Despite all the helpful posts on how to tune and adjust my Oak D, I couldnt get the buzz out and I just cracked the fipple. Sugh.
I know Feadog is a possible substitute fipple, but I dont happen to have one. I really like the Copeland-designed SweeTone fipple, I have an extra, and would love to graft this onto the Oak shaft. One obvious problem…the diameter of the Oak is much smaller than the SweeTone, so the Fipple is too large.
Any Whistlesmiths have a good suggestion on how I can modify this so I can get the SweeTone fipple on the Oak shaft, and still have the fipple tunable?
Some kind of filler tubing glued inside the SweeTone Fipple with an inner diameter close to the outer diameter of the Oak body?
I’d definitely avoid tape! That sounds sticky and messy and not airtight and tedious (though possible) to undo…
Maybe go to the hardware store and find some flexible plastic tubing that has an inside diameter that is the outside diameter of the oak; file down the outside of the tubing to accept the SweeTone head… after testing, you could superglue or epoxy the SweeTone head to the spacing tubing, apply a touch of slide grease to the oak body, and have a tuneable head of sorts.
I don’t know, the Sweettone head on an Oak doesn’t sound like a good idea. The Walton’s LBD mouthpeice fits the Oak tube quite nicely. Last time I looked The Whistle Shop had the mouthpiece by itself for $3.50 see Walton’s LBD Mouthpiece IMO the LBD mouthpiece on the Oak tube sounds more like a LBD than an Oak but it fits like a charm and that bright nickel Oak tube shouldn’t go to waste.
[edited to fix URL]
[ This Message was edited by: garycrosby on 2002-05-14 19:18 ]
I just got an Oak – probably my last foray into the world of inexpensive whistles. The only good one I’ve found is the Clare – I got a second Clare today (for my niece), and it’s even better than the first.
Although I’ve only tinkered with it for half an hour or so, it’s gone from completely unplayable to merely unpleasant. It has the buzz, and I can barely get the lower octave D. Almost no volume in the lower register on any notes, and the higher register just has so many undertones.
It’s too bad, I really had high hopes for the Oak, and feels and looks really nice. The head tastes bad and leaves my mouth numb, too.
Charlie
Oh, yeah, and the question – I agree, try to find some plastic or rubber tubing the right diameter. Someplace like a Home Depot or a K-mart with an automotive section should have it.
On 2002-05-14 19:14, garycrosby wrote:
I don’t know, the Sweettone head on an Oak doesn’t sound like a good idea. The Walton’s LBD mouthpeice fits the Oak tube quite nicely. Last time I looked The Whistle Shop had the mouthpiece by itself for $3.50 see Walton’s LBD Mouthpiece IMO the LBD mouthpiece on the Oak tube sounds more like a LBD than an Oak but it fits like a charm and that bright nickel Oak tube shouldn’t go to waste.
Thanks for the tip on the LBD, but, out of curiosity, why do youthink a SweeTone head on an Oak body isnt a good idea? Your instinct must be shared by many, since Ive never heard of anyone doing anything with a SweeTone head other than using it for copper-shafted low whistles (that was Bloody Hand, wasnt it?)
Im intrigued by the possibility of merging the reliability and windproofiness of the Copeland head with the fullness of the Oak body…but if theres a good reason not to do this, I’d like to know.
DAZED
Edited bc chas posted while I was typing.
Chas: Sorry to hear of your troubles. The Oak was my first whistle, and I really liked it, but the buzz was killing me. Maybe Im hopelessly spoiled by the SweeTone and the Copeland. Time to go to Home Depot, but I’d still like to hear if there is any solid reason why I shouldnt bother.
[ This Message was edited by: DazedinLA on 2002-05-14 19:34 ]
Hrmm… I wash my Oak out regularly with hot (tap-hot) water… I’m wondering if the ‘bad-mouthpiece-taste’ and the ‘buzz’ aren’t the results of ‘new-plastic’ problems… I certainly found that the Oak sound can deteriorate as it works towards spit-clog (though it never seems to clog completely…) and that washing it with hot water (into the open end, through the body, and out the fipple) resolves this problem greatly. Probably the soap-trick would too, but I, for one, don’t want a soapy fipple in my mouth!
Or maybe we’re all just looking for different sounds… I certainly do think that the oak has more undertones than other whistles, but that’s part of what I like about it, a slightly fuller sound, and it certainly is softer than some whistles, but louder than others… it’s also fairly easy to get the ‘in-between octaves’ noise, and notes can be blown in drastically different pitches and volumes, but I’m not ready to call that a disadvantage, especially not when I think I’m just getting the breath control to hold myself in-tune with another whistler if the headpieces are ‘close enough’. Or maybe I was just lucky this morning. I’ll keep trying anyway.
And I still love my Oak. You’re all just nay-sayers!
Ahem. Yeah, I tried every soap trick I could think of. Maybe my taste in sound has changed a bit since I started. I do know that the buzz started up after about a monnth (and Yes, Laura/Hillfolk, I did check for bees)and for me it was downhill from there.
I don’t know if that would work, since the mouthpeice on the sweetone was designed for a conical bore, and the Oak is cylindrical. I’d be worth a try though, I’d love to hear how it turned out.
Dazed,
Telegram Sam is correct and I know from experience it doesnt work..severe voicing and tuning problems is the inevitable outcome and there is no cure.Have you tried a Gen fipple? peace, Mike
Hey Dazed,
What a coincidence! Last evening I finally got the mouthpiece off my old Oak D. What a job! I inherited this whistle from (I can’t remember who) someone who liked to chew on the mouthpiece, plus the buzz was so loud that it was like playing a digereedoo. Double stops on a whistle. So when I put the mouthpeice back on after a little sanding, the roaring was unchanged and the mouthpiece cracked. I was thinking a Walton LBW mouthpiece might work? I’ll be watching this thread with interest.
Mike Burns
A while back I posted about my Sweetone fipple on a Shaw (also conical body.) Another member had suggested this operation. That combination IMO made a better whistle than either parent was.
I agree with TS that the Sweetone fipple was designed for a conical bore and that is why even if one could adjust for bore size difference, there would still be problems.
I’ve had great luck with the LBW fipples on Feadog and Clare bodies. Don’t forget the sticky tack tweak before you are done.
[ This Message was edited by: ysgwd on 2002-05-15 11:16 ]
On 2002-05-15 06:03, DazedinLA wrote:
Thanks for the confirmation, Mike. No, my local music shop doesnt carry Gens, so I cant be sure the one I buy is a “good” Gen fipple.
So the consesnus of the Collective is my best choices are Feadog MkIII, and possibly Gen and Walton?
I’ve bought two Oaks in an attempt to replace a wonderful 24 year old one I broke and both have a solvent-like taste and make my mouth numb. Washing doesn’t help. The one I mail ordered sounds awful. The one I bought in a store, after trying a dozen or more whistles to find one I liked, buzzes badly now that it is home. That was a real disappointment.
Debra
edited to remove unsubstantiated allegations
[ This Message was edited by: dth on 2002-05-21 17:41 ]
Thanks for the tip on the LBD, but, out of curiosity, why do youthink a SweeTone head on an Oak body isnt a good idea? Your instinct must be shared by many, since Ive never heard of anyone doing anything with a SweeTone head other than using it for copper-shafted low whistles (that was Bloody Hand, wasnt it?)
Sorry to get back to this thread so later - I’ve been kind of busy in some other ones
A couple of others have mentioned my concern regarding the Sweettone mouthpiece perhaps not working on a cylindrical bore.
FWIW, my Oak buzzed quite horribly (in low E and D) when I first got it because there was some flashing inside the windway (I didn’t see it at first but after close examination in good lighting I finally did). I removed it with a blade I made out of spring steel and a Dremel tool. Now the buzzing is almost gone but is noticeable if I blow too vigorously in (low E and D). I still haven’t tried the sticky tac trick which I suspect may get rid of the remaining buzz.
My Walton’s LBD mouthpiece on the Oak body does not buzz at all. It sounds very similar to a plain old LBD but I like it better because its heavy than than absurdly thin (and weak) aluminum the LBD is made from.
[ This Message was edited by: garycrosby on 2002-05-15 17:22 ]
Go ahead and try the sweetone fipple on the oak body. Just don’t do anything that isn’t easy to reverse. Use teflon tape to make it fit. It will make an airtight connection and be easy to remove if the whistle doesn’t sound good.
I took a sweetone C fipple and wrapped it in teflon tape and wedged it into a 1/2 inch pvc connector. Then I made a couple of tubes out of pvc to go with it. They sounded good. Especially, because I wound up with a low F and A for a $4 investment. (I got the sweetone for $3.60 from Elderly Instruments as it said in the bloody hands instructions.)
The funny thing is that you need good breath control. The right note is in there, but you can go 30 cents sharp or flat of each note by varying your breath.
As I mentioned above, I destroyed the mouthpiece on an Oak the other day and I was wondering what to do about it. On a whim, I pulled the MP off my LBW and shoved it on the Oak tube. To my inexperienced ears it sounds OK. I’ll know more as I live with it the next few days.
Mike Burns
Laura/Hillfolk, 