It seems as though I heard they are to come out this Jan. Anyone have any news on this? My 1978 Gen C is self destructing 
Thanks, Tansy
BUMP
It might have been Dale who mentionsd it some months ago.
I remember hearing about it a few months ago; but nothing since. I think it was Dale who mentioned it.
[ Zombie alert. - Mod ]
Yes - sometime back Dale mentioned something vague about news regarding Generation whistles. Still wondering what that was about. Dale ?
I think I posted in early 2007 along these lines:
I have learned the following about Generation whistles.
Barnes and Mullins is no longer making the Generation whistles. They are now being made by what I gather to be a new company, Generation Music.
A well known whistle-maker is working with the new Generation makers on some re-design work. These design changes, about which I do not know details, have been implemented in the Bb instrument.
Over the next year or so, their other keys will be evaluated and re-designed.
I learned this from the very well-known whistle maker, who I’m not going to name.
I don’t know what happened and had forgotten about this.
I’ll see if I can find out.
Dale
My (ancient and battered) brass “Eb” red-top has a slightly different design head to my “new a couple of weeks ago” brass red-top “D”. The “bump” on the ramp in the window is more pronounced on the newer whistle, the bevel on the window-end of the ramp seems slightly different and the overall shape of the mouthpiece has been slightly modified.
The F and G whistles appear to have an “old-style” bump, the Bb, C and D have “new-style” bumps, the C being possibly not quite as pronounced as the others. All have slightly re-designed mouthpieces.
My “ear” isn’t refined anough to tell if there’s any audible difference, let alone improvement … YMMV
Hope this helps 
How ancient is ancient? Does your Eb have the crease and dimple?
The changeover from crease-and-dimple (call it Mark 1) to non-crease and non-dimple (Mark 2) around 1985 also involved enlarging the bump. So if your ancient Eb is a Mark 1, the changes you’re describing happened a long time ago.
I have a Mark 2 head from immediately after the changeover, and another from around 3 years ago. And except for color they look basically identical to me. I don’t have a brand new head to compare to.
How ancient is ancient? Does your Eb have the crease and dimple?
… not sure about the “dimple”, but the mouthpiece itself has a noticeable “ridge” (crease?) top and bottom. It’s almost certainly pre-1985, possibly pre-1975, I certainly don’t remember buying it … it’s “always been there” in the cupboard, probably from some long-forgotten “folky-experimental” thing that never came to anything. The red plastic has faded to a dark pink and the label has mostly worn off (that caused problems when I picked it up again last year … I thought it was a “D” and couldn’t figure out why I was so far out of tune!)
Sorry if my posting was irrelevant to the original thread
No, not irrelevant at all. But you do have a Mark 1 with the Ridge/crease. And if you look at the underside, you should see the dimple on the bulge just below the windway.
The comparison we’d need is between a Mark 2 from between 1985 and 2007, and a brand new Gen. But based on your description of your “new a couple of weeks ago” Gens, it doesn’t sound like there have been any major changes. Jerry Freeman would know, since he’s been tweaking Gens since before 2007, and he hasn’t mentioned any design changes to me.
Of course, we ought to be able to just ask the Generation folks. If anyone knew how to contact them on Mars, or in their Bat Cave, or wherever they are … 
Generation Music are here http://www.generationmusic.co.uk/ and they do answer e-mails. I asked them only a few days ago if there were any differences between the green-top “Folk Whistle” and the standard red-top Generation … there isn’t, apart from the colour
All Generation whistles are being made with the same tooling that has been used since the changeover in the early 1980’s.
Best wishes,
Jerry
OK, thanks guys. And thanks Kypfer for the link. So there was just a change of name from Barnes & Mullins; everything else is the same: same location, same people, same range of products. The flageolet description does say “improved pattern”. Hmmm.
It’s good that they’re answering mails, and I’ll write. The problem isn’t just access, it’s institutional memory. I know someone who visited Generation HQ in Oswestry, and couldn’t find anyone to speak to who was even aware that they make whistles (if I have the story straight). 
I like this thread! 
www.tuxedomusic.com
I’ve just followed the link to the Generation Music website. Blimey! They make Hidersine, AB and W.E. Hill rosins. I would never have thought that the people who make Generation whistles would make some of the most widely known rosins as well.
Not far from me! 
Haven’t been there for ages. I’m sure I’ve previously recounted on C&F my experience with Barnes & Mullins back in the 1990s, though. I wonder if their attitudes have changed at all with the 2006 company shift… probably not, given the continuity of directors and staff! I see B&M are still at the same address, too.
Well, it was your visit I was alluding to above, which you recounted to me privately. I’m not sure you’ve posted it publicly, or if it’s a good idea to do so.
It’s curious that as a jobber (which is what they are), B&M don’t carry the full line of Generation Music products.
Well, at least now anyone who might want to do so (e.g. victims of my satisfied piccolo customers?) now has coordinates for delivering ICBPBs directly onto my head…