Well, I just ordered a complete set (6) of Generations form the whistle shop (25 bucks, not bad). I have heard some pretty bad things about Generations, but I have never dealt with one before to form my own opinions.
I would like to have an idea of what to expect and what tweaks I might need to do to have some good whistles. So, pipe up Generation owners, here is a chance to state your opinion. I might learn something too.
You may find that more than half will be out of tune and need to be tweeked. You could of bought a nice tuneable Dixon D for 25 clams at the whistleshop online. But who knows you may get lucky and half are out of tune. Check out this site on how to tweek/fix any that may be out of tune.Good luck
If you search the message board for “Generation” and “Tweaks” you will find a lot of information on the subject.
I have a Generation C that was out of tune a bit and had a poor octave transition, poor low C, etc. The bottom line fix was; I cut a new blade out of a guitar pick and now it’s my favorite. Well, favorite for tone, that is. 
Many prefer the nickle Generations. Which did you order, brass or nickle?
Gary
Yr Wyddgrug
I got the brass set. Being that I prefer a mellow sound and the look of used brass.
How did you stick the new blade to the plastic fipple? The plastic used in fipples is usually not the kind that takes glue well.
As for getting a Dixon, I already have a Dixon low D. What I was looking for was some inexpensive whistles that covered more keys than just D or C. Some beater whistles that I can play and play with.
I got a set like that. Out of them, the F and Eb are good, the D and G are playable, the Bb could probably be saved if I bothered to tweak it, and the C is a peice of junk.
I have two Generation Eb’s (BTW, can anyone tell me how to get a flat symbol, from my computer keyboard, other than by typing a lowercase “b”?) and one F. The F and one of the Eb’s are brass, the other is nickel. I’ve been well-pleased with all of them…they have a clean, sweet tone, without a lot of breathiness. I must admit that I rarely get a chance to play with other people, so tuning isn’t all that important to me so long as the whistle is internally consistent (which all of these appear to be). If my piano’s tuning is to be trusted, the Eb’s are just a tiny bit flat.
I’ve not tried Generations in any of the other keys, but based on my experience with these three, I wouldn’t hesitate to try one. Judging by what I’ve read, however, I might be more cautious if I were looking for a whistle (or set of whistles) to play with other instruments.
Redwolf
All I can say is THIS</a](http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Cafe/2109/mygenera.mid">THIS</a)>
Sorry, link’s dead. It was a lame joke anyway!
Never trust a fat vegetarian
[ This Message was edited by: fatveg on 2002-06-01 14:09 ]
[ This Message was edited by: fatveg on 2002-06-01 14:09 ]
I ordered a set of the nickle Generations some time back from the Whistle Shop and questioned Thom beforehand as to whether or not I could return any of the bad ones for replacement. He told me I was stuck with the bad ones just as he was stuck with them. (Seems like a bad premise upon which to base a sale…) Anyway, I received 6 very nice, in tune whistles a few days later. From hearing everyone else talk I definitely don’t think that was normal! The whistle fairy (or Thom) was looking out for me that day!!
How did you stick the new blade to the plastic fipple? The plastic used in fipples is usually not the kind that takes glue well.
First, I roughed out a new blade using a medium guitar pick. This measured 11/32 X 5/8 of an inch. I positioned it using sticky tack, until I liked the sound. Next, I tacked it on the edges with super glue. After this dried, I removed the sticky tack and ground it down with a hobby knife. The finished blade is roughly 11/32 wide by 7/32 deep and sits at about 45 degrees, relative to the window.
My Gen C sounds very flute like, with lots of second harmonic and low wind requirements.
Gary
[ This Message was edited by: Gary on 2002-06-01 17:10 ]
I added a plastic ring inside the end of my brass b-flat gen. It closed the opening to about 3/8 of an inch. I like both the sound and the increased back pressure.
I took a cone shaped wire nut from my junk jar and inserted it in the end. I cut off the excess and took it out. Then I cut about a 1/8 inch slice to make the ring.
On 2002-06-01 00:16, John Allison wrote:
I ordered a set of the nickle Generations some time back from the Whistle Shop and questioned Thom beforehand as to whether or not I could return any of the bad ones for replacement. He told me I was stuck with the bad ones just as he was stuck with them. (Seems like a bad premise upon which to base a sale…) Anyway, I received 6 very nice, in tune whistles a few days later. From hearing everyone else talk I definitely don’t think that was normal! The whistle fairy (or Thom) was looking out for me that day!!
Hmmm - I don’t remember ever telling anyone that they’re “stuck” with a whistle that they’re not happy with. I will always* take back a whistle for exchange or refund - what I can’t do is go through whistles to pick out “the best” ones for someone (even as replacements). This is the best way that I can think of to keep a level playing field for everyone - otherwise someone else would have to end up with the “leftovers”.
As whistle players, we have to rely on whistle makers to make good, consistent whistles. If this doesn't happen, we simply shouldn't purchase their instruments. As with anything, being an informed consumer before making a purchase is the safest bet.
[ This Message was edited by: thomlarson on 2002-06-03 11:51 ]
