Recently, I got an order from a gentleman in Afghanistan who had been carrying a couple of my whistles with him for several years.
It seems he’d gotten transferred to an impossibly remote outpost, and his gear got misplaced. It was easier to order new whistles than to get his old ones back.
That got me thinking, there should be a Freeman tweaked whistle that fits in a pocket.
They are available now, for $36.50, plus $6.00 postage anywhere in the world = $42.50 total.
As usual, for http://www.paypal.com, use the email address, jerry thesymbolfor"at" tcenet “dot” net. (Of course, remove the spaces and substitute the actual symbols instead of what’s spelled out.)
If you want to send a check or money order, send me a PM, and I’ve give you my mailing address.
Jerry,
Nice idea for a compact whistle. Are you offering them in several keys of primarily in high D?
Glad to hear the lad serving in Afghanistan was reunited with some whistles.
Hey Jerry,
Nice idea on the two piece A and low G, the more compact length will make them a bit easier to carry about without hauling a complete whistle roll around. They would probably fit in the glove compartment of one’s car. I rarely go anywhere in my vehicle without having a few Freeman Tweaks readily at reach in my glove compartment Though I never drive and whistle at the same time.
Oh boy, and here I thought I would be good for awhile, after placing a 2nd order with you. I have been reading about these 2-piece Clares and they look like a lot of fun, but I didn’t know where to order one. I am sure I’ll be adding this to my “future whistles” list.
Steve,
Gotta read between the lines lad. Lynn just sent me a PM prior to my post here, describing all of her recent whistle aquisitions to me. The girl is definitely smitten fer whistles.
The Clare two-piece has long been one of my favorite whistles, and I hope Jerry’s tweak makes it more popular, so the Clare people will keep offering it.
I came up with a great travel case for these whistles. Look online for an eelskin (that’s a kind of soft leather) eyeglasses case, the kind that opens on one of the narrow ends. It’ll cost you between U.S. $10 and $20. Sew it down the middle, giving it two long, narrow pockets instead of one wider one. Put half of the whistle in each pocket. That’s all there is to it. (Nothing special about eelskin, although it is softer and easier to poke a needle through than some leathers. I just happened to have an eelskin eyeglasses case lying around. Other leather or fabric would work just as well.)
The joint in the whistle can get looser after long use. Use of cork grease may prevent that from happening. But if it does, a little teflon plumber’s tape fixes it.
It came today…much needed after spending the past 24 hours in the ICU with my son. Only able to play it for 15-20 minutes while at home for a bit, but it’s simply lovely…my new favorite whistle. I love the tone, love that it breaks down in 2 pieces, and Jerry’s tweaks make this one heck of a whistle. Soon to come, another Jayhawk whistle sale as I sell off whistle I don’t play as much these days (which is most of them…I’m still primarily a flute guy, but EVERYONE needs a whistle, or three, but more than that is greedy for a flute player).
I have a “regular” non-tweaked 2-piece Clare which I got very cheaply from a sale. I like it a lot. How is the intonation on your tweaked variant? Nat. C on mine is a “4-finger job”, as I think Tony Hinnigan calls it.
Four fingers, half holed LH one, or my preferred two fingers (with just slightly less breath) all work fine. I think the note is more in tune than on untweaked clares I have played in the past.
I have a Clare two piece. I love the portability of it, seems just the right size to me. It fits in my pocket when I want to have a hidden
whistle on me and I can store it in the compartment of my guitar case when I am not using it.
Only one word can describe a tweaked Clare two-piece, AWESOME!
I should practice guitar now. Hey a whistle…
As I’m getting to know this whistle better, what stands out is that it has a velvety timbre, somewhat like the Mark I Feadogs. I believe that comes through in the clips. And I think it may be a little less loud than a typical D whistle.
I have been reading about these 2-piece Clares and they look like a lot of fun, but I didn’t know where to order one. I am sure I’ll be adding this to my “future whistles” list.
Full bore WHOAD is at yer heels. 
