Not the deep fried variety.
I've just lost my favourite whistle at a festival on the weekend. ..sniff ...
It was an old and dinged brass Bb generation that I've had for 25 years that had a lovely, rich liquid tone.
Do the dings and bumps make for a better sound? Any thoughts?
I also lost a couple of years ago a brass generation d that was even older and more battered and a great whistle. Old thread. http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/8291/comments#comment177326
My unpainted Clarke has aged in a very attractive manner, with little splotches that look kind of like tree rings around the holes, and where I rest my thumbs--and overall, it is about three shades darker than a new one. We have bonded to the point where I don't even think about the mechanics of playing, I just play.
I recently noticed that it is rusting from the inside, probably because I never bothered to clean its innards--so I suppose I will have to break in a new one eventually.
This current one replaces one that got squished in the door of a taxi while travelling to a session about five years ago.
So cabers, I know exactly what you mean, and I feel your pain!
Ah the old battered whistle as played by Glaswegians
I still have a couple of old generations that have been with me what seems like generations and they have a nice sound. But I dont get too nostalgic as most of the generations were pretty crappy and you had to search through a box of them to get a decent one. But when you did find one............
Obviously the dings do make a difference to the sound since they interfere with the wave patterns in the tube. Probaby sheer luck if they happen to give a good rather than a bad or out of tune sound.
One of our local whistlers, Marty McKibbin, has an old generation that it just perfect for slow airs.
i was distressed when i lost my feadog. it really vexed me, too, because i was on my way to visit a friend as well as her town's session. i put the whistle on the table, got up, put some stuff in the car, and it was gone! it took me almost 2 years to find it. it was under the couch, which would explain why i couldnt find it on the table.
i got so fed up with the generation that i bought that i got myself a nice burke. now that i found my feadog, i never play it, but its nice to have my old friend back.
About the dings making a better sound - it might! Some silver-flute players will have a custome pewter headjoint made with a seam in it. The idea is that the seam creates a harmonic vibration that enhances the tone. It is possible, if not likely, that the irregularities in the tubing are affecting the texture of the tone.
Yes, well, the dings might help - some of the Tipple flutes were made with a material that was not completely smooth on the inside, and he reckoned they were superior. Something to do with boundary layers and air movement.
If you have a severelly dinged whistle you need to get a dowel of the appropriate diameter, and slowly push it up the tube, tapping it gently with a small hammer at every point where it is obviously eccentric. They often bend particularly around the holes, where the structure is obviously weakest. You can't do this with the Clarkes, as they are tapered.
How much of all this love of the old instruments is nostalgia ? My SO has a whistle that she still treasures because Packie Byrne once played it, but it's only a Generation, and not the best.
Not really nostalgia Pete, both were genuinely very good whistles. The "D" I eventually replaced with a Sindt (my only non-cheapo) which I really like for the clean non-screechy high register. The lower notes are not as resonant though, I liked the way you could feel these notes vibrating under my fingers on the old brass ones.
I've ordered a new brass Bb which I might take to with a hammer anyway to see what happens.
I remember hearing an old record by Sean? Potts and someone else. The cover had a pair of crappy looking old taped and dinged generations in close up . Music seemed great though.
I bought a recorder on ebay that came with an old whistle and some kinda bolivian thing flute for about 6 dollars. I didn't think the whistle would be any good. But it's great! Very heavy gage tin, wooden plug, dings, tapered, tarnished. It sounds wonderful and mellow. Probably too quiete for session duty.
any idea what is the best way to clean the inside of a tapered whistle?
“I've got a 25 or so year old brass Generation Bb that has a dent, and it's a great whistle, although it would probably also be good without the dent.”
Hey, I’ve got one of those, too. Exactly the same. Are we sharing the same whistle through some parallel universe portal?
Hey Bob, Tintin, I bet one of you buggers have knocked off my whistle. Parallel universe portal ?? more like cyber teleporter thieving mongrels ...mutter mutter..
A dog tried to eat two of mine years ago, quick as a flash when my back was turned. The mouthpiece of one was a goner, but the other still plays
OK with toothmarks in the plastic. And on the subject of Generation whistles, why did they never make one in E major, making it easier to play tunes in A (not to mention the E tunes going round)? I wrote and asked them but got no reply: they're evidently happy to miss a potentially good market.
Old and battered whistles.
Old and battered whistles.
Not the deep fried variety.
I've just lost my favourite whistle at a festival on the weekend. ..sniff ...
It was an old and dinged brass Bb generation that I've had for 25 years that had a lovely, rich liquid tone.
Do the dings and bumps make for a better sound? Any thoughts?
I also lost a couple of years ago a brass generation d that was even older and more battered and a great whistle. Old thread.
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display/8291/comments#comment177326
# Posted on June 13th 2006 by cabers
Re: Old and battered whistles.
My unpainted Clarke has aged in a very attractive manner, with little splotches that look kind of like tree rings around the holes, and where I rest my thumbs--and overall, it is about three shades darker than a new one. We have bonded to the point where I don't even think about the mechanics of playing, I just play.
I recently noticed that it is rusting from the inside, probably because I never bothered to clean its innards--so I suppose I will have to break in a new one eventually.
This current one replaces one that got squished in the door of a taxi while travelling to a session about five years ago.
So cabers, I know exactly what you mean, and I feel your pain!
# Posted on June 13th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: Old and battered whistles.
Ah the old battered whistle as played by Glaswegians
I still have a couple of old generations that have been with me what seems like generations and they have a nice sound. But I dont get too nostalgic as most of the generations were pretty crappy and you had to search through a box of them to get a decent one. But when you did find one............
Obviously the dings do make a difference to the sound since they interfere with the wave patterns in the tube. Probaby sheer luck if they happen to give a good rather than a bad or out of tune sound.
One of our local whistlers, Marty McKibbin, has an old generation that it just perfect for slow airs.
Still, I'd rather have my Burke or Syn.
# Posted on June 13th 2006 by breandan
Re: Old and battered whistles.
i was distressed when i lost my feadog. it really vexed me, too, because i was on my way to visit a friend as well as her town's session. i put the whistle on the table, got up, put some stuff in the car, and it was gone! it took me almost 2 years to find it. it was under the couch, which would explain why i couldnt find it on the table.
i got so fed up with the generation that i bought that i got myself a nice burke. now that i found my feadog, i never play it, but its nice to have my old friend back.
# Posted on June 13th 2006 by daiv
Re: Old and battered whistles.
About the dings making a better sound - it might! Some silver-flute players will have a custome pewter headjoint made with a seam in it. The idea is that the seam creates a harmonic vibration that enhances the tone. It is possible, if not likely, that the irregularities in the tubing are affecting the texture of the tone.
# Posted on June 13th 2006 by Ailin
Re: Old and battered whistles.
Yes, well, the dings might help - some of the Tipple flutes were made with a material that was not completely smooth on the inside, and he reckoned they were superior. Something to do with boundary layers and air movement.
If you have a severelly dinged whistle you need to get a dowel of the appropriate diameter, and slowly push it up the tube, tapping it gently with a small hammer at every point where it is obviously eccentric. They often bend particularly around the holes, where the structure is obviously weakest. You can't do this with the Clarkes, as they are tapered.
How much of all this love of the old instruments is nostalgia ? My SO has a whistle that she still treasures because Packie Byrne once played it, but it's only a Generation, and not the best.
# Posted on June 13th 2006 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Old and battered whistles.
Not really nostalgia Pete, both were genuinely very good whistles. The "D" I eventually replaced with a Sindt (my only non-cheapo) which I really like for the clean non-screechy high register. The lower notes are not as resonant though, I liked the way you could feel these notes vibrating under my fingers on the old brass ones.
I've ordered a new brass Bb which I might take to with a hammer anyway to see what happens.
I remember hearing an old record by Sean? Potts and someone else. The cover had a pair of crappy looking old taped and dinged generations in close up . Music seemed great though.
# Posted on June 13th 2006 by cabers
Re: Old and battered whistles.
Well, I’ve had enough. I can’t take any more abuse. If I get kicked one more time for whistling ...
Oh, wait, I misread. I thought the topic was “Old and battered whistlers”.
# Posted on June 14th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: Old and battered whistles.
I've got a 25 or so year old brass Generation Bb that has a dent, and it's a great whistle, although it would probably also be good without the dent.
# Posted on June 14th 2006 by mcswiss
Re: Old and battered whistles.
I bought a recorder on ebay that came with an old whistle and some kinda bolivian thing flute for about 6 dollars. I didn't think the whistle would be any good. But it's great! Very heavy gage tin, wooden plug, dings, tapered, tarnished. It sounds wonderful and mellow. Probably too quiete for session duty.
any idea what is the best way to clean the inside of a tapered whistle?
# Posted on June 15th 2006 by feardearg
Re: Old and battered whistles.
“I've got a 25 or so year old brass Generation Bb that has a dent, and it's a great whistle, although it would probably also be good without the dent.”
Hey, I’ve got one of those, too. Exactly the same. Are we sharing the same whistle through some parallel universe portal?
# Posted on June 15th 2006 by Bob himself
Re: Old and battered whistles.
Hey Bob, Tintin, I bet one of you buggers have knocked off my whistle. Parallel universe portal ?? more like cyber teleporter thieving mongrels ...mutter mutter..
# Posted on June 16th 2006 by cabers
Re: Old and battered whistles.
A dog tried to eat two of mine years ago, quick as a flash when my back was turned. The mouthpiece of one was a goner, but the other still plays
OK with toothmarks in the plastic. And on the subject of Generation whistles, why did they never make one in E major, making it easier to play tunes in A (not to mention the E tunes going round)? I wrote and asked them but got no reply: they're evidently happy to miss a potentially good market.
# Posted on July 22nd 2006 by nicholas