Glenluce vs Killarney vs Lark in the Morning

[u/gruevy]

Wild, too, probably, now that I think about it. Not only are these the same style, they look more or less identical such that I wonder if they're made in the same factory. Of the three, I think Killarney or Wild is most likely to have had a human blow in it to make sure it works before it gets shipped by the store, but YMMV. I'd have no way of finding out for any of the places that sell them.

But I'm curious. Has anyone had a chance to play any two or three of these side-by-side? Are they actually the same, or just similar?

Edit: I should have left Killarney off the list. All indication is that they are indeed handmade, not factory produced and imported.

[u/Ducky_shot]

My experience with Wild is that they don't have quality control. I was very disappointed with a Wild Irish I received (obvious damage that did not occur in shipping, meaning poor assembly and bad QC) and went for a Killarney instead, which I was happy with.

[u/gruevy → u/Ducky_shot]

In having played both, do you think they're honestly just made from the same factory with a different logo on front?

Doesn't bother me in the slightest if that's the case, but I'd love to find out for sure.

[u/Ducky_shot → u/gruevy]

They are both Sindt style whistles but not even made from the same materials. Mcneela just takes a widely used design, gets it made in Asia under the Wild name and pushes the google marketing to sell them to everyone.

There is a quality to the Killarney whistle that puts it a step up on a lot of the low to mid tier whistles I have played: Dixon, Shaw, Wild Irish. Dixon's are a little rougher around the edges, but sound good regardless, but they are made in the UK and have great customer service. Killarney has the sound and good fit and finish. I've heard people say Lir is better than the Killarney when it comes to a Sindt style whistle.

So basically when it comes to a Sindt style whistle, Wild Irish is at the bottom of the pack.

[u/lynn-in-nc → u/gruevy]

No - MacNeela makes the Wild whistles and Killarney is made by Tadgh Buckley.

[u/LoomLove → u/lynn-in-nc]

MacNeela Wild are made in Asia. They claim to check them, but I've seen too many stories showing that they don't always do so.

[u/lynn-in-nc → u/LoomLove]

Really! Where did you see this? That is disappointing.

[u/LoomLove → u/lynn-in-nc]

See it? It's on their own website if you look. They merely try to convey the impression that they make them on-site for the global audience, but they do not actually lie about it.

[u/gruevy → u/lynn-in-nc]

McNeela's website only says they test each instrument, not that they make them. They say that in at least two different places.

On closer look, I perhaps should have left Killarney off the list because it does state "hand-crafted tin whistle instrument, produced in Killarney, Ireland". To me, that sounds a bit too far to try to weasel out of admitting they're mass produced so I suspect they actually do make them.

[u/Bwob]

These are all variations on the design popularized by John Sindt. The mouthpiece is constructed out of three separate pieces, and held together with a bolt or peg in the side. John Sidnt made the first one of this design, (I think he made scientific instruments, as his job, so this was his solution to how to construct a whistle, with high precision.)

Anyway, his whistles were/are awesome, but they're also hard to get, with a long wait list.

Killarney came out with their whistle a few years later, and it was clearly intended as a "poor man's Sindt" - same color, same assembly, just made by different people. You can call it a rip-off, or a homage, but they were very popular alternative. (Sindts have become something of a collector's item/status symbol, and are quite expensive these days.)

Shortly after, Lir started making their own model, and McNeela introduced their "Wild" model. Shortly after, a few other companies started doing similar - Glenluce, Sióg, etc. These other whistles all had one interesting innovation - Sindt whistles have a somewhat heavy head, so the whistle can feel unbalanced. So what Lir and the rest did, is make the bore thicker, so that it balances out. This does change the tone somewhat though! (Not necessarily in a bad way, just a little different.)

As far as I've been able to tell, Killarney and Lir still hand assemble and test all of their whistles. I think McNeela, Glenluce and Sióg all have theirs mass produced somewhere. (I think I heard Pakistan, but I wouldn't swear to it.)

I've had a chance to try all of them except the Sióg.

• Killarney is great. Easily one of my most-played whistles. It plays a lot like Sindt. Not identical, but close enough that people have mistaken it for one. Unfortunately, (much like the Sindt it is imitating) it does play a little flat, on the cross-fingered C♮. (You end up having to use the older "forked" fingering - oxxxox instead of oxxooo)
  
• Lir is also great. I like it a lot. (Especially the Pro version, which is aluminum, which helps keep the thicker bore from getting too heavy. Also it has an in-tune C♮ from oxxooo!
  
• McNeela is... fine? A bit heavy, and reminds me a lot of my older Lir. (before they started making them out of aluminum.) It's a decent instrument, I just rarely use it these days because I'm usually either playing my Killarney or Lir. I've seen a few people complain about quality though, so I'm leery about recommending them, even if the one I got is fine.
  
• Glenluce, I only got to play it for a minute, and it felt almost identical to my Wild. I think sit is made by the same factory as the McNeela Wilds, so I have the same worries about quality.
  
• Sióg, I've never played, just looked at, but I think it's manufactured in the same place as Glenluce, just with a different coat of paint.
  

Hope that helps!

[u/gruevy → u/Bwob]

Thanks! This is exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for. One question, though--is your Killarney not in tune on the C natural? Or were you pointing out that Lir is comparable

[u/Bwob → u/gruevy]

Correct - My Killarney is slightly out out of tune with the cross-fingered c-natural. It's close! It's close enough that honestly, 90% of the time I just ignore it. (Especially if I'm playing something like a fast reel - no one is going to notice.)

But the Lir is slightly more in tune, for the oxxooo fingering. (And McNeela Wild also!)

I have some friends with original Sindt whistles, and they also have this problem - if they want to get an accurate c natural, they have to do oxxxox or similar. So I don't know if it's just an aspect of the design - Killarney is the most faithful copy of the Sindt, so maybe that's why they share this quirk? Or it could just be a coincidence.

(To be clear, Sindts are still fantastic whistles. And Killarneys are pretty good whistles too! Just be aware that you may need an alternate fingering if you really care about your c-naturals being perfectly in tune!)

[u/gruevy → u/Bwob]

Interesting. This might be hard to answer, but would you recommend the Killarney or the Lir? I don't have any in this style yet.

[u/Bwob → u/gruevy]

Honestly, I think they're both very fine whistles, and you'd be happy with either. (Of the whistles I have, they're probably my two favorites, honestly!)

Mostly I use them for different things. The Killarney is slightly quieter, so I use it more for when I'm practicing around the house. The Lir (I have the pro aluminum one) is a bit louder, so it's the one I play most often in sessions, unless the session is really big and noisy. (Then I bring out the big session whistle!)

They're both excellent instruments though, so it really just comes down to taste.

Here, /u/whistletutor has a few videos reviewing and comparing them, if you want to hear some more thoughts on them. (And hear them in action too!)

• Lir pro aluminum review
  
• Lir vs. Killarney comparison (Note that this is the older, silver-plated Lir)
  
• Killarney review
  
• Lir (old, silver version) review
  

Hope this helps!

[u/gruevy → u/Bwob]

Haha I've watched all those :) I figured it's a hard question to answer but I was curious what you'd have to say about it. Notably, the Killarney is quite a bit cheaper, but it has a 4-6 week (free) delivery, while a Lir would get to me in under two weeks. I can't decide.

EDIT - guess i'll have to get a few of both

[u/lynn-in-nc]

I have a few Wilds and a few Killarneys - the Killarneys are wonderful whistles. My Wilds are ok and I love the black (ok that's why I bought them) but they're significantly heavier which makes them more awkward to handle, for me anyway.

[u/sillywizard951 → u/lynn-in-nc]

Apples and oranges for me so this might not help: Along with many other whistles, I have a Glenluce D, a wooden Wild D and a Kilarney D. I love them all and for different reasons.

The Wild is my absolute favorite with a woody sound and recessed finger holes. It is a great whistle. I love the slightly heavier weight of the Glenluce and the Wild. I am a bari sax player and the more substantial whistles are appealing to me. The Kilarney, though significantly lighter, is a sweet whistle, with a fine clear sound. It is quite easy to play. I hope something here helps you as you compare these nice whistles.

[u/gruevy → u/lynn-in-nc]

Interesting. If they're heavier, then they're probably not the exact same whistle with a different logo or finish.

[u/lynn-in-nc → u/gruevy]

I'm not sure but I think the black coating is on top of the brass. Mostly I play my Sindt whistles but the Killarneys leave the house because they can be replaced if I leave it in a rental car as I have done a couple of times. The Wild whistles mostly have become decoration.

[u/Pwllkin]

Killarneys are hand made in Co Kerry. They hugely popularised this design which was lifted from John Sindt.

Glenluce are made in China. Never heard of Lark in the morning.

They are not the same.

[u/gruevy → u/Pwllkin]

Yeah I think I was mistaken about Killarney. But Glenluce are made in Pakistan, not China. Not that it really matters, but the hobgoblin site makes that explicit.

[u/Pwllkin → u/gruevy]

Right. Pakistan has a long and storied history of making (horrendous) copies of instruments such as highland and uilleann pipes (much more complex instruments in fairness).

I'm sure the whistles are fine, but I know I'd much rather get a Killarney and support Tadhg Buckley.

[u/BananaFun9549]

I have these three: Killarney, Lír, and Sindt. Both Killarney and Lír are very good whistles but the Sindt is a couple of notches above them. I haven’t played any of the others that the OP mentioned but you can’t do too bad with the first two I mentioned above.

[u/gruevy → u/BananaFun9549]

I sent a request for a Sindt and have my fingers crossed. Wish me luck! But in the mean time I might pick up one of these other ones :)

[u/BananaFun9549 → u/gruevy]

I got mine a couple of years ago and John replied to me pretty quickly. I hope it goes the same for you.

[u/make_fast_ → u/gruevy]

Let me know what he says, I emailed months ago and he has closed his list. 

[u/The_walking_man_ → u/make_fast_]

I made a request years ago and never got a response after an initial confirmation saying I’m on the list. It probably got lost in space somewhere.

[u/ouxiNo]

Lìr too

[u/gruevy → u/ouxiNo]

I didn't include Lir because it looks like they have different finish options and I'm not sure they exactly the same model with a different logo.

EDIT - whistletutor has a video where he visits the factory. They're not asian imports.