Hello - I’m shopping for a Bb, and I’m seeking recommendations. I’d like to pay under $100. But I’d really like to pay under $30 if people rave about out-of-the box Generations or the like.
Yes, I know it’s a subjective question. But please fire away.
Best,
Joe
Jerry Freeman Whistles on Ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Freeman-Whistle-Tweaked-brass-Bb-Generation-Tin-Penny-/281487281926?hash=item4189f30f06:g:tFYAAOSwR0JUPHYb
Generations 
I know some disagree, but, as I often repeat, I’ve not played a Gen Bb that I thought wasn’t nice to play, though they do vary from whistle to whistle. I think that is one that everyone should have on hand. I have a tweaked one I bought, and honestly I think I’d rather just buy three regular untweaked ones and play the best one of the three. The tweaked one is a good whistle, though. It is really a matter of taste, as far as that goes.
I’m ordering a Tilbury Bb, which is 75 bucks… have yet to see if that is any good. Sounded nice enough on a recording I heard, but of course that is different than having firsthand experience. Really, when you start getting into the lower keys it is more difficult to name good cheap options like it is with high whistles, as most of the Bb whistles I like cost more. It is worth checking with shops or makers to see if they have a return policy, that way you can try the whistles people mention without having to commit to anything more than the shipping cost, should you not like it.
That being said, the Syn Bb is not a bad whistle at all, and in your price range, and good if you like a more clear round sound (though I might add it doesn’t sound as “traditional” as a Gen, Sindt, etc. ). Plays nicely and easily, though, and Erle is good to deal with and might even be able to make one for you that matches how you’d like it to play. Mine is more sensitive (which isn’t bad), as I bought it in a set with Bb, B, C, and D bodies. The B and C bodies play and sound the most to my liking, but the Bb is also quite nice (The D has more oomph than I prefer, but that is to be expected when one head covers several keys.). I think he has come out with a larger bore set for the alto keys recently, so I am not sure if the availability of these has changed (or if the new set is better or worse). Worth looking into maybe, though.
The Dixon Trad in A isn’t bad, and I imagine the Bb is pretty similar (I think these are discontinued, but they are still easy to find). I don’t know about Dixon’s other Bb whistles, but the Trad in A is not hugely dissimilar to a Generation, generally speaking, but has a slight pinch of smokiness to the tone, and is a bit more free blowing. They are nice, though, and used ones would not be difficult to find. If you want to stay with something under 30, I can’t think of any other whistles besides Generation for that price, unless you buy used, aside from some hobbyist PVC whistles made by a variety of people. That’s another option- make one.
I really mainly just stick with Generation and Sindt for Bb whistles, though. Most Bb, A, and G whistles from “high end” makers end up having a “fat” tone and playability (such as Burkes), which I do not like as much in mid-range keys, as it makes it seem more like a low whistle to me when they are made that way, and I don’t think the pitch suits it, even though the same design may seem to work well for the high and low keys. I think these keys turn out best when they have a sound and playability more in line with the type of soprano whistles I lean towards.
Last year I bought a Generation Bb off of Amazon last minute for a gig. I wasn’t expecting much, but it turned out to be a great playing whistle.
It’s the only Bb whistle I’ve played for any extended period of time, so I can’t talk much about how it compares with other makes.
Sirchronique makes good points–particularly about the ideal Bb whistle belonging to the high whistle camp, rather than the low whistle camp. A year or so ago, I had a chance to try more than a dozen Generation Bb whistles side by side at a shop. I bought the one I liked best (which was a somewhat arbitrary choice between the best three or four), but they were all at least fine, and most of them were good to very good. For $30, you could even order two (in different colors!) and pick your favorite. Or go for the Freeman tweaked Gen.
They sound good in person too.
The only complaint I have about mine is that it seems a little too easy to blow off pitch; that is to say that what I’d call a “normal” amount of blowing is either too much or too little on every note. It takes some getting used to.
That said, it might just be me being lousy and as with every whistle your mileage may vary.
Oh, man, I adore my Water Weasel Bb, which is definitely in the fat category. It’s one of my very favorite whistles, I play it every day. Great sound, really expressive, still nicely responsive. A lot more comfortable under my fingers than a high D, too.
I guess I’ve never really had a Generation-style Bb whistle to compare, though…
I love my Gen. It’s about 35 years old and simply fabulous. I still keep my eyes open for another old one, but… I’ve played newer Gen Bb’s in the stores and they are still very pleasing.
I haven’t tried the Dixon mentioned above. I think I need to, though, just cuz!
I have a Susato that I play almost daily. I love it. But, as many here will tell you, the Susato sound isn’t for everyone.
I have two Gen Bb’s one tweaked by Jerri and one bought form the local music store. They are different, the tweaked one is easier to play in two octaves and has a consistency in volume. The un-tweaked is a lot more unpredictable and requires a lot more breath control to bring both octaves in line. it has slightly more volume and breathiness. A good find and the only one to had in the store.
The tweaked one is a great whistle for the price and I will get another if the current one is lost or damaged. The un-tweaked one is also good. Pays your money etc. i
I really like the Susato Oriole Bb.
I had the Trad G which I really liked but the conventional OXX OOO C natural finger was way off, does the A have the same issue?
My favourite sub $30 whistle in Bb is, without a doubt, my Becker whistle. Yes it is in PVC, but it certainly beats many much more expensive brands. It has a lovely woody sound with a nice, even volume across registers. It is easy to play, needing only a little more breath than a Gen Bb.
Mr Becker, who makes these by hand does it as a hobby and I don’t think he’s all that urgent for cash. Their quality is such that at $15 you’re paying for something worth 10 times that amount (easily). If he made them in wood, we’d be raving about them a lot more and happily paying $300 or more for each. As it is, you can get all of his high and alto whistles (G, F, E, Eb, D, C, altoBb, altoA & altoG) for $105.
Have a look at http://www.beckerwhistles.com/
Gen Bb used to be my favourite in the sub $30 category until I got the full set of Beckers. Still a great buy if you’re looking for a metallic whistle sound under $30 and it is very rare to get a bad one.
Depending on how much you want to spend, Eric Bartlett who makes the fantastic Syn Whistle, can make whistles in more keys than he offers on the oz whistles website. He makes a brilliant aluminium whistle with a delrin fipple. It has a great classic sound. Cost is around $75 (AUD), but I can’t remember if the Bb is more or not. Additional bodies (ie C or D or Eb) are just $15 (AUD) extra each. Write him an e-mail: synwhistles at yahoo dot com do au.
I play a Freeman Generation Bb. It’s fantastic.
Though I’ve been doing this for nearly 40 years, and have tried hundreds of Generation Bb’s over the years, I have never come across that sublime one for sale (quite a few great ones in the hands of players who weren’t selling!)
I have a half-dozen old Generations in a drawer and all are meh.
So I got the Freeman… I had a big tour coming up, and I needed a Bb that played perfectly in tune. The Freeman did the job.
And beyond that, I made an A tube and a B tube for that head. I bought a Sindt A/Bb/B set, and turned around and sold it, because I liked the Generations more.
I’ve got a Becker alto G, it is a ton of whistle for a bargain basement price.
I may have to order a Bb.
There is no “metallic whistle sound”. I think the notion that one material or another brings about a specific type of sound in a whistle should be done away with, as it doesn’t.
I think the notion that one material or another brings about a specific type of sound in a whistle should be done away with, as it doesn’t.
We’re not going to do the concrete flute discussion again, are we?
Wow! Physics would disagree (and so would my ears). Studies of mouth-piece acoustics suggest that the material used will have an effect on the kind of harmonics/sounds/waveforms introduced.
However, I concede that I was sloppy to call it a “sound”. There is no one metallic sound or wooden sound, but many people (myself included) can hear a significant difference in the range of sounds/waveforms between materials. There can certainly be overlap between the classes, which can make things a little confusing, but despite the difference in craftsmanship between makers, there are similarities shared by whistles with metallic labium ramps that are not shared by polymer or wooden labium ramps (for purists, I know that it is called a “labium lip”, but I dislike the tautology and so I call it a ramp).
Anyway, the issue of the concrete flute is that we are not talking about a transverse flute, but a fipple flute. The important difference is the way in which the airflow is broken by the labium ramp and at what angle and “sharpness” this happens. There are significant differences in the way that the ramp can be constructed in the different materials, which creates the subtle differences in sound on a fipple flute. With transverse flutes, on the other hand, despite the difference in “ramp” material and workmanship, I can make my beautiful silver boehm flute and my lousy home-made pvc simple flute sound almost indistinguishable with the right embouchure in both.
There is also the debatable effect that the whistle’s body has on the sounds/waveforms. The physics suggests that body composition should not have a significant effect on the sound. However, if you have a Syn high D and a Milligan high D, see if they are compatible and try the milligan head on the Syn body. Totally different quality of sounds/waveforms, though some people may not hear it (my wife certainly doesn’t). (NB, please don’t break or damage your whistle’s brass slide by trying this. If you feel you have to force it, don’t do it!)