David O'Brien Whistle Review

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:33 am

That non-sharpened "blade" thing is interesting.
A while back I was voicing a few whistles and tried playing one or two after I had squared the blade area, but before sharpening it. I was amazed to find that I got a halfway decent sound out of it. Definitely not to my satisfaction, but quite playable.

jkrazy52 · Post by **jkrazy52** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:35 am

jkrazy52 wrote:Nice review, Jessie.

I have a Bb whistle, in copper/lucite fipple, of Mr. O'Brien's. I like the tone and the ease of playing, 2 octaves plus. The finish on mine was nice when I first received it. At the moment, I'm blaming kids and polish remover for the nasty streak that developed. And there was an annoying edge on the backside of the mouthpiece I didn't care for ... but sanding fixed that. I'm sure Mr. O'Brien would have fixed it if I had mentioned it to him.

So, in the opinion (FWIW ) of a complete amateur, a nice whistle. Wouldn't mind having another one, but doubt I'll go the Ebay route again.

Well, wow! Within minutes of when I posted the above, David had PM'ed me concerning the minor problems I had. My 2nd O'Brien will soon be on it's way. Thanks, David! Impressive.

~Judy

waitingame · Post by **waitingame** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 5:23 pm

David,
Just to go off at a tangent...is that you in the cool Panama?

OBrien · Post by **OBrien** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 6:00 pm

Yes. Is that you with the halo?

waitingame · Post by **waitingame** » Mon Jul 12, 2004 3:45 am

It's an old picture, I'm younger than that now. And sadly, the halo's slipped a little. Well, quite a lot really!!

DaveAuty · Post by **DaveAuty** » Tue Jul 13, 2004 2:57 am

I am sending the whistle onto Dave Deegan in Lincolnshire, that is the next label in the box. Is this correct?

Jetboy · Post by **Jetboy** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 5:43 pm

David and I exchanged instruments a while ago in a mutual bonding sort of thing between whistle-makers! I will generally underpin all the positive comments that have been made on this thread. As a maker, I too was facinated by the way David has flown in the face of convention with his windway design. Maybe he should call his whistles the Bumblebee as this too defies the laws of Physics! (don't go there, I remember the last thread on the subject of the bumblebee and whether it should or shouldn't fly!)

I personally prefer a whistle with a little more backpressure than David's and some of my fellow testers said that for them it was too easy to blow. That aside, his whistles are a thing of beauty and I love mine!

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 6:00 pm

DaveAuty wrote:I am sending the whistle onto Dave Deegan in Lincolnshire, that is the next label in the box. Is this correct?

That is correct Dave.
I received it this morning in pristine condition and am enjoying it a lot.
( Thanks for blowing my cover. Instead of buying whistles I'll have to blow all my money on more plastic surgery and another forged passport,not to mention all the hassle of relocating to another safe house)

Slan,
Abraham McAbraham Snr.

waitingame · Post by **waitingame** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:15 am

dubhlinn wrote:
( Thanks for blowing my cover. Instead of buying whistles I'll have to blow all my money on more plastic surgery and another forged passport,not to mention all the hassle of relocating to another safe house)

At least one of these whistles will only cost about the same as a visit to a NHS dentist in UK and last a lot longer!!

CHIFF FIPPLE · Post by **CHIFF FIPPLE** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 2:32 am

Jetboy wrote:As a maker, I too was facinated by the way David has flown in the face of convention with his windway design. Maybe he should call his whistles the Bumblebee as this too defies the laws of Physics! (don't go there, I remember the last thread on the subject of the bumblebee and whether it should or shouldn't fly!)

!

I was quite amazed at the fact that the ones I got played at all, due to the unique blade design (which, as you mention, isn't a blade at all).

This stuff always makes me cross. I thought up the Q1 A year ago and have now made and sold 350 of them.
The Q1 has no sharp blade.
Even the great Bloomfield has one and reviewed here on C&F
The way the whistle is made is the same as our Standard tuneable whistle
I am not so much unhappy about the copying thing, but more about Credit where credit is due.
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... ht=alba+q1

OBrien · Post by **OBrien** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:34 am

Just for the record, I started making whistles without sharp blades in 1996 and I've never seen an Alba whistle.

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:43 am

And, in my not-so-humble opinion, the Alba does not have the pure tone that the O'Brien does have. It's the pure tone that makes this amazing.

Loren · Post by **Loren** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:14 am

Seriously now, does someone here think they were the first to make a decent fipple flute using a seriously dull labium edge?!?

The fipple flute is Oooollld - There is very little (if anything) we come up with that hasn't been done (well or better) before. Reality check time. :roll:

Loren

CHIFF FIPPLE · Post by **CHIFF FIPPLE** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:48 am

JessieK wrote:And, in my not-so-humble opinion, the Alba does not have the pure tone that the O'Brien does have. It's the pure tone that makes this amazing.

How would you know

and just for the record I have been making whistle since 1990
And I have never heard of O,Brien.

The fipple flute is Oooollld - There is very little (if anything) we come up with that hasn't been done (well or better) before. Reality check time

Realy I didn't know that

Supose you could say that about car but i think you will find awee bit of a differance between a model T and todays cars :roll: same with whistles

littlejohngael · Post by **littlejohngael** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:05 am

Breathy or not, you can't play the silly thing if it clogs. I've never had my Q1 clog. I love that albanite stuff!!

Best,

Little John