…and can encourage everyone who owns one: fill the gap under the windway in the mouthpiece with wax (or blu-tack or whatever). It improves the 2nd octave and overall playability so much.
I created a rough surface on the wax, so I still have this Generation-like, windy sound, but a wonderful playable whistle up to 3rd 8ve Bb without getting shrill. I’m so impressed of that cheap thingie…wohoo.
Bb Generations are the most inconsistant whistleheads I’ve encountered. It’s not unusual to find one that won’t tweak acceptably without a fairly extensive overhaul that goes beyond what most people would be equipped to do, but on the other hand, there are many that will respond very well to the tweaks you’ve mentioned.
I got myself one for Christmas (along with others) and found it to be a good one. All I did was slightly buff the edge, it did’nt even need tuning. I may add some sticky tack if it will help the range.
i have a gen Bb nickle that used to be my worst whistle until i slightly sanded the wind blade in the mouthpiece. it’s now among my 1st class whistles (the best is a doolin-feadog mutant)
I was given a Gen red head brass that I won’t tweak - it’s just too good, and i don’t want to mess it up. It’s at least 15 years old, so maybe that makes a difference.
My 2nd fave Bb is a Gen nickel, but on that one I’ve done the blade, fun-tak, and reworked about half the tone holes with the help of a strobotuner. It now holds its own on loud stages, plays as high into the third octave as I dare, and and the intonation is great, but it doesn’t really sound like a Gen anymore.
Bought a Gen Bb nickel last month which did not play well (dunno why I didn’t notice in the shop). Bought a whitecap from Mack Hoover and things are just fine now.
My gen Bb got twaeked by my 4-year-old in a sword fight with a chair.
One day he got my whole Gen collection and learned that some fit inside the others, and even better, if filled with crayons, they tend to stay inside. This prompted me to apply the tuning tweak to the lot. The Bb now has a series of dings up one side from the top hole to the mouthpiece: the notes are changed some better, some worse - I think it’s time to fill the fipple-gap (are there any new inovations in that area?).
Well Mitch the only new thing for the Fipple filling is what I do. I have some black foam which probably came in a computer box, all I know is I found it in my basement, which I use to fill the windway. It kind of give the Whistle the more complex tone which can sometimes be taken away with the wax/blue tak tweak.