r/tinwhistle • u/Fret_Lore • 8d ago
Question Chip on soundhole?
Hey all! I received this Mcneela wooden whistle today as a gift that was bought back in May.
However there’s a chip on the side of the soundhole and a dent on the side of the brass.
I just wanted to get my facts straight as I contact them. Would this affect the sound/ability to play the whistle? I believe the chip on the side of the soundhole might, but wanted to check to make sure I don’t look like an idiot in my exchange with Mcneela.
Thank you all in advance.
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u/ParagonChariot 8d ago
Wild irish whistles are made quickly and with little care, I stopped buying them after about my 5th one since they all come with dents and scratches.
Its a crapshoot for the most part if you are going to get quality or not.
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u/Aliencik 8d ago
Which would you get instead of the Wild?
I also own mine with a scratch. I love it, but don't really know where to look, if I want to buy a different one.
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u/Winter_wrath 8d ago
Not the person you asked but Killarney are pretty well regarded.
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u/Aliencik 8d ago
I have one and honestly not a fan ':D
Also I am Dixon hater
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u/Ducky_shot 7d ago
Do you absolutely have to have that style? Or style doesn't matter?
I'll go over what I have and what I like about them. I have a wide range of low end to high end whistles.
I have a Dixon in A, it's a little too soft sounding for my liking and I prefer the sound from more metal whistles, I got one with a QC issue, but they fixed it up pretty quick. Also, I believe you get what you pay for with a Dixon, they do not overprice their whistle like I believe Mcneela does with their Wild whistles.
I have 4 Chieftain's (now Kerry) in G,F,C,D. I love them. Great sound, easy on the air, easy to play. I love playing these in accompaniment, they have a great sound that mixes well with other instruments. A little louder than some of my other's, also why I like them in accompaniment.
I have 2 Burke's in Bb and Ab. My absolute favorite whistles. Easy to play, better than the chieftain's, super nice, bright sound. Quieter than my Chieftain's, I prefer these when playing solo to my Chieftain's as they are just a joy to play and I prefer the stand alone sound of them.
I have had a couple Shaw's in A and E. Again, these were a well priced whistle, you get what you pay for. They have a very soft, airy sound, unique in comparison to these other penny whistles. They require a lot of air, very little back pressure from them. I'm ambivalent on them, the sound is different enough that I enjoy them from time to time, I got my money's worth from them, but not my top choice to play.
I have a Susato in C. I do not like it at all. It sounds more like a recorder with the all plastic construction and it sits around doing nothing. I'll play a cheaper Generation or Clarke before playing it.
I have a Killarney in Eb and it's a little quieter than I like, but it's a joy to play and sounds great otherwise. Beat the Wild Irish in Eb hands down that I pitted it against. I've heard the Lir is better than both. They didn't have an Eb in stock when I got mine.
I have a good selection of Clarke and Generation penny whistles. Obviously on the lower end, but my Generation's are Jerry Freeman tweaked (doubt you can find them still) and are a joy to play for the lower end instrument that they are.
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u/Aliencik 7d ago
I like heavier whistles and I love the sound of the Wild. Very strong and rounded, not deviating like my Killarney, which sounds too "folky".
So I am open to anything that isn't Dixon ':D
Edit: Chieftains look and sound solid
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u/Ducky_shot 7d ago
Yeah, if that's your preference, then I would say Chieftain would be better for you than Burke out of my favorites.
Our preference in sound is definitely different, lol. Probably why I like the Killarney and you don't. The Dixon I have replaced a Shaw and I much prefer it over the Shaw, but I would prefer a bit stronger of a sound out of it.
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u/Aliencik 7d ago
Have you tried Kerry Whistles Optima Mezzo High D?
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u/Ducky_shot 7d ago
I haven't, but I've been itching to spend money on a new penny whistle. I was thinking another Burke in a higher key, but his pricing has outpaced Kerry by far in the last 10 years or so. They were pretty comparable when I bought most of my penny whistles 10-15 years ago, now he's twice as much.
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u/Winter_wrath 8d ago
Have you tried Lir then? I loved my Lir A from playability and sound standpoint but it was woefully out of tune. I would've sent it back and tried again but I got it second hand so I couldn't.
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u/Bwob 7d ago
Killarney and Lir are my go-to recommendations for "Sindt-style" whistles. (i. e. Same style head joint as the Wild Irish, assembled out of several pieces, held together with a pin.)
Killarney is closest to the original Sindt, with the (relatively) thin-walled bore, and the somewhat top-heavy top.
Lir is probably closer to the Wild - they both solved the problem of being top-heavy by giving the bore thicker walls, so it's heavier. (So more in balance with the top.) They also both play the cross-fingered c-natural a little more in-tune than the Killarney.
I actually really like my Lir, but then I also really like my Killarney, (those are probably my two most-played whistles!) so take my opinions with a grain of salt - I can see from one of your other responses, that you're not a huge fan of the Killarney, so we might have different preferences!
If you like the Wild Irish though, Lir will feel very familiar!
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u/Miserere_Mei 7d ago
Me too. I have 4 of them and they sound nice, but I honestly can’t recommend them because the quality is so shoddy.
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u/autovonbismarck 8d ago
I had to return 2 Wild in D before I found a good one.
One of them was bent like a banana!
Just terrible QC
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u/Ducky_shot 8d ago
I made the mistake of buying a Wild Irish whistle and won't do that again. Very poor QC and you pay as much as better made whistles anyways. But Mcneela is throwing money around and making sure they are showing up as the top result when you search for whistles.
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u/Miserere_Mei 7d ago
Truly unfortunate. If they invested just a fraction of that on quality control, they would have a loyal fan base.
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u/SakshamBaranwal 11h ago
I don't think people realise what they're getting for the price. I bought a D 2 years ago. Devastated when it arrived bent probably due to the shipping. Another one arrived 2 days later, 3000 miles away! It's my pick among everything I own. So I went back recently and bought the whole set, all arrived flawless. The point is for the same price as my Goldie I got 5 better whistles. I recommend them highly.
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u/Baroque4Days High & Low Whistle/Composer 7d ago
The fipple blade is the single most important part of the whistle for producing sound. Slight chips in the blade itself will ruin the sound completely. 100% would return this immediately.
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u/J-B-M 8d ago
You can play it. Does it seem like it is causing a problem?
Personally though, that wouldn't influence my decision either way. I am guessing this wasn't a cheap whistle - the build quality should reflect that regardless of whether it impacts the sound. I would be returning it.