Wild Irish Whistle Review (vs Killarney Whistle & John Sindt)
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- Опубліковано 2 сер 2024
- I just happened across this whistle as I was looking at McNeela Instruments' website the other day and was curious about what appeared to be another variant of the John Sindt design, along with the Killarney whistle. Let's break it down and compare.
THIS IS NOT AN AD/SPONSORED VIDEO
I just bought the thing and figured I'd give it a blast and see how I liked it. If you're interested, it's available for sale at McNeela Instruments: mcneelamusic.com/wind/wild-ir...
0:00 Intro
0:47 First impressions
2:01 Tuning
3:29 Comparison with Killarney
5:07 Final thoughts
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I splurged on a wild Irish whistle , and I truly wish I had bought one at the beginning of my whistle playing journey . It is an amazing instrument , it is solid and has the most amazing tone. It does not screech at all on the high notes. I also bought a Bb and it is my favorite whistle . Also the customer service is over the top .
You would've never known the value of your instrument if you played it from the beginning!
I have the Killarney brass in the key of D. And I just love my Killarney whistle. Thank you so much for your video...
Yes, I have been waiting to see any review of one of their whistles for quite some time, and now just about to watch yours. Thank you!
I have had a Wild for a couple of months now, and it is the perfect whistle for me. I got it at a big discount when they first released, but would gladly pay full price for another key. As a new whistle player, it is a great instrument. The second octave is virtually fool proof and the whistle sounds lovely, even in the hands of a rank beginner like me. I am a fan.
Me too
I’m loving the new intro and the visual panning shots of the whistles. Also, I love your style of reviews. I was looking at these Wild whistles on the net the other day and appreciate your thorough comments on it.
I currently play the Wild D and absolutely love it! I find it easy to play and great sound in both octaves. I have never tried a Killarney or Sindt. Also, loving the merch you have.
Interesting impressions. I owned a Killarney whistle and didn't really like it. It didn't suit my playing and I couldn't get the hang of it. I've enjoyed the Wild whistle much more, for some reason. Fewer squeaks and squaks and overall a better experience. I think it's different enough from the Killarney to make it worthwhile, and it has a cleaner tone than other Sindt copies like the Lir, which was too gravelly for my taste. I enjoy these whistle comparisons! Thanks for the great content.
Personally i have had several instruments made my Mcneela (button accordion and keyed flute) and i have been so impressed by both the craftsmanship and the customer service. I think that will be the reason i give this whistle a try
Have gotten mine some weeks ago and am very happy with it. Practically seems to play itself.
Hello, first of all, I want to say thank you for the clarity and accuracy of your whistle comparisons. I have the Wild D and C whistles, I love them both. After watching your review of the Killarney whistle, I had decided to purchase one as my first good whistle, because I was unable to purchase a Humphrey whistle. I was literally about to purchase the Killarney Whistle the day the Wild Whistle was released. I bought the Wild Whistle based on the description and demo, and because the release price seemed amazing. I am very much a novice whistler, but at the risk of sounding all artsy fartsy, I could instantly feel the playability, of the Wild Whistle, and for some reason the weight of the whistle gives me a feeling of confidence, sort of like big fat pencils for small children. The whistle pouch, is effective, and rides easily in my bodhrán case. A good case/pouch is very helpful if you are playing in a bunch of different places. I may not be at the end of my whistle journey, but I feel like a have made a really good first step.
I too like the weighty feeling. Check out Ojoyous on Esty for pouches. Well made and esthetically pleasing, Non-sponsored plug.
I would guess that McNeela wanted to get rid of the middle man and produce their own Sindt like whistle. As they have already extended the Wild Whistle range to multiple keys, there seems to be enough of a want (if not a need) to make it commercially interesting.
I have just bought a Wild to learn the whistle on. As someone who played the recorder at primary school and the clarinet throughout high school, I really like the deeper/huskier tone - so much so that I will probably transition to a low whistle after I have learnt it. I'm really enjoying playing it and glad I bought a quality whistle to learn on (beyond the first couple of tunes I learnt on a Waltons).
Thanks for your excellent review and whistle channel, I have had both whistles in D for some time now, at first I gave the Wild 6 out of 10, now it's my first preference whistle, having said that, there is not too much between it and the Killarney, but the Wild seems smoother and switches seamlessly between octaves.
A good friend has the Wild whistles, and absolutely loves them,
i have recently taken delivery of a wild B flat whistle....straight out of the box i found it so easy to play...first and second octave are so sweet and easy to achieve...for the price...i think this is a first class whistle.its well designed and i love the finish in black. For anyone looking for a decent playable whistle with a reasonable price tag ....i can highly recommend the wild
oooh, i was thinking about getting this
I think that a can of sardines would sound good in your hands :-)
😂
I think the Wild Irish whistle fits a need. You said it has a softer sound and it has a different look compared to the Killarney. Some players may prefer the black finish over the patina, though I would guess the head of the whistle will still tarnish over time.
I've wanted to buy a Killarney for a while, and am tempted to buy a Wild Irish whistle as well, but I can't justify the cost for either when the ones I do have don't get enough attention. I, like many other whistle players, have way too many whistles to play. The two you talked about sound great and for me would be good whistles to take on vacation, day trips, etc... instead of my Burke or Abell whistles.
Thanks for the comparison video. It has satisfied my curiosity about the Wild whistles and their quality and sound. As to why did they choose to enter the market with a copy of a copy. I can relate the last 5 years of my working career before I retired to be similar. We started selling a product on "that huge" online retailer that was a copy of a copy so to speak. Our thought process was that there was enough demand for the copy product that we could get a share of the market and make money at it. We did for 3 years and then everybody and their dog started selling their own "version" of the product and saturated the market and drove prices down to a point where it was no longer profitable. So, if no other "like" products come on market, then there may be enough demand that both Killarney and Wild will be able to keep prices stable and make a profit. Otherwise, if too many get in, then it will be good short term for the buyer of whistles with lower prices but longer term when the sellers decide they no longer can make enough profit there could be a problem for the supply side as they stop selling them.
Hi, I've only started learning, and invested in one of them, I love it so much
Aesthetically, the Wild looks so buttoned-up and expensive. As for the sound, I think it’s clarity is very satisfying. I was considering a Killarney or Lir but may go with a Wild instead!
That was spot on for me!
I was unsure which option to go for - killarney or the wild. Actually, I was looking for a tony dixon heavy brass before that I've seen a couple of years ago. But then I emailed mcneela and was informed that it's out of production, only available in aluminium from now on and then he pointed me to try this wild whistle that I've never heard about. Because of lack of information on the internet I didn't choose it but could have been great.
My final decision then was going to the killarney instead which is doing very well!
Been playing a feadog for years. Killarney has a much stronger, more stable and beautiful sound that makes me play it for much longer. The 2nd octave is really sweet, no chirpy sounds and easier to control!
Thank you for this video and the others you have made. They have been very helpful to me on my tin whistle journey, which began three months ago. I'm learning on a Tony Dixon Trad D whistle, but I'd love to save up to purchase a Wild Irish whistle or Killarney, too. I can hardly tell the difference between the sound of these two whistles. I don't think you can go wrong with either one of them. For me it may come down to the price.
I have both. The Wild has a slightly larger bore than the Killarney. This makes it a bit louder, and you can lean into it more. As others have noted, the Killarney has a brighter sound, and slightly purer. The Wild is heavier, though, more balanced in the hand.
I just got mine in a few weeks ago after it being stuck in transit for two months and I love it! It’s a fantastic whistle and I actually like it a little better than my Killarney. It appears to be deliberately weighted for better balance than the Killarney too. Unlike my Killarney which clogs constantly, the McNeela very rarely clogs! This makes the McNeela MUCH more playable for me. Plus I don’t have to worry about it tarnishing. My Killarney is only a few months old and it looks horrible. The matte black finish will keep the McNeela looking good for a long while.
I have a Killarney and a wild also and I agree with you ! 😊
@@irishflutegirl9022 The McNeela Wild Whistle really is like they took the Killarney whistle and fixed all the minor problems with it. I love it, and I just got the Bb Wild in on Monday. I'm thinking about getting the Eb too!
@@ketobarbelle8051 I love the wild too ! It’s my absolute favourite ☺️ you should get the Eb also ! Go for it 👍🏻☺️🍀 they are such amazing whistles !
To get your Killarney shiney again, just rub it down with some ketchup. Or if you have some slices of lime or lemon left-over in the kitchen, rub the whistle down with them. Those will she her right back up!
@@irishflutegirl9022 which one is your favorite?? I'm stuck between both. I'm a novice whistle player. Thanks in advance
From very quick comparison of scales you presented Wild Irish seemed to have lightly better intonation
Killarney whistles are just fine. I love mine and shan't be changing anytime soon.
I have a wild whistle and I love it, I also have a McManus a chieftain and a setanta, I like how crisp and clear it sounds, it takes no effort to play, I would say t is louder that a Kilarny whistle
The only problem with this review is it makes me want to buy one, which I can’t afford right now yes
I can relate with you lol.
Really pleased with my Wild C. I've not played a Killarney but have read a number of reviews which suggest they're not for me. The Wild is certainly heavy but feels fine when playing. The tuning is good and the tone suits me - soft but clear. Thanks for the review Sean. I wouldn't have found this whistle otherwise.
How heavy is heavy? I have some aluminium whistles of Tony Dixons which, with a tendonitis problem in my wrists, are too heavy to play. I want another D whistle and find I get on okay with a standard brass whistle like my tweaked Mellow Dog. Heard several mentions regarding the weight of both the Wild and the Kilarney, so have resisted temptation so far.
@@annewright5096 Hi Anne. The Wild C weighs 120 g but feels more. I remember the Killarney as feeling much lighter in comparison; might just be the balance. My lightest D whistle is Tony Dixon's DX005 which I play a lot.
@@tintintin Thank you. That was exactly the information I needed. Yes, it is heavy! I also have the DX500 and I like the Jerry Freeman Mellow Dog and the Cillian O' Briain Improved D. They are all nice and light, so I will stick to what I have. It is so easy to be tempted with things that one sees online....
As a piper, I prefer the weighty feeling
I bought a Kilarney a year ago and it is a step up from my Feadog in quality and price. However I find the Kilarney has a loud brassy sound to it. I am interested in the Wild Irish for it's tone.
The Killarney has a very sweet tone. You may need to warm it up and get better acquainted with it. I love my Killarney,brass is a very ideal metal for flutes.
Talking of carbon fibre, I wish you would review a carbony whistle!
I agree with your thoughts on this, it is so close to the Killarney that I'd just stick with my Killarney.
That's a great idea - I've played a few of their flutes years ago at a festival but haven't tried the whistles yet
Cutie pie on UA-cam did a review of Carbony whistles. I have a A and a D Carbony and I love them. Rob is a great guy and I love supporting him, his stuff is top notch. I like the A the best. The D takes some effort to play in the upper octave compared to Killarney or even a generation.
I just got my wild Irish d whistle. An observation, which maybe applies to all tunable whistles, I wouldn't know as this is my first. To get it in tune with my tuning app I had to extend the tubing slide. Having done that I now find that the second octave (especially A) is about a semi tone flat. This is not the case with the slide all the way in. Just wondering if this is a problem specifically with the wild Irish or all tunable whistles. Discuss please 🙂
A far as i know, tuning will change the ground tone. But not all other tones evenly. There will be half tones differences
I prefer the sound of brass whistles over other choices but I don't like the feel of brass. Anyone else have that quirk? Anyway, a powder coated brass is the answer for me. That's one reason for the Wild Irish in addition to the Kilarney.
I played a modern, closed-hole flute for about 10 years and loved the sound. Then I got very busy with raising a family and stopped playing. I’m now retired, children grown and gone, so I’m now learning to play the whistle and the alto recorder. The whistle was more of an afterthought, actually; mainly because I disliked the shrill sound of a piccolo back when I played the flute. I bought a Feadog Pro and set it aside while I focused on the alto recorder.
This past week, I’ve been playing scales and trying to perfect my 2nd octave tones on the Feadog whistle. I have a long way to go before I’m happy with the 2nd octave sounds! The embouchure required to play the flute was much easier to achieve for me.
Anyway, all that said, do you think buying a Wild D or Killarney will make the transition easier?
A high quality whistle will help you in the sense that if it sounds bad, you will know it's you and not the whistle. If you're truly serious about learning to play the tin whistle are are determined to commit years of practice to learn to play it really well, then I'd purchase the Killarney or Wild Irish D whistle. Just a little bit of helpful information: the Killarney whistle was designed by a husband and wife Irish music teaching duo in Killarney, Ireland, thus the name "Killarney." They wanted to build a tin whistle for their students that was easy to play, smooth in both octaves, and not shrill to help them learn to play the tin whistle more effectively.
Your conclusions are really from the point of view of someone who already owns a Killarney. In that case, you're right, you probably don't need both. But for those of us who have yet to purchase a whistle in that style, the Wild Irish is a very appealing option. I can't see the harm in more options in the market.
Killarney sounds a bit smoother, comparing with the Wild.
The Wild is recommended by a person who voiced out what I only suspected (Karavaev tin whistles, in comparison to brass, are much louder), but seeing so much good response to the Killarney - I start wondering about it too.
I'm a beginner, who started with a Low D, and very happy with that, but lacking experience, I'm aware that picking a tin whistle wrongly, can lead to bad experiences.
I sold my Michael Burke D, right after I received my Killarney D!
Wouldn't it be possible to add a counter-weight on a Killarney to balance the center of mass?
I imagine it would.
Why the Wild whistle? Well, I for one bought a Wild alto A simply because Killarney doesn’t do A (yet). I love my Killarney Eb, D, C, Bb, and the Wild A fits right in there.
I have read many people experience cloghing with the Kilarney. Is this also an issue with the Wild ? Any obe with experience on this please ? And about the feel in the hands as well, does the Wild gives cramps or not in the end ?? Thank you ^^
Well any whistle will likely clog after a bit but in my experience this one isn't any better or worse than any others that are based on the John Sindt design. And as for cramps, it's really more a matter of adjusting the grip to one which fits better. I'm much more used to playing a different style of whistle, one which has a different balance point - and similarly it's not a better or worse balance point, just a different one which may take some adjustment. Hope this helps, cheers!
@@whistletutor Thank you for your answer ! I am wondering about the weight of those whistles as well. So far I have played a Tony Dixon Sweet tone and a Clark original. I have a shoulder injury so I am a bit worried the wheight of a Wild or Kilarney will be too much. Is there a huge weight difference with a non professional whistle do you think ? That can be a plus in a way, as my Sweet tone recently got squashed in my suitcase while traveling 😅 Very impressed by your playing, reminds me each time I watch your videos that I dont REALLY know how to play whistle !! 😅 I have family in Ireland wich I visit often so I hope to be able to play in session there one day. I play the celtic harp also, but the tin whistle is incomparably easier to travel with ! Best regards from South of France. Laura
@@lauracrevel6078 It's definitely a noticeable change in weight between the Wild and anything like a Clarke original or Sweetone. Out of curiosity I grabbed my kitchen scale just now to compare. I don't still have a Clarke original but I do have a Sweetone - that one weighs 30g and the Wild weighs 112g. But you're right, and my first Sweetone met the same fate though in my case I squished it with my dorm room ladder in college :) Best regards from Nashville, Tennessee
@@whistletutor thank you ! ^^ my husband just ordered a Wild as a gift, I look forward trying it. RIP to your sweet tone crushed in the ladder 😅 I dont seem to find them anymore by the way, only one web site in Ireland still sell them from what I found but maybe they changed the name ? Have a good week, Laura
@@lauracrevel6078 Nice, good luck with it - enjoy!
You need both because competition drives down price.
It looks as though the Wild's bore is thicker. Is this right? I love the Killarney but would prefer a wider bore. If this is true, I'd get the Wild in a minute!
Why do you prefer a wider bore?
@@mowzrascal2350 Just a personal preference really.
I bought it and like it a lot. It's not a 'clear' as the Killarney, a bit more chiffy.
This is kind of off the topic but I have wood penny whistle with a susato have issues getting into the second octave. Is that a common problem maybe just me. I'm a novice
I'm a novice. I find a lot of whistles, the upper notes on the second octave can be difficult. And on my cheaper whistles, the problem is worse. My cheap whistles, I have to blow really hard and get REALLY LOW to hit the top few notes on the second octave. The only one I have that's reasonable is my Dixon Trad High D that cost about $28. I have five $10-15 high D whistles I never play any more as the Trad is so much better. But, I want a nice whistles for Xmas and am thinking about a Killarney so check out all the reviews.
@@kenkoellner9421 I have a Shaw D, which is over 30 years old and would now cost around 25 western fiat currency units. It was a bit breathy until I tweaked it and accidentally dropped it on its nose. Now it is dead easy to play in both octaves and sounds great. My other D is a recently bought Kerry Busker (which is essentially some kind of sawn-off bagpipe, ideal for Eradicating Bagginses). By the time it arrived here in Spain from the UK it set me back 145 Euros and let's say it takes some technique to get those high notes. Great for me, as I'm learning the flute and the attack is very similar but it screams like a banshee and if you are playing something like Omnia's 'Fee Ra Huri' it takes some focus not to drop down to the lower octave in the middle of an ornament. So I'm up for a Killarney, Wild or Lir to play in polite company.
Try tounging with a t. When you play a note.this splits the note. It will go higher. I have a wooden susato whistle too.
To me, a whistle is a pocket money instrument. I do have a couple of plastic Dixon whistles for odd keys, but i have spent my life ftom age 8 playing generations, clarks, more recently Clare whistles. I dont think we should get hung up on expensive whistles. Its a relatively recent phenomenon and a lot of the character in the playing comes from the inconsistencies of the instruments. Tommy Makem did all those Clancy Brothers records on Clark and then Generation whistles.
You probably don't need both. One or the other is fine. I have a Killarney high D and a Wild A.
Does the Wild feel as slippery as a nickel whistle?
Wild Irish beats my nickel Killarney hands-down. Not shrill like the Killarney in the second octave. Since others swear by the Killarney I can only conclude that their quality is variable. Maybe Wild Irish is too, but I happen to have gotten a great one? On a scale of 1-10, if Sindt is a 10 (and it is), I'd say Wild Irish is a solid 8, Killarney a 6. (even a 1 on this scale is a decent high end whistle, so this is a really refined opinion..)
Ccompetition, why not,
Why wouldn't you need more whistles?
I only started playing last May maybe June. I own 21 whistles. 4 of which I'm actually using daily. I will be getting the Wild Irish. I had a brass Killarney but I gave it away. I could handle it much better now but I suspect the Wild Irish is better.
I’m glad to know other people want more whistles also, this one looks really nice much better quality than any of the ones I own
@@melloncolliemedb If you're inspired to give away another whistle of the quality of the Killarney or Wild Irish, let me know.
Is there such a thing as an Irish Tin Whistle addict?
Its 400 grams.
The reviews in the comments about how good the McNeela Wild flute actually is compared to the other is a way better source of comparison and proper review than what this sad chap gave us ...thank you everyone for your reviews....I am going to buy a Wild now.
Yep I think we file that under "different strokes for different folks" - either way, thanks for the engagement!
Wild flute?
Sean, you are NOT a sad chap. You are very helpful and generous, and we appreciate you. 🙂 Thank you for all you do.