Shush Classic review
I just got a Shush Classic, and I wanted to share the results.
I was debating whether to buy it or not, as a lot of people said it’s the same as the other whistles with DIY quieting solutions (like tape, blue tack, etc.), but I was struggling with those methods, because by the time I got my whistle quiet enough for my taste, it got squeaky.
I live in a shared house with others, and I felt like I couldn’t practice at all. Even during the day, I only dared to do the lower octave, as those sounds are less harsh.
So I thought, even if the Shush is not quiet enough, I can probably still dampen it further with tape, or something, so I ordered it.
Best decision ever! The difference between the Shush Classic and my Feadog Pro is enormous. When I first tried the lower notes, my thought was “I can barely hear it,” which was an enormous relief. For the first time since I started playing the tin whistle, I dared to actually *play* while my housemates were at home. I still wouldn’t do the highest notes at night, but during the day? Absolutely.
If someone was in the next room, they would probably hear the second octave, but the first octave you can play quietly enough that no one would notice.
Regarding the air requirement, it’s a LOT more forgiving than the Feadog Pro, at least in the lower octave. I don’t have enough experience with the higher notes to comment on them. Maybe later in my journey…
So yeah, as a beginner afraid of getting kicked out of the house for torturing the wildlife with a regular tin whistle, the Shush Classic probably saved my new hobby. I don’t think I would have been able to continue for long without it.
(I heard the Shush Pro is louder, so even though I prefer its sound, I still went with the Classic, as the volume was the priority. I have no regrets.)
Tl;dr: the Shush Classic sounds (to my ears) 10x quieter than the Feadog Pro. If you want a very quiet whistle without the fiddly DIY tweaking, and you can afford to, then I recommend getting the Shush Classic (the Pro is supposedly a bit louder, idk)
Edit: forgot to say, but I’m a complete beginner in music in general as well as in the tin whistle. Please, forgive any weird phrasing due to my lack of musical knowledge 😅