I’ve been playing a Jerrytone and just received a Generation Nickel D. The D -well, all the first octave notes sound like the breaks of a frieght train- ( flipping back and forth to the second octave? Some shrieking combination of the two octaves? I dunno).
So, I attempted to tweak it with Dave’s instrustions and ran a strip of “very fine” sandpaper through the fipple, replaced it, but the problem persists.
Is there something else causing the problem (some significant difference in the way the two whistles are played)…am I blowing too hard? Should I toy with the blade (dread and apprehension!) ?
or, do I need to play with the sandpaper some more?
Thanks.
Jack
Before going further with sanding the windcutter blade edge, I would suggest that you fill the cavity under the windway with poster putty.
The tweaked Sweetone you have shows what this looks like. On Generations, Bloomfield suggests filling the cavity not quite full and using the eraser end of a pencil to make a little hollow in the fill. I’ve had good success filling them all the way even with the end of the windway, but I haven’t tried Bloo’s technique. He’s pretty smart, so it’s worth a try.
Filling under the windway helps stabilize the whistle, and you may find that the bottom two notes are a little stronger once you’ve done that.
Then, I would go back and continue sanding the windcutter blade edge. Go slow, only sanding a little bit at a time, and carefully clean up any fuzz that the sanding leaves on the blade edge, both on top and underneath. I use an exacto knife, very gently, for this.
You will probably find that the bottom two notes get very slightly stronger each time you repeat the careful sanding. Continue until the notes are acceptable, but be careful not to overdo it.
It’s also possible that the whistle will never play those bottom notes strongly, and your tweaking will not turn out successful. One always has to be open to that possibility. However, it’s a well-proven tweak, and there’s a very good chance you’ll get exactly the result you want.
Best wishes,
Jerry
P.S. Of course, you need to make sure all the toneholes are well covered tightly. That could also cause it to squeal and flip into the upper register.
Trust Jerry Freeeman - him good juju…