We often hear folk in the whistle community discussing the relative merits of Lír, Wild, Killarney, and, more recently, Compass tin whistles. In this article we give a quick overview of these four comparable brands, covering the key points.
The first thing to note about these four whistle brands, is that they are all fundamentally based on the John Sindt design, typically pairing that distinctive Delrin head with a brass body. Original John Sindt whistles are extremely difficult to get hold of these days, fetching a large sum due to their rarity. But gladly, these alternatives offer excellent quality at a much lower price.
Lír, Wild, Killarney, and Compass all offer stable tuning, a clean and clear tone, balanced octaves, and have a moderate breath requirement. All four are well-suited to solo playing, recording, and sessions. They are all sturdy, well-made brass whistles. At Big Whistle, we typically stock Compass and Lír whistles.
You will likely find that in a blind test, you could pick up any of these whistles, replace it with another, and be more or less equally happy. Moreover, most of these brands offer their whistles in D, C, A, Bb, and Eb. However, you may well find that the nuances of one brand suit you slightly better than another.
The essential features that all these whistles share are:
- John Sindt design
- Delrin head with curved mouth piece
- Excellent playability
Let’s dive in and take a look at some of the subtle differences between these different brands. We’ll also take a quick look at the Shush PRO, which, although quite a different sort of whistle, is another popular brand within this price range that you might want to consider.
Lír
While based on the John Sindt design, Lír have released several versions of their whistle, evolving their design over the years. Their original whistle was brass with silver-plating, but this is now out of production. The Lír Pro, made of aluminium, offers a similarly mellow tone, with a little more volume. The Pro also has slightly more back pressure than the original. Lír now offer a stainless steel model.
Wild
McNeela’s Wild whistle is a brass-bodied whistle, with a matt-black coating. Much like the others on this list, it is versatile, with a clear and mellow tone. Due to the thick, brass body, the Wild whistle is a little heavier than the Lír. Unlike Lír, Killarney, and Compass, the Wild is always finished in matt black.
Killarney
The Killarney whistle, available in brass, or in brass with nickel-plating, offers the same fundamental benefits as the others on this list. The key differentiators are that the Killarney has a slightly lower air requirement, and a slightly lower volume. The brass and nickel finishes offer an almost identical tone to each other.
Compass
The most recent entrant to the market, Compass, offers all the qualities of the above brands, but a range of finishes, including polished brass, black gloss, green gloss, chrome, and copper. Compass also offers a gold-plated head option on their website, for whistlers who would rather not have brass or aluminium in their mouth.
Shush PRO
The Shush PRO deserves a quick mention here. The Shush PRO is a fundamentally different sort of whistle to the four above, and rather than being based on the John Sindt, it is based on the original Feadóg whistle. However, the Shush PRO sits in a similar price range, or slightly below the above. It is the quietest whistle on the market, with a pleasant and mellow tone.
Questions or comments about any of the whistles discussed here? Email us at hello@bigwhistle.co.uk, and we’d be glad to help!
