Hi all, I got a great deal on Tony Dixon’s plastic sopranos.
I really like them. Only problem is they are weak in sound in the lower octave, and change registers too easily (also in the 2nd!).
Anyvbody knows a way to fix this?
This has been done on Shaws by narrowing the windway as I recall, but would this be feasible on a plastic whistle? 
E.
Uh…there might be ways to improve this. You might better do a search for tweaks. I don’t want to say anything and be responsible for a ruined dixon.
It’s feasible and the fact that they are plastic won’t keep you from tweaking them (I tweak Susatos). I have never tweaked a Dixon, though, so I can’t give you specific advise. Generally, dulling the blade and moving it back (meaning filing some of it off) strengthens the bottom end and weakens the top. Sharpening the blade and moving it forward (e.g. by gluing a guitar pic in place of the blade) will strengthen the top and weaken the bottom. It’s always a compromise. You might want to confirm with Jerry Freeman, I am a bit of an impulsive trial/error kind of tweaker.
Since someone has alread jumped in, I’ll jump back in. This is a tweak I’ve gleaned from reading tweaking post, mainly about Freeman tweaks.
The bottom exit of the winday. That edge can be shaved down (careful!)
to make a bevel that can help the lowwer octave. From my experience, start out small…and make sure the modifications are clean and smooth. Basically you are sort of shaving off the sharp edge.
I think there may be illistrations somewheres or other too.
Careful. You can screw up the upper octave by improving the bottom too much.
Well, OK.
I haven’t worked on any soprano Dixons, but I’ll make a couple of comments.
Bloomfield is absolutely right. I’ve done exactly this on a low D Dixon, and the result was just what I wanted: a stronger bottom end without the tendency to flip too easily into the upper regester. The upper register didn’t suffer at all from this, BTW.
The low D already has a bevelled block, so I’m less sure about the advice to bevel the corner of the block, assuming that the soprano Dixons also already have a bevelled block. I would be inclined to leave it alone unless it has a sharp corner.
You have to be extremely cautious with this. The most effective bevel is only thousandths of an inch away from taking off too much. If you take off even a tiny bit too much when bevelling the block, the bottom notes won’t play at all, and there’s no warning. As you continue to make the bevel on the block, it plays better and better, and you think, “just a tiny bit more, and it’ll be just right.” Then all of a sudden, it doesn’t play, and you have to throw the whistle away because you went too far.
If there’s already a bevel on the block, I would leave it alone and just work on the soundblade. That’s much less risky if you work slowly and carefully, doing just a little at a time and checking to see if you’re going in the desired direction, and then stopping as soon as you have an acceptable result. Also, make sure your work is very smooth and clean. No rough surfaces or edges.
Best wishes,
Jerry
I’m looking at a sop dixon. I wish I could say whether there is a bevel or not, but I can’t be 100% sure there isn’t one. If it is there it is very slight.
It’s hard to say. I have my contacts in, which makes me a bit far sited, and don’t have my reading glasses with me.
I suppose I’m from a different school of thought, when it comes to Susato and Dixon I am not sure these whistles can be improved much through tweaking.
I would tend to look at playing technique to solve these issues rather than at the whistle itself.
–James
Peeplj,
I definitely see your point and have recognized that some of the problems involved can be helped by applying appropriate technique. But the low d (and e) are so weak that it can take but a faint fart from 100 yards before breaking…
It’'s the darndest thing, these whistles are so sweet and smooth, it’s just that while playing with others; more power is needed. Yes, I know about electrical amplification; but some direct sound for your own part is also nice 
Jerry,
when you say “the block”, I suppose you mean the thingy partly blocking the windway before the edge? As in “block” flute? Is there an “anatomy of whistles” available somehwere…? 
Also, I have a Dixon low D. Would you care to describe little more detailed your tweaks for this? I hardly use it any longer…
Thanks!
Eivind