Help with new O'Brien...

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 8:36 pm

A little over a week ago I got my O'Brien copper C/D set with a delrin head.

First off, I really like this whistle. The tone and playability are great. It's got a great pop in the ornamentation, and just the right amount of chiff. It really sounds different from my other whistles. I'm sure the problem is me, and not the whistle.

So, I'm having a problem playing in the upper register, especially the high A and B. It takes a good deal more punch to get in the second register and stay there without honking. When I try to hit that high A and B, I feel like I'm really blasting it. Therefore, it's really loud on those two notes.

I'd read a few reviews that made it sound like O'Briens were generally not too loud, so I was a bit surprised. The lower register is about the same as my other whistles (mostly cheapies), the upper register begins to get a little louder, but that high A and B... Man, well, let's just say I bought some ear plugs to use until I get used to playing those two notes better.

I thought I understood the concept of making the airstream faster as opposed to just blowing harder, but I'm really inconsistent on this whistle.

Any comments or help?

Thanks,
Jason

squirrel · Post by **squirrel** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:59 am

Hi Jason,

Do you have tried to ask O'Brien about this problem? I'm sure he would help you.

I own a Delrin whistle made by David which is very well balanced across the octaves and plays the high notes very easily. Great tone too. It's the whistle I most play in these days.

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:23 am

I haven't asked him directly yet. I figured if I posted I would get responses from others with O'Briens, and maybe David himself.

If I suspected this were a whistle problem, I would have contacted him directly. But since I've really got nothing negative to say about the whistle I figured I'd post here first.

Thanks,
Jason

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:59 am

The O'Brien Rover I looked at had a much louder 2nd octave. I also had a little big of issues with the high B.

brewerpaul · Post by **brewerpaul** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:59 am

Give yourself some time to adapt to the whistle, but if you're not happy within a couple of weeks, by all means contact the maker. He'll want to help you.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:49 am

I have a Rover...I can only report my own experiences, of course, but on the Rover I have, the upper octave is not particularly loud and is very sweet. I don't have any particular issues with the high A and B on this whistle--they are easy to hit and don't require any special handling. I've obviously not tried every Rover out there and can only speak to the one I actually own.

I have been very impressed with the O'Brien whistles I have.

As good as the Rover is, I feel his best work is his narrow bore brass. That whistle is just outstanding; next to my Overton, my favorite session whistle, even over my Burkes.

Here's the narrow bore brass: http://flutesite.com/obb/obriend_brass2.mp3 .

Here's the Rover: http://flutesite.com/obrien/obrien_flowerpot.mp3 .

--James

Edited to add: anytime you purchase a high-end instrument and have trouble with it, it's always worth your while to contact the maker for his thoughts and advice. Instruments can always be damaged in shipment or, if bought from a third party, by previous owners. Also no one is more familiar with a whistle's design than the craftsman who made it, so no one is better equipped to offer advice regarding that whistle and how best to play it.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 11:50 am

peeplj wrote:I have a Rover...I can only report my own experiences, of course, but on the Rover I have, the upper octave is not particularly loud and is very sweet. I don't have any particular issues with the high A and B on this whistle--they are easy to hit and don't require any special handling. I've obviously not tried every Rover out there and can only speak to the one I actually own.

Yeah, it's my impression from what people say that my case was the exception and not the rule. He did make me a very nice copper whistle with a lucite fipple that I liked quite a bit.

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:13 pm

Thanks for the information guys. I've had contact with David off the forum and he's given me some tips as well. I'll keep working on it. As I said, I'm sure it's just me. No matter what happens, David's attention to service has assured me that I'll end up a happy camper.

I was considering the narrow-bore brass since I've heard so many good reviews, but I just wanted a C/D set. Maybe next time.

Thanks again,
Jason

squeezebox99 · Post by **squeezebox99** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 1:41 pm

I bought a delrin rover about a month ago and have absolutely no problem with it. I think you should definately talk to David about yours. Mine is perfectly balanced with no troubles in either octave. It's very easy to play. I assume the mouthpieces are the same...
Anyway - my two cents. I love my o'brien whistle. MM

CapnDistracto · Post by **CapnDistracto** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:08 am

A little late in the game, but I've a similar experience to Jason to throw in. I received my delrin Rover from David a few weeks ago, and I'm still getting used to it, but I have the exact same issue as Jason. I'm no stranger to backpressure, having played the clarinet for a decade previously, but that high A and B really require a concentrated attack that really distracts me from the flow of the music. My Rover is also very loud in the top notes of the second octave, to the point where I've restricted myself to playing the Rover outdoors when the weather's nice enough. If I can't acclimate myself to it, I'm going to ask Mr. O'Brien about it, but it could be just me. I really love the whistle aside from this. This isn't a deterrant, as I'd highly recommend the Rover. David's craftsmanship for the price is fantastic value.

-Matt

(Edit: My worsening asthma probably isn't helping.)

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 9:44 am

I think another thing that has made this stand out for me is that I've recently been learning a few tunes that actually use those notes (like Lord Mayo and Give Me Your Hand). So, the volume of of the high A and especially the high be really stand out when you're holding them longer than just a quick blip.

And again, I'm sure it's me and not the whistle. I'm still getting used to it and can occasionally hit the A fairly well. Overall I'm getting better about it.

So, this is NOT a negative on the whistle at all. I love the tone of it and really like that you can lean into it to get more color in the sound, and the lightning fast response is great. And of course the price is great as well, and David has been great to deal with.

Jason

Chiffed · Post by **Chiffed** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:08 pm

Question: Is the head a small windway (higher backpressure) or the large windway? I have both, and the large windway seems more forgiving at the top end. For some reason, the small windway head only really likes the Eb body it was shipped with (which is fine with me).

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:33 pm

Mine is new, so I'm assuming it's the re-designed head with the windway in between the two previous options.

Jason