been resolved by the simple addition of a little beeswax a la Serpent. As I said before the tuning is spot on all the way through the useable range.
The workmanship is fine and the whistle looks really good. It could easily double-up as a bodhran beater or as something to beat a bodhran player with.
The O’Brien Angled Bb is an interesting addition to any whistle collection but is not in my opinion really suitable as a first whistle mainly because of the need to take firm control of it. At the price it is a real steal and the straight C O’Brien that I’ve had for about a week is even better value. I’ll post more about the C in a few days.
My review was done middle of last week some time. Mr. O’Brien has asked that I hold off posting it, as he’s going to be sending me a new whistle with an eye to addressing some of the issues I had…
I would guess it’ll probably be another week or two before I post mine..
I got one in the mail this week and was somewhat underwhelmed. It’s a nice looking whistle and in tune, but the “chiff” (Dale’s version of it–the raspy air sound, not the pop at the beginning of the note) is so loud that it competes with the notes being played. Not one of my favorite whistles at the moment.
“and we shouldn’t rile them with commercial postings. So far, you’re fine, but do read the message. Paul”
I wondered how long it would take. Nice job, Pull.
Ps - it’s nice to have the last word, don’t worry Bill, this is the guy that got the rules started in the first place, started crying when Bill Widdon, Serpent, started a fund raiser/promotion for a terminally ill friend of his, and don’t forget how brewerpaul makes his living, some kind of foot therapist who has his hands in all kind of slime and infection and bacteria and fungus all day and goes home at night with these same hands and makes whistles that go in your mouth. Yummie!