How do these 2 whistles compare ?
Thanks.
Mellow Dog vs Bluebird? Best to contact Jerry Freeman for the actual differences between the two whistles.
As for my opinion, the Bluebird is the better of the two. I like the sound of the Bluebird better than the Mellow Dog.
I was hoping someone else would answer the question.
I’ve been puzzling how to describe the difference (other than the Mellow Dog is a wide body, Bluebird a standard body whistle; Mellow Dog starts with a key of C Feadog whistlehead and I manufacature the tube myself, Bluebird starts with a key of D Generation whistlehead and I use a Feadog D or Generation D tube; but that tells nothing about the differences in sound, handling, etc.).
Best wishes,
Jerry
I’m curious about how they differ in tone, volume, air required, breath control required, ability to be played at both high and low volume, etc.
By “Tone”, I mean which has more chirp at the beginning of each note, which is less breathy sounding, which has cleaner sounding notes (ie: less bleed through of adjacent notes or octaves), etc.
Also, does the hole size &/or spacing on hole 5 differ ? If so, which is smaller & more central (ie: easier to play for players with small hands) ?
Thanks.
I play them everyday but this type of question is challenging since describing tone and playing characteristics are only useful if there is some kind of agreement between us about terminology and it is also true that individual playing style will impact certain characteristics like chirp (chiff is sometimes described this way, others believe it also represents the air movement during playing). I suggested this conversation a few weeks ago and was immediately reminded of how ridiculous of an idea it would be to attempt this so I gave up. But for the sake of attempting to answer your question, since I play them both several times per week, here goes.
The differences between them are not vast but they are there. Both lean toward the pure side but remain traditional sounding whistles. You won’t hear any air or breath noises when playing either. My playing style tends to produce more chiff (chirp) from the MD than the BB. The BB is louder but not by much. The MD has a slightly more fully rounded tone 
. The BB is slightly more stable throughout it’s range of two+ useful octaves, particularly the low E note. The MD has slightly better dynamics for me (I call dynamics the variance in pitch one can achieve on each note through breath control).
Neither of these has touchy breath requirements, the BB has just slightly more breath resistance.
I can’t decide which one I like better since each has it’s place and that is a very personal choice. I prefer the MD on airs and the BB on jigs/reels but only because I like to control dynamics (see above) more on airs. If I only had the BB it would be a great choice as an all around whistle but so would the MD.
The distance between the holes is not significant, neither are hole sizes. Some believe that brass is easier to hold than nickel. I disagree but there are quite a lot of folks who comment on this so it must matter to some.
If it were I making the decision, I’d get them both and enjoy the subtle differences. But then I already did that. 
ecohawk
This was exactly the type of comparison info I was looking for
Why do you prefer the BB over the MD for Jigs/Reels ? Is it because it’s more responsive (easier to play fast) - or for some other reason ?
Does the MD’s wide body cause it to need significantly more air than the BB (or is it barely noticeable) ?
Also, how to you think the MD compares to a tweaked Sweettone for Airs ?
Thanks.
I’ve been thinking on this all day.
I own both, and love both.
I’d call the BB sweeter and slightly quiter. The MD is richer and slighty chiffier.
Also, I think that the BB is slightly easier in the top of the second octave.
You won’t go wrong with either.
It’s not that obvious of a difference between these two whistles. A really accomplished player would probably have a different viewpoint since they often sound excellent playing a garden hose!
It’s more that I just like this whistle and I’ve been working on finger speed more these days in order to broaden my technique on high whistles. I’ve got really big hands and at first was playing alone so I’ve spent more time on alto instruments than on high range because I find that hole spacing on some big bodied high D whistles can be too close for me to play well. For example, I find the spacing on a Burke session whistle too close between R1 and R2 (E and F#) but on a Narrow Bore Burke it is fine. While the difference between the Mellow Dog and Bluebird is not as extreme, I find that I am a little more solid on narrow bodied instruments when playing at speed. I’ve been playing whistles (having matriculated from recorders) for about 2 1/2 years now and have begun playing with other musicians more and more so I’m paying a lot more attention to playing specific tunes on specific whistles. This may not be the case for you and you will find a large contingent of players who believe in sticking to one whistle. I’ve got no dog in that fight, I’m just doing what is comfortable for me. YMMV
I don’t think you are going to find a significant difference in air requirements between these two instruments. If I were you, I’d just pick one or both and play them. My personal view of the Sweetone is not favorable. However lot’s of players love them for beginners. I have one and it’s probably better than most other inexpensive instruments particularly after Jerry works it over but I don’t see where it’s in the same category as the Mellow Dog or the Bluebird. Others may differ on that and I got spoiled by being fortunate enough to listen to some of the really helpful folks on this forum who correctly advised me to get the Mellow Dog to start, then my wife bought me a narrow bore Burke and my friend gave me a Sindt so I had some really nice options. The Bluebird didn’t exist then though.
You’re picking at nits if you’re really trying to find a solid reason to pick the Mellow Dog over the Bluebird. They’re both really excellent, solid, well priced instruments that will take you a long way. Either one will be satisfying and you’ll never look back.
ecohawk
ecohawk
I have short fingers, and find keeping R2 sealed while stretching to R3 is difficult on the Blackbird. I find the Clarks Original easy though - so it seems the 1/8" closer distance between R2 and R3, and the smaller R2 hole diameter makes a lot of difference for me…
Is there any difference at all in the R2 hole size, and the R2 to R3 distance between the 2 whistles ? Can you also compare the hole size and spacing on the Generations D for me (since the BB’s will start using that tube when the Feadog tubes are gone)
ps: I’ve tried the piper’s grip on the Blackbird, but my finger’s joint groove falls on R1 or R2 depending on which part of the pad I use on R3. So I end up just sliding down toward the bell on R2 and gripping tightly to get the side of my finger to fill the top edge of the hole. Unfortunately, the resulting hand cramps limit my practice sessions to 20 minutes…
JohnG10, how short are your fingers? My fingers are considered short & stubby in my family. The middle finger is barely 3" long (the R2 finger), the ring finger is a hair under 2.75" (the R3 finger) and I have had no problem sealing any of the holes on the Mellow Dog, the Blackbird or the Bluebird. I don’t use a piper’s grip until I play a low F whistle, or lower. A tight grip isn’t a good thing. A D whistle should balance lightly in hands with very little pressure needed to keep it in place.
How long have you been playing whistle?
My R2 finger is 3" long and my R3 finger is 2.75" long - same as yours… I see my R3 finger is not as flexible as my L3 finger in terms of reaching away from the middle finger.
I haven’t been playing long, and I started with a Clarks Original. I bought a Blackbird about 2 weeks ago and have been doing scales about 2-3 hours a day (20 minutes at time) since then trying to get used to the R2 spacing on the Blackbird. I’ve gotten better at using the edge of my R2 finger instead of the center of the pad, but I still get squeaks from the R2 or R3 hole when I relax my grip.
Maybe this particular Feadog tube was just drilled a little off. On my Blackbird, the R2 hole diameter is 1/8" larger than the Clarks (9/32" vs 7/32) and it’s center is 1/16" closer to the center of R1 (5/8 vs 11/16).
ps: The measurements surprised me. Visually, the hole size difference makes it look like a bigger difference (edge to edge rather than center to center). It sure feels like a LOT bigger of a difference when I’m playing…
So was there any differences at all in the hole size or spacing between the MD, BB, and a Generation (all in D) ?
Thanks.
I’d suggest you keep playing the Blackbird until your fingers grow comfortable with the stretch, which they will unless arthritis is an issue for you. The Blackbird will be considerably more sensitive to breath control than either the Bluebird or the Mellow Dog but it is a fine whistle too. I’ll admit I don’t play mine nearly as much as the other two because I just like their tone better but that’s my personal opinion only and your preferences will likely be different. It’s startling to me that these differences are that significant and I believe you will soon grow comfortable with the fingering issue. The breath issue usually takes longer but if you’re not having trouble with that on the Blackbird I’d just keep playing it for a while.
My wife’s hands are smaller than yours by nearly 1/2 inch including very skinny fingers (ring size 5, where mine is 12). She can handle all these whistles fine and has only been playing six months.
ecohawk
Thanks. I was surprised when I measured too - 1/4 of an inch of edge-to-edge distance shouldn’t be a problem. I do have a bit of arthritis in my right hand, but am assuming practice will overcome the reach difficulty. (It was just 1 additional thing to pick between the MD & BB, if they were different in that respect).
The Blackbird is great in the upper octave, but too quiet in the lower notes (E, and especially D), and doesn’t have much reverberation in the lower octave (Is this what people are describing as “reediness” ?). That’s why I’m looking for a new whistle. ie: One with about 50-100% more volume, chirps a little at the start of each note, and that you can hear the reverberations on.
Thanks.
Mellow Dog, yer gona love it.