Interesting (?) - Killarney Whistles/Órlaith McAuliffe demo

[p51baby]

Jayhawk, you and I are both waiting for our whistles (though mine is heading to the West coast of Canada). I too got my confirmation on 1/06. Hope it comes in this week!

Cheers

[p51baby]

So my Killarney came in today (yay!!!) and I'm very impressed with it! I took some pictures with my Sindt D (circa 2008)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/115688747@N03/12181097024/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/115688747@N03/12181300336/

First thing I noticed is that my Sindt head is longer than the Killarney. Weight wise, I took them both to a scale and the Sindt is lighter at 62g and the Killarney at 70g. The little rivets on the Killarney is a nice add on and I will test it in a pub environment tomorrow (complete with rickety tables). The fipple where the brass meets the delrin is less smooth than the Sindt, but to me this is marginally noticeable when you're playing and only becomes an issue if you run your fingers over it.

My first impression is the sound on the Killarney is brighter, reminiscent of my Oak whistle (the feel of the holes and tube is very much the same). There's less mellowness in the Killarney than the Sindt, but I attribute this to the nickel body vs the brass. In the higher octaves the Killarney is a little shrill, but not unpleasantly shrill. Back pressure on my Sindt is higher than the Killarney but it's not really going to affect how much breath you're going to use. Ornamentations will roll very nicely on the Killarney. I think the Killarney might be a tad louder than my Sindt, but saying that I will find out how well it holds up in a session setting. Sindt get drowned out in my mid-large size session.

I would say the Sindt and Killarney are like two of the same types of wines (I like Rieslings) but made in different regions. You'll get lots of similarities but noticeable differences. Will report back tomorrow evening. Overall, I would say this is a very reasonable substitute to a Sindt without the wait list (for now....)

Cheers,

Melany

[ubizmo]

Maybe someone could try the Killarney head on a brass Feadog tube, if they're using stock Feadog tubes, as rumored. It might take some of the edge off the sound.

[Christophe]

I tried to swap tubes on mine, including brass feadog, nickel feadog, brass and nickel gens, and another feadog pro. Oddly enough, none of them could fit, even the other feadog pro tube was a tad too large. It seems the brass barrel is a tad too narrow, and this requires a bit of filing on the top of the tube in order to fit.

About the highest notes, I do find them a bit unpleasant sounding to my ears, although they may sound good to others. I wouldn't describe them as shrill, but they're not rounded, at least on mine. This eventually led me to sell it. As for high end whistles, I prefer my GMP which is more round sounding in the second octave. The killarney is a great whistle at a reasonable price though, but I'd certainly be more interested in a Bb version than in the D.

[jemtheflute]

I've now tried mine several time in sessions and frankly it is no use whatever in competition to multiple other instruments/a lot of noise. The bottom octave is inaudible to the player and in trying to push it for maximum volume it goes way sharp in relation to the 2nd (not tunable, therefore - tune down to flatten the fundamental enough at maximum push and the 2nd 8ve is flat) and/or just squeaks. In fact, in playing it generally one has to be very careful to adjust breath pressure between the octaves - the bottom one really has to be eased off for. The differential is rather more than I'm used to and I think regular playing/habituation to it would help. The second octave is nicely audible and I still think it sounds very sweet well up into the 3rd - can't agree with those finding it harsh or shrill there (given that anything that high is by definition "shrill"). Each time I try it in a sesh I just give up and turn back to my trusty boxwood Swayne. However, I still think that for special uses - i.e. tunes/arrangements where one wants the 3rd 8ve and not so much the bottom, a Killarney would come into its own. And, as Orlaith's demo showed, played solo (and in a resonant acoustic!) where there's no need to push it, it has a gorgeous sound. I suspect (haven't tried) it would also work very nicely in a band context - with good foldback from the PA so the player can hear her/himself properly it would likely amplify beautifully and give that classic smooth, sweet, trad whistle sound. Ideal for playing slow airs in a cave......... cue cliché mist-swirling video.....

[benhall.1]

Ideal for playing slow airs in a cave......... cue cliché mist-swirling video.....

Does mist swirl much in caves?

[jemtheflute]

Depends on the amount of hot air being spouted......

[benhall.1]

Depends on the amount of hot air being spouted......

Ah. I see. I didn't realise you were in the cave at the time. That explains it.

[jemtheflute]

What goes on in my personal cave stays in my personal cave. We've all got one of those, eh?

Anyway, I know there are rules against mixing metaphors, but SFAIK cliché cocktails are perfectly acceptable.

[benhall.1]

What goes on in my personal cave stays in my personal cave. We've all got one of those, eh?

Wot? Me? How can you say that!

Anyway, I know there are rules against mixing metaphors, but SFAIK cliché cocktails are perfectly acceptable.

Oh, so it's a cocktail now, is it? One of these perhaps?

[jemtheflute]

That looks like the business. Quite menthalist.

Still, if you can't find a decent cave (pace the Mountain King), how's about under a bridge? Suitable acoustics and swirly mist definitely feasible. And of course, we know what else can be found under bridges, don't we? (He said gruffly......)

[Jayhawk]

Hurray - my whistle arrived today! Tadgh at Killarney was great when I contacted him about a week ago saying the whistle had not arrived, he packed up and shipped out a second whistle, and one of the two arrived today (I assume it was the second one). Regardless, it's awesome...exactly what I wanted in a whistle. Put it through my whistle test - checking to see how it handles Dusty Windowsills, and it passed with flying colors. Also, mine had no issues with the head being stuck - definitely a tight fit, but easily tunable.

FWIW, I like the rivet...it does keep it from rolling off a table.

Eric

[LisaD]

Glad to hear you received your whistle and are enjoying it.

[ubizmo]

Another video of the whistle being played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_r_LPKn_j0

[jemtheflute]

Another video of the whistle being played.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_r_LPKn_j0

Very nice. She seems to be a quite high-pressure/through-put player, driving the whistle.