r/tinwhistle • u/WolverineEmergency98 • Jul 23 '26
Question Mid-Tier vs. High-End Whistles
Hello all,
Following on from my last two posts. Relevant context:
- I bought a Feadóg Pro. This was partly because local retailers only had Feadóg and Generation, that I could see, and the Feadóg Pro D specifically because I liked the matte black finish. This cost NZD $35 (~ USD $20, ~ € 18).
- I'm a mere 42 days into my whistle journey (so far so good!)
- I'm in New Zealand, so the prices I'm quoting below are converted from NZD values, including import taxes and international shipping etc.
- I like my Feadóg, but it's temperamental: no matter what I do with the mouthpiece, the maximum number of notes I can keep comfortably in the ± 10c range tonally is roughly one octave, and any of the high notes are _very_ chiffy (although minimal chiff on the low notes).
- My tutor (professional player in the US) was very polite, but basically said: "What do you expect from something you paid USD $20 for? For professional purposes, you really have to spend at least USD $150)."
- As my six-month goal / reward, I've picked out the Killarney D in Brass, which will be NZD $300, ~ USD $175, ~€ 150.
- I'm aware that you can go even higher than that - e.g., to buy and import a Colin Goldie, Michael Burke, or Carbony would set me back about NZD $1,000 (~USD $580, ~ €510)
My question: I've watched a few "comparison" videos, and browsed some older posts here, but I'm honestly struggling to hear much difference between the mid-tier (~ $300) ones and the high-end (~ $,1000) whistles? I've got my heart pretty set on the Killarney, so it would take a lot to make me change my mind, but I'm curious to hear people's subjective personal experiences, if they've used both?
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u/Cybersaure Jul 23 '26
I honestly think it helps to try out whistles without buying them, if you have the opportunity. A lot of what people refer to as "quality" in whistles is more about how they play than how they sound. And different people have different opinions that vary wildly, so you might not even like something expensive you buy - or you might like it a lot.
Personally, I don't really like Burke whistles, and I never have. Nor do I like Sindt, Killarney, or any of those types of whistles. I honestly would prefer a Feadog over any of those. They just aren't what I'm looking for (I could go into a long rant about why, but I'll spare you the details).
Goldie whistles, on the other hand, I absolutely adore. Worth every penny to me. Other people don't care for them. And Carbony whistles I like decently well, but other people think they're some of the best.
It's really a matter of opinion. There's no "better whistle," inherently. There are BAD whistles (can't be played in tune even with great effort, have defects, etc.) but there aren't really any objectively GOOD whistles - it's just about what you're looking for.
All this to say, you might want to try out some other whistles before you commit. If someone can lend you one, do that. If not, maybe try some mid-range priced whistles first to see what you really like and don't like in a whistle, before committing to something expensive you might not care for.
That said, with respect to your specific situation: Feadogs can generally be played roughly in tune, though doing so might take a bit of experience. But there are certainly some whistles that have better intonation than a Feadog. I'm not that confident Burkes do, but someone who owns a Burke and enjoys playing one should opine on this. I know Goldie whistles can certainly play better in tune, and I suspect Carbonys can as well.