I recently bought the Cillian O’brian low d that Doc had for sale at his store. When I saw it advertised I didn’t look too closely and just pulled the trigger. Now that I see it in person I have some questions. It doesn’t look like any O’briain I have seen photos of and it certainly doesn’t look like my Reviols. Here are some pics so you can see the differences. Top is always Reviol D, bottom the O’briain.
Notice the window is quite a bit smaller on the Reviol and the flat spot below the ramp quite a bit longer.
The radius on the fipple is much longer on the Reviol.
The Reviol uses a sleeve on the tuning joint (just like I have seen in all the photos of O’briain’s that I have seen), but this one uses a machined tenon.
The O’briain does not have a logo, and the layout of the lower tone holes is quite different.
Playing wise, the O’briain has more resistance and is a little quieter. It is also slightly darker and more complex.
So I am curious, is this an early model perhaps before Maurice started working with him and so it doesn’t have some of the later changes? Or did Doc perhaps mis-identify it?
All that said, I like the whistle and will definitely be keeping it, but I am curious to know exactly what I have.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
EDIT: Forgot to mention, the O’briain tubing is slightly narrower inside diameter and so the whistle is also slightly longer, perhaps a 1/4 inch.
Looks to me like an Old Style tunable Chieftain from the shape of the fipple and window relief groove to the integrated slide. The bottom hole layout also looks like the Chieftain’s spread too.
I had one and it was a very nice player. Had a non-tunable that I liked even more. The OS Chieftains have been one of my favorites for expressive tone that I just liked hearing when I was playing-pretty unique. Not many around anymore either. Enjoy!
I bought an Old Style Chieftain five years ago that I plan to keep indefinitely. It has an incredible beautiful voice.
I held it next to your picture on the screen and there is a striking resemblance.
My OS Chieftain dose not have Chieftain written on it but the bottom of the tube has a C stamped in the end at the same location as your D and reads from the same side.
The bottom of the mouth piece has the same radius curve as yours, and the top looks the same. Also has the tenon tuning joint. I can’t see inside the window of your D. Mine has wings/tabs extending from the fipple to just under the ramp.
I eagerly clicked on this thread, knowing I’d see one of those delightful, off-the-wall threads, complete with cryptic Denny comment, that C&F is so famous for. Sigh, another whistle ID piece. You see, I read the title of the thread as “Is there really a Cillian O’Briain?” Discussing the existence or non- of a well-known whistle maker, what fun!
