I. THE CHIFF & FIPPLE GREETING.

ask Dr. Fipple

Issue #3

This week's question comes from Heather McGill of Portland, Oregon.

Well, Heather. First of all, what makes you think there is something wrong with your mother?  Has it occurred to you that maybe the problem is not your mother at all?  It sounds to me like a problem we call “family dynamics.”  More specifically, we sometimes call this “blaming the victim.”  In this case, your mother is the victim.  The person who is really responsible for your mother’s problems is not your mother.  I think you have to look at the person that is inflicting discomfort on your mother, without having enough consideration for her feelings.  And that person, Heather, is clearly you.  Take a look at your own behavior.  You’re a kid!    Kids sometimes misbehave or don’t do as well in school as they should.  I’m sure you can do better!  And, when you do, I think you’ll find that your mother will feel much better! 

II.  BUSINESS MEETING

A couple of business items.  First, thanks to those of you who provided feedback on the last issue's format.  I sent it out in html as an experimental thing.  What I learned from your feedback is that a lot of people loved it and a lot of people had computers that aren't set for html or otherwise don't want it.  Later, I may trying to set up the mailing list by formats, but for the time being I'm going to continue to send out the issue in plain text with a link to the html version.

I am saddened and irritated to learn about changes at yahoogroups.com .  Most of you probably remember that I use the yahoogroups service to automate the chiff & fipple mailing list.  It's been a huge help.  However, there have been a couple of developments at yahoogroups.com that I want you to know about.  First, there's been a change in their privacy policy.  Read about it here.  It's not too bad, but it's still irritating. The other development, that I'm still trying to learn about, is that they recently set the defaults for all members to allow more unsolicited email (SPAM).  Here's the email that was forwarded to me and for this I thank subscriber Holly Gold:

Sometime recently our beloved Yahoogroups,
in what may well be yet another attempt to
drum up cash, has apparently reset Everyone’s
email, mail and telephone marketing preferences
to "Yes" for everything.

Unless that's what you want - a flow of spam by
mail, email and phone, here's how to fix it:

- go to http://groups.yahoo.com/mygroups
- log in with your Yahoo account/password
- click on Account Info (upper right)
- in mid-page, click on "Edit your marketing
preferences"

Check out all the stuff they've made as "YES"
options, including email, and, way down at the
bottom, US Mail and Via Phone.

I changed all my stuff to NO, and made certain
that they did not have either a phone number or
an address on file.

Be sure to click on the SAVE CHANGES box at
bottom to save these settings.

I followed the instructions myself and it works fine.  I'd encourage you to do the same.

I'm looking into a couple of alternatives to yahoogroups, including the increasingly popular topica.com.  I'll keep you posted.

II.  MYSTERIES UNRAVEL

Well, substantial progress has been made in solving some of the Great Whistle Mysteries detailed in our last issue.  We now have scientific evidence beginning to accumulate, so to speak, regarding whistle moisture.  We have the most definitive and authoritative answer to date regarding the Titanic problem.  We've identified more precisely the makers of Generation whistles and now have contact information.  And, we're even making progress on the Picard Whistle.  For details, see the revised Mysteries page.

Here's a mystery-related tidbit:

Hi Dale,

For someone who is pretending to play the whistle, Patrick Stewart sure does a good job of getting the fingering right.  I’ve heard/read rumour that he did in fact learn to play the whistle while they were filming the episode ‘The Inner Light’ and almost drove the cast nuts with his practicing – hmmmm on second thoughts that doesn’t sound right at all does it…  ;)

Andrew King

III.  NEW FROM CLARKE:  THE MEG

I recently received a package from Clarke which included samples of their new inexpensive whistle, the Meg.

Here's some information to get you started:

:

Let me make a few comments.  First, the Meg is designed to sell at a very, very low price.  That's a good thing.  Among other things, it will be a tremendous thing for music education programs, including some of the charitable programs that the people from Clarke hear from frequently.  Clarke, incidentally, doesn't publicize this, but they have an extensive and impressive history of working with charitable groups to put instruments into the hands of the poor.  

The thing that is most surprising to me about this whistle is that the compromise that comes from "budget raw materials and modified production process" is not at all apparent in these samples.  (Of course, we'll have to wait and see what quality control will be like for large batches).  But, the construction is every bit as sound as the Clarke Sweetone.  Side by side, the difference is not detectable to me.  The tone is different and a bit hard for me to describe.  The Meg is a bit "chiffier."  It's not as Sweet as the Sweetone.  But, that will be a good thing for some players who find the Sweetone a bit sugary.  It's a fun and responsive little whistle.  I'll be looking forward to hearing comments from people as these get out on the street.  

For the upcoming St. Patrick's day a drunken Leprechaun sent me a huge green box full of hundreds of brand new Mark III Feadog whistles. Well, actually, it wasn't a Leprechaun, it was Steve Power of Shana Quay, and it was just a thin red tube, and it was only two whistles, and I don't think he was drunk.  (Note:  If he sent Bloomfield a huge box of hundreds of whistles--free--he was drunk.  Signed, Dale)

But here they are: two Feadog Mark IIIs, in D and in C (actually I don't know whether the C is a Mark III). Since these babies are fairly new I thought I'd do a little review. And since I am the proud owner of an old Mark I D Feadog, I thought I'd do a comparison.

First off, they are fine-looking whistles. I got the ones with a nickel shaft and black mouthpieces and holding them I feel a lot more stylish then I would holding one of those vomit-green Clares. Hey, with this Feadog D, I wouldn't think twice about inviting Andrea Corr over to blow my whistle and for some cheese-cake. (Note:  I'm sure she'd take you up on that. --Dale) That reminds me: The new Mark III Ds are very skinny.  (Note:  Do they have great teeth and cheekbones to kill for?--Dale)  The mouthpiece is slim, with smooth lines. There is no ugly hump, like there was on the Mark II, and the entire ramp is flat. The bump at the end of the ramp, that was so characteristic of the Mark I has disappeared. The Mark III high-D mouthpiece is even slimmer than the Mark I was.

Interestingly, the mouthpiece for the C whistle has a bump, or a hump right behind the end of the blade. That makes me think that they did not change the C-mouthpiece. In profile it looks very similar to the Walton C mouthpiece, at least on top (lines are rounder, smoother, though).

I know everyone is bored hearing about he shape of the mouthpiece already, but that was the big problem with the Mark IIs. On those, the blade was set outside the line of the tube, on the Mark III it is brought back down, in line with the tube.

The mouthpieces are not glued on, so "tuning" them a bit is easy and no hot water or chamomile tea is required. Sliding the mouthpiece out a bit, about a mm (1/16") or so brought an immediate improvement in playability both on the D and C, more noticeable on the D.

But before I talk about how they play, one more observation: If you read about the improved O'Briain whistles on Steve's web page ( http://www.shanaquay.com ), it says that they used to take Feadog shafts and adjust the whole sizes a bit to improve them and that after Feadog adopted their new hole pattern, they are now just using factory Feadog shafts. So I thought if I'd hold the old Mark I (green and brass) Feadog D next the new Mark III D, I'd see a difference in the shafts. But I couldn't see any difference. It's either not there, or it's really subtle. (The shafts of the Walton C and the Feadog C are noticeably different.) Oh, and the holes on the Feadog D are a bit sharp.

So here is the Feadog D Mark I vs. Mark III comparison, with a bit of Sindt thrown in:

Tone:
The tone on the Mark I is a bit softer and purer. The Mark III has a little more chiff and breath and is also stronger. On the Mark III D I notice a bit of an edge that I don't like so much and there is a hint of a buzz on the bottom notes. So I think I will tweak the Mark III a bit by dulling the edge of the blade with fine sandpaper. However, the bell note is stronger on the Mark III, which is nice. Generally, the tone of the two is pretty similar: not as rough as a Generation, but not as pure as a Sindt.

Octave Test and Screech Test
The octave test just means playing up from the D to the B, jumping back and forth between the octaves. This is not really the strength of the Feadogs. My breath control isn't the greatest, but you get not-so-pretty sounds easily trying this. Both whistles offer a good amount of resistance. They are on the quiet side and therefore a bit sensitive to breath pressure. The Mark III tends toward being tinny. Maybe a nickle-vs-brass thing, but the tone on the Mark III did not blow me away in that respect.

The Screech test: Play a G or an A and then slowly increase breath pressure, trying to make the tone hang between the octaves and screech. I can do it on the Mark I, but it is much easier to produce this blood-curling sound on the Mark III. Again, a touch of the sandpaper may fix this. Interestingly, on the Sindt the Screech test is very different: It is nearly impossible to produce that in-between sound. You flick up cleanly to the upper octave before you can screech.

The Mercy-Mercy Test
The test involves playing the B-part of Si Bheag Si Mor really slowly in the presence of loved ones. The question is: How long before they beg for mercy? Here I think the Mark III has the edge: The upper octave is sweet and pure and clean. The tuning on the high B is better than it is on the Mark I, although I don't know why that is, with the shafts identical. Also, the Mark III plays more easily into the third octave (now hear them beg for mercy!). The high-high e and f# are easier to hit than they are on the Sindt.

Tuning
Struck me as very good, although I didn't use a tuner to check. The bell note is a bit sharp, unless you pull out the mouthpiece, and the high b is a bit sharp on both (better on the Mark III), but that's to be expected. The third (F#) is also a bit off, but that is also normal for cheapos.

Playability
Both Mark I and Mark III are responsive, smooth players. No trouble with ornaments or quick fingerings. They play pleasantly. The Mark III is a bit more sensitive which makes a difference if you play it where it's loud and you don't hear yourself so well. Again, I think a bit of tweaking may tame it. (Also, the Mark I was my first whistle and I have played it so much that this may be a hard comparison for me to make.)

On balance, I am very happy with the Mark III. It is a return to the glory of the Mark I. I will report back when I have dulled the blade a bit. I am also thinking of filling the cavity under the winday to see what that does. I can heartily recommend the Mark III, and don't let anyone sell you one of the ugly Mark II things anymore.

VII. FRED ROSE FUNDRAISER

I'm still making arrangements to have another charity drive, this one featuring a beautiful blackwood D whistle donated to us by Fred Rose.  Stay tuned.

VIII.  GENERATION TEASER

There is some promise that, at last, there will be communication between Chiff & Fipple and the people who make Generation whistles.  I got their email address, courtesy of Rick Wall and Norman Dannatt.  I emailed them with a number of questions and got this response.

Peace be with all of us.