I have had my O’Riordan low F for a couple of weeks now (aluminum traveler model) and have to say that it is a marvelous instrument, worth every bit of the 3 year wait.
When I first opened up the package, I gave the whistle a good looking over. It is a two-piece, and comes in a nice sectional corduroy pouch, which folds over & ties shut. But to my chagrin, there were not a few scratches on the black aluminum tube, and a bit of noticeable imperfection around the end rings (scratches, what I took to be excess glue, etc.). I reflected on this…in the end, I let it go…considering the man’s circumstance and the amount of orders he has yet to fill, I put cosmetic considerations aside and decided to judge the instrument on its playing merits. All in all, the imperfections aren’t that bad (the scratches don’t penetrate through whatever Pat uses to color the tube black), and I’ve done worse to my Copeland.
In putting the two sections of the whistle together, I marveled at the fit. Though the tube appears to have no seals, o-rings or other non-aluminum materials inside the join, it squeaks like rubber when you put it together! Wondrous.
Another surprise: the instrument was coated inside & out with almond oil, and a care sheet recommended periodically refreshing the oil coat. On an aluminum whistle?!?
Playability is phenomenal. Very even across octaves, wind requirements right where I like them. Very responsive. Zero clogging. Half-holing works very well. Stable C natural. High D & E are good, but better when using the old ‘low whistle bottom 3 closed’ technique.
This is a fine instrument, and I feel fortunate to own it. If you are on Pat’s list and nearing the top, you should have ants in your pants. Whether they taste good or not!
