While I was in Asheville, I decided to check out some local music stores, and saw a Generation nickel D for sale, so I got one for me and one for my little brother’s first whistle. I really dont have a problem with it, I know they are whistles you either love or hate, but I kinda like it. It is a little out of tune, and the fipple was very hard to take off. It does have potential though. They don’t sell them around here where I live, so I am glad I saw one and finally got to play one. Which ones are better though, brass or nickel?
Both.
I’ve heard people argue that nickel has a brighter sound, and that brass is a touch more mellow, but the nickel & brass Gens are more alike than either is with other makes of whistle (IMHO - YMMV).
I like both. Depending on the day, I may prefer one over the other, but there’s no clear winner. Not my absolute favorite cheapie (that would be Feadog - I like the slightly huskier tone, and they seem to be more consistent out of the box), but a really good Generation is about as good a whistle as can be found. And despite their reputation for poor out-of-the box QC, I’ve never had one bad enough I couldn’t tweak it into being a pretty good player.
I also like their wider range of keys, and low cost - you can get a complete set of Gens (F, Eb, D, C, Bb) for less than $50.
I just bought one, too. I bought a Bb. The biggest one they had. They had a nice low D whistle that I really wanted, but my fingers are too short, so I thought the Bb might help me stretch them out a bit.
I’m curious, though, it seems some of the high notes (where A and B would be on the D flute) aren’t very well in tune in the Bb compared to my regular D whistle. Is that because they aren’t, or because my ears are deaf to the higher pitch of the D?
P.S. (I never noticed that this store, less than 3 miles away, has so many wind instruments. I can pretty much just walk in and buy almost any kind of whistle or flute I want. This is a terrible situation.)
Ah…the Blue fipple, Red fipple delima 
All I can tell about the two different models of Generations is that playing my 2 Bbs (one of each) is pretty much the same with the exception that the brass seems to have a touch of what I can only call reverb at the lower end. Oh…and the Blue fipples have so far had less plastic fuzz left over to trim.
If you got one and it plays, you got a good one.
If you had gotten a bad one, you wouldn’t have to wonder.
–James