Sorry to so blatantly call attention to myself, but I’d really appreciate some honest opinions from any of you willing to critique my whistle.
This is not intended to be a commercial post because I am not officially taking orders just yet.
I won’t mention prices or otherwise solicit sales on this message board until I have cleared it in advance with Dale and Rich… and I promise not to be obnoxious about it when I do! 
Right now I’m just interested in getting some feedback to see where I stand in the opinions of the members of this forum… unlike some whistle makers, I value the opinions expressed here. 
Some of you have already heard the tunes I’ve submitted to Clips & Snips over the last couple of months that I played with my prototype copper heads on brass Feadóg D tubes.
The comments I’ve received thus far have been very positive and encouraging, and I have continued to refine both my design and my production methods until I am now satisfied that I cannot make any further improvements upon what I’m currently doing.
Besides the three tunes played on earlier prototypes, I’ve submitted “The Lakes of Ponchartrain” played with a non-prototype head on a brass Feadóg D tube.
The recording is completely unedited, so it should be a very accurate representation of the sound of my whistles.
My question is (as the subject of this post indicates) - is it good enough?
I do have the ability to voice them somewhat differently, but the voicing you’ll hear in the recording is my personal preference.
I’m afraid that I can’t be unbiased in my judgement, so I’m asking you… and I won’t get angry and/or defensive if someone speaks unfavorably.
Honest opinions are what I’m after… even if it means “back to the old drawing board”. 
Thanks in advance to those who take the time to participate in this survey.
Hi, Gary.
Here’s the link.
http://www.tinwhistletunes.com/clipssnip/slowairs.html
That sounds great! It has a somewhat cutting, confident sound (I believe characteristic of a Feadog tube), that sounds to me like it would go well with other instruments or played from a stage where it would need that little bit of edge to sing out or sing through the accompaniment. Outstanding balance of voicing between registers. Excellent purity and cleanness of voice, maintaining an authentic tinwhistle sound.
It definitely has its own identity and its own integrity. Sounds like a whistle that could quickly get on numerous Whoa lists.
And beautifully played, I should add.
Best wishes,
Jerry
P.S. It was nice to hear from you today.
Edit: I like John’s description below – “really solid but still maintains a nice mellow sound.” I think we’re talking about the same qualities in different words.
Edit again: I’m trying to get this right. I can’t evaluate the relative loudness of this whistle compared to others, but I believe what I hear is an instrument that’s voiced to be as close to ideal as possible to be a professional quality, performance instrument. That’s my subjective impression. Gary, you can clarify or correct if needed.
[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-02-16 21:06 ]
I think it sounds great! It’s really solid,but it still maintains a nice “mellow tone” to it. The second octave is clear and precise too from what the recording sounds like.
Take care,
John
I like the over all sound. Mostly pure but with a touch of chiff in the higher register. To me it really evokes the “Irish” quality that first drew me to the whistle. I did notice in “Inisheer” a little more of a breath hiss than I like, but that could have been the recording. Just my opinion.
Frank
That is a nice sounding whistle. I made a copper whistle, once, and it sounds exactly like yours. I just never got around to gluing everything into place.
Let me guess. You have a larger diameter copper tube placed over a smaller one with a fipple plug that fits perfectly inside the smaller tube. In other words, you didn’t have to shape the fipple plug, so the airway is rounded. That’s how I did mine, modeled after Dave Parkhurst’s new style whistle.
Oh, and as for the song that you played, I have to say that you did a superb job of playing and interpreting. I love that song, but have forgotten about it. Thanks for bringing it back!
JP
I like it!
Redwolf
Very nice tone Gary, I think you’re correct in that you have it where you want it. I wouldn’t change a thing! 
Hey Gary, what a NICE sound! I really like that. When you begin selling will it be mouthpieces only? I really like the sound, great job!
Thanks for sharing it with us.
I pulled out the old digital camera this evening and had another go at trying to get a decent photo of my whistle heads.
Since several people have requested it, here’s the best photo I was able to take:
Those are Generation D heads beside them for size comparison.
Since good quality tubes can be purchased much more cheaply than I could make them, I’ll not bother with them… but I will give the option of including a factory made tube for a few dollars more when I begin taking orders.
And for those who asked me about possibly giving them a more traditional tone, yes I can give them a bit more edge by sharpening the blades… although I prefer them blunted like Burkes.
Thanks again for the comments… I’m glad everyone seems to approve of the current design.
Gary,
What material is the fipple?
Best wishes,
Jerry
P.S. I described what I thought I heard in my first post in this string. I would be curious to hear from you how you would describe the sound, what you’re trying to accomplish with it, and what those who’ve listened to it in person have said. Perhaps my impressions were right on the money, or maybe my ears are full of sand. Either way, I would be interested to get more of a sampling of others’ impressions, including yours.
Gary, I like the sound alot. One question about the pictures. Does your fipple fit INSIDE the tube? It looks like it must because the diameter is so much smaller than that of the other heads. Nice work!
John Mac
On 2003-02-18 21:30, Jerry Freeman wrote:
Gary,What material is the fipple?
Best wishes,
JerryP.S. I described what I thought I heard in my first post in this string. I would be curious to hear from you how you would describe the sound, what you’re trying to accomplish with it, and what those who’ve listened to it in person have said. Perhaps my impressions were right on the money, or maybe my ears are full of sand. Either way, I would be interested to get more of a sampling of others’ impressions, including yours.
The fipple plugs are made of cast polyester resin… it’s easy to work with, and it keeps me from having to buy a lathe.
I think you described the tone as well as I could, but I’ll try and describe what I intended when I started making my own heads.
I wanted the mellow tone and balanced octaves of a Burke combined with the brightness and responsiveness of a Sindt.
I also wanted fairly low breath requirements and moderate back pressure.
Also throw in the ability to switch tubes without having to make any modifications to anything, which allows for a good degree of variation in the tone since different materials produce a different sound.
Also bear in mind that I can customize the voicing on request for those who prefer more of an edge to the tone or more chiffiness.
I can also compensate for agressive players who are used to Overtons, or those who prefer the demanding breath control of an O’Briain ‘Improved’ whistle.
Suffice to say that all of my whistles won’t sound the same because of these possible variations, but I think that’s probably for the better as long as it’s not mistaken for inconsistancy in craftsmanship.
On 2003-02-18 22:13, goesto11 wrote:
Does your fipple fit INSIDE the tube? It looks like it must because the diameter is so much smaller than that of the other heads.
It fits snugly outside the tube like a regular head.
The copper where the tube inserts is less than half the thickness of the plastic on a Generation head… that’s what makes it look deceiving in the photo.
I think the shadows against the black background also contribute to the illusion… I knew I should have taken the comparison photo with tubes inserted into the heads!
Regards,
Gary Humphrey
Bainne na mbó 's na ngamhna, and the juice of the barley for me. </MARQUEE](http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/guin.gif></MARQUEE)>
[ This Message was edited by: raindog1970 on 2003-02-18 22:58 ]
Gary, I have a question about the polyester resin fipples.
In your experience, has it completely gassed off by the time the whistles are ready to use? (That is the term, by the way. No wisecracks, please.)
Polyester resin can become quite neutral when it’s well cured and aired out, but can be rather smelly when new. Think auto body filler smell. Plastic soda bottles are made of it too, and they’re very neutral, so it’s not strictly a “good” or “bad” material.
If there does tend to be a transient, residual smell during the offgassing period, you may want to cast your fipple material as long in advance of assembling the parts as possible so they can air out before folks start aireing them out.
Best wishes,
Jerry
On 2003-02-19 14:19, Jerry Freeman wrote:
Gary, I have a question about the polyester resin fipples.In your experience, has it completely gassed off by the time the whistles are ready to use?
I do all the resin molding outside whenever I can, and in a well ventilated area inside when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
The stuff is quite foul smelling and toxic until cured, but I’ve never had any trouble with smell or taste after they cure for a few hours.
Pure polyester resin with no added filler is what I use… automotive body filler never loses the smell, so I suspect it never fully cures and would remain toxic.
I’m certain that my polyester resin fipple plugs are much less of a health concern than the lip-numbing Oak mouthpieces… those things really worry me!
Hi, Gary.
I was office manager in a medical practice that specialized in environmental health issues and have hired myself out as a “healthy house” consultant.
Once the smell is gone from the polyester resin, I wouldn’t be worried about toxicity unless you get reports from people who are bothered by it. If only one or two people find it problematic, I wouldn’t be too concerned, because some people may have a sensitivity to almost any material. If it keeps coming up, which I don’t expect, then you would have to reexamine the material. Again, this isn’t something I would expect to see unless you ship a bunch of them before they’ve completely aired out.
Although there may be some residue that could remain for a more extended period, most everything that we encounter (including broccoli, the smell of pine, the normal contents of our intestines, etc.) has some toxic component. We’re designed to detoxify these all in good stride, as long as the total load is within reasonable limits. What’s left over in a well-seasoned polyester resin fipple plug doesn’t worry me, and I’m among those who tend to be quite sensitive to plastics. My bathtub’s made of the stuff.
Best wishes,
Jerry
[ This Message was edited by: Jerry Freeman on 2003-02-19 16:14 ]
Every time I scroll down the forum index, I think for a second that this thread is titled, “Onions Wanted”