I just got it in the mail from The Whistle Shop. I like the tone; I’m having to adjust my technique (such as it is) for playing it, as it takes a different approach from the D and C Clarke Originals. There are some faults in the intonation and some of the notes are wonky as I play, but I think I will eventually adjust to the whistle and get better at it. It’s untweaked, and I want to keep playing it that way until I get the hang of of it, before I meddle with the instrument.
I have two Gen Bb’s. An 80’s brass and a 90s nickel. Love them both. The brass one is something special. It did take awhile to adjust from the D. The wonkiness goes away with time. Happy whistling!
Yo. it’s a whistle. Acts like most whistles anywhere. I dunno how much Dale (chiffboard owner) makes from high-end whistle makers’ ads, but the secret truth is that there’s little or no difference between a $15 whistle and a $300 whistle. Buy a whistle and play it. Given enough effort, you will sound good. No amount of cash will reduce the effort required.
Though I’ve tried every Generation Bb I’ve come across over the last 40 years, in shops etc, hundreds of the things, I’ve never been able to buy a really good one.
I’ve heard and tried really good ones, but they were not for sale, being prized possessions of the owners.
For years I played the best of the mediocre ones I’ve acquired but it’s 2nd note, what would be E on a D whistle, was very sharp, and I had to flatten it with tape.
My hat is off to anyone lucky enough to have found a really good Generation Bb. I’ll you pay $100 for it without hesitation. (But it has to be really good. I already have a dozen mediocre ones, and I don’t need any more.)
What do I mean by intonation? It squeaks and some of the notes (the bottom Bb especially) sound thin unless I hit the hole exactly so with my finger. I have already gotten some good (to my ear) sounds out of it in the short time I’ve played it, so I have hopes that it will settle down.
Ah. If it squeaks and the bottom note doesn’t sound properly, it’s almost certainly to do with getting a good seal on all holes, including (maybe especially) those covered by the top hand. What you describe doesn’t sound like an intonation problem though. An intonation problem is one where, despite covering all holes correctly and getting a decent sound out of the notes, some of the notes are out of tune.
Yes, that’s often the case. I think that it’s not only to do with the holes being different sizes, but also the different spacing between them and the fact that, when one is concentrating on the fingers of the bottom hand, it is quite possible - even easy, at times - to forget about the seal of the fingers of the top hand, and that’s where the problem often lies. I think, anyway.
Your fingers will eventually learn where they need to be.
Just avoid the common beginner’s mistake of trying to get a good seal by using more finger-pressure.
A good seal comes from accurate placement, not a ‘death grip’ on the whistle. The grip should be very light, the hands relaxed.
“Intonation” refers to the tuning of the various notes, “timbre” refers specifically to the sound-quality. While most musicians separate these two aspects, in the Highland piping world the word “tone” refers collectively to three aspects: intonation, timbre, and volume.
I just got my freeman tweaked version of the same whistle and its a dream. I cant believe I can get this kind of sound for this little money. I dont know what he does to tweak them but its worth every penny (no punn intended).
And yes, I’ve had to switch my grip on the lower hand to a pipers grip for comfort sake. I could force myself to learn to stretch but I remember the pain of trying to do that on a guitar.
Pfreddee, sealing all of the holes can be a challenge for us newbies. I’ve found that applying a little skin moisterizing lotion to my hands before I play seems to help. This probably sounds a bit silly and may not apply to everybody. I’m an older guy with dry older guy skin, and the lotion really seems to help make for a better seal.
Tweak it or no? That 's up to you! Some say no, some say yes…Mine is a Jerry Freeman Tweaked Bb and it’s a really good whistle. I gave away a stock Gen Bb which was a really good whistle! I rate this decision a toss-up? The Generation Bb is probably the best whistle Gen currently makes. JMOP I will give ya an easy to-do tip that will fix a lot of intonation problems(not all but most)buy some 0000 steel wool then, polish the heck out of the Brass tube! I have fixed wonky notes on a few whistles by doing this simple step. Most cheap whistles have no finish work done to them at all. Hope this helps, M
