A while ago I grafted a Generation D body on my Sindt head. I have now done the same with a Feadóg D brass body, thus creating a Sindóg.
If you are interested in taking a look, I posted a picture on my GenSindt page. Scroll down.
It plays very well, and it is my primary whistle at the moment. The sound of the Sindóg is a bit breathier than that of the GenSindt or the Sindt. More Generationish, I’d say. Subtle differences, though. There is a stylistically unsound clip of the new Sindóg on the webpage as well, if you’d like to get an impression of the sound.
Bloomie, your obsession with an in-tune, cross-fingered c-nat belies your (self) billing as a pure-drop traditionalist. 'Twould be much more p-dt to half hole, and even more p-dt to not care that you weren’t in tune. I’ve heard tell that some of the old timers didn’t believe in c-nat at all. They just played c sharp (even in tunes in the key of D). It’s the lift that matters, not the intonation. If you don’t believe me, ask Blocks.
I don’t know why the c-nat on the Sindt bugs me (apart from the fact that it is out of tune, I mean). :roll:
Seriously, though, if I played like Micho Russell, I’d care a fig for the c-nat. As it is, I’ll do what I can. This reminds me of a little conversation among the punters, which I overheard coming back from the restrooms the other day at the session.
Punter 1: Thank God that bloody whistler in the corner has left.
Punter 2: I fear he may be back. Such infernal, shitty playing I haven’t heard my living days.
Punter 1: I wonder they don’t kick him out.
Punter 2: But I’d have to say, his c-naturals are in tune.
Punter 1: Aye, that they were, that they were. Pretty nice c-nats.
Bloom, you amaze me. That is a great sounding whistle. I only have one Feadog and it is virtually unplayable. Now if I only had a Sindt head. Any other suggestions for a Feadog conversion? Would a SweetDog be an improvement?
Ron
The heads I’ve found most often come up well-sounding with minimal tweaking are Waltons. But they are very hit-or-miss, nonetheless. The Whistle Shop sells Waltons heads for three dollars and change.
What I’ve noticed is, if you look into the windway from the mouth end, you can check where the windcutter blade edge aligns with the windway floor. If the blade edge is very close to the same level as the windway floor (i.e., only a sliver of daylight visible through the tube under the blade edge), the whistlehead is more likely to be a good player.
I have a tweaked Walton’s mellow D that I swear is as good as many a Burke (though not the same, mind you).
If you are talking Sweetone, the head would never fit on a Feadog shaft. If you mean Sweetheart, I’ve never tried that sort of thing. I’d doubt it would fit.
If you are unhappy with your Feadog head and you don’t want to tweak it or tweaking has failed, I’d recommend a Little Black Whistle head first, or a Generation head, because they tweak up so nicely. I am not so fond of the Waltons (apart from the C perhaps). You can also by a Whitecap from Mack Hoover. Very nice and interesting, but different from Generation/Feadog/Sindt in the way they play and sound.
I am heating some water now to take the head off the Feadog. I was thinking Sweetone but I found out that it is too big for the shaft. I have a Little Black Wistle head I am going to try. If that doesn’t work I will be doing some major tweaking. I have to learn sometime. What better way to learn than on an unplayable whistle. Thanks for the advice guys,
Ron
I’ve made outstanding whistles by putting Oak D heads on Feadog and Generation tubes. Makes the best cheapie whistle around!
I too have made a “Sinderation” whistle (Sindt head, Generation body). It does sound a bit more generationy and plays C natural crossfingered, but I prefer my “Oakdog”
Now I have to agree with Bloo. I have both LBW and Hoover Whitecap heads on Feadog bodies. Both are excellent whistles. The Hooverdog is prettier sounding, but the Little Black Dog will take more pushing.
I took a tube of aluminum that somehow had the exact perfect outer diameter for my Gen Eb head and drilled holes and cut to tune. (not in that order)
It is VERY sweet sounding, but because the inside diameter is so much smaller than a regular Gen, the sound is also slightly reedy (maybe a bit buzzy, or better yet – Chiffy!)
As well, I had left over aluminum tube that was nearly the right inside diameter to go around some brass tube so I made a piccolo (in E) out of it. It has a “mouth plate” and a ring of aluminum at the bottom. Looks great when polished. (Tarnishes fast though)
Nico
PS Don’t take an Acorn Head off the body. Don’t try it. The glue comes out and the whistle head is too loose to stay on!
The Little Black Whistle is a Waltons. The only thing that makes a LBW whistlehead different from regular Waltons is that it’s black instead of green. It’s the LBW heads that The Whistle Shop sells.
I must say, I’ve seen an amazing degree of variation among the geometry of Waltons whistleheads, from ones where the windcutter blade was aligned almost all the way to the ceiling of the windway (unplayable) to ones where the windcutter blade edge was aligned all the way down even with the windway floor. However, I haven’t seen any trend that either the green ones or the black ones are more or less consistent.
Having said that, I’ll repeat what I said before, if you find a good one and put it on a tube that’s in tune with itself, it can make a terrific whistle.
In utmost seriousness: I think there is a difference between the black and the green Walton heads. I also think there is a difference between the blue and red Generation heads (and the green ones, too). There is much magic and mystery in cheap whistles. A so-so cheapo can turn into a lovely whistle if it is played a lot. A cheap whistle wants love and attention and most of all a bit of patience.
I do know that greentop Generations have a more open windway than redtops, but I haven’t compared the bluetops.
Perhaps there’s a similar difference between the black and green Waltons. I’ve more experience with C Waltons tops than D, and have found them to be pretty good, though variable. It’s a standard C top on the Mellow D whistle.
P.S. The whistles you sent arrived today. I’m putting our best people on it.
