Last Friday, I got a Clare two-piece brass whistle from the Whistle Shop. After getting used to it for a few days, it’s now my favoriite whistle! I still like my Oak and Dixon, but this whistle just sounds more like what I want a whistle to sound like. It also seems a little sweeter on the highest notes.
I haven’t tried a Generation yet. Is the Clare whistle pretty comparable in tone to a Generation?
Thanks,
Bob
I have all the whistles mentioned and what I can say is that I like the Clare (although I ruined it while tweaking it I sanded the fipple a little too much) but I like Dixons more my favorite low priced would have to be a Clark Sweetone. Ok now on to the Generation stuff generations now suck! The quality is absolutly horrible that is now I have heard in the past they were better but they need lots of tweaking and the Clare is better the sound is only slightly different (although I like the sound of a good Generation more, but I like Dixons the most that is my preference) you should save your $10 or whatever and buy something else maybe another Clare or try a Clark Sweetone I doubt you will be disapointed. 
Yeah, I find the tone somewhat similar to a Gen.
Few weeks ago, I’d have happily GIVEN mine away - then I got it back from Mack with it’s brand new Whitecap. Now I totally love it. That harsh tone is utterly tamed. Sweet, clear and responsive. It even sounds good with ME playing it.
I have a one piece Clare. The sound is pretty similar to a Generation, though with less roughness to it, which I enjoy. I do hate trying to describe sound!!!
I certainly have no wish to tweak the Clare. It’s the best cheap whistle I own, and sounds nicer than my untweaked Generations, particularly on the high notes.
Don’t let my comments put you off trying a Gen, though. they are a pleasure to play, and the Freeman tweaked Gen is a very nice instrument.
Best, Adrian
My Clare 2 piece has a very sweet tone to it. But it does take a few minutes of getting reaquainted with each time I take it out, as I usually play my Chieftain and Dixon, and compared to those the Clare feels extremely thin and delicate. I’m also afraid to break it down into two pieces (although that’s why I bought it) for fear the joint will get wobbly. I like the Clare better than Waltons or Generations (except for the superb Gen Bb).
Interesting thoughts. See after about five years of doing this whole whistle thing I think that Clarke Sweetones and Dixons are some of the worst as far as quality control and tone (respectively) of any whistle out there. In fact, I’d go so far as to say the Sweetone is one of the worst sounding, raspy, screechy, plasticy sounding things I’ve ever played - and I’ve played quite a few of them.
Generations are also not all bad now - though it does seem to be the general consensus that they were better more of the time way back when. Still, it’s not difficult to find a good one and with just a touch of tweaking they can be easily made great.
Guess it’s all relative.
Guess it’s all opinion
waitingame
Yeah, I like playing my Clare whistle more than my Generation…the Clare is more crisp, and the Generation is more rough and a tad bit more hollow sounding it seems.
I have a one-piece Clare that I don’t care much for. It might just be this particular whistle, but I find it squeaks a bit too much. I generally play a Feadog or an unpainted brass Acorn (which, honestly, I like alot better than my Oaks) when I’m after a cheap whistle.
Edit: Both of my Gen Ds are garbage. The other keys are nice (I lost my Gen F which I absolutely loved), but the Ds I have have issues.
My Clare whistle squeaked a lot when I first played it, but now it has a lovely sound…maybe it needed to be broken in!