I am a beginner in the whistle world and have already bought a Generation “D” whistle (before I knew about their quality control issues) a week or so ago. Not sure if mine is a good one or bad one yet but hopefully I got lucky Only time will tell … unless I get another whistle to compare with it.
This leads me to my question. I have a choice of buying one of the following (all “D”) and would like to know which one would be better suited for me for now:
Feadog
Oak
Acorn
Clarke Sweetone
I was originally thinking of ordering a Clarke Sweetone but the guy at the music store told me they are not as strong (thinner metal with seam) and may have durability issues than other whistles. That made me think twice.
It’s all about the sweetone. Can’t go wrong with it. They’re all thin metal, so it’s not like they’re concrete, but they’ll all last you twenty years if you don’t sit down with them in your back pocket.
On 2001-11-29 12:34, rich wrote:
It’s all about the sweetone. Can’t go wrong with it. They’re all thin metal, so it’s not like they’re concrete, but they’ll all last you twenty years if you don’t sit down with them in your back pocket. >
I’ve busted 3 sweetones over the last 6 years or so in exactly this way…but I still think they’re the superior-sounding instrument of the 4 mentioned (and I own at least one of each of them). Even owning a thin weasel I adore, and a pvc silkstone that’s a close second, there are days (like today!) where I just feel like carrying the sweetone and playing it. No other inexpensive whistle in my whistle drawer has that kind of draw for me.
Point of note, if you don’t sit on them or otherwise subject them to extreme stresses, they should have no ‘durability’ issues. My black sweetone has held up for the last 2 years, and I haven’t played any dents into it yet.
[ This Message was edited by: Wandering_Whistler on 2001-11-29 12:46 ]
Yup, I love my Sweetone! It is super-easy to play and it sounds great (except the high B which is a wee bit sharp) - it is an especially good instrument for the beginner because it was designed for children. Also, Clarke’s quality control is pretty good so chances are you won’t get a “dud” like you might with a number of other beginner-level brands. As far as it being thinner and less durable is concerned I don’t see it as a real issue - IMO they are much tougher than they look. The only way you are going to break it is if you don’t take care of it (like sitting down with it in your back pocket or getting it stuck in a closing door or using it as a prybar or user it for “light sabre fights”). Besides, a Sweetone is so inexpensive that if you break it in a year or two just takes some pop cans back for a refund and buy another one for a paltry $8.
I personally like the sound of a thin-walled instrument. Get what sounds best to you, then don’t throw/drop/sit on/abuse it more than is absolutely necessary.
And if YOUR Generation sounds reasonably good, who cares about the manufacturing?
Mo, if there is anything I can offer, its the knowledge that if you’re playing a whistle, and LIKE playing the whistle, you won’t stop at two or three of 'em. Get the one that sounds and plays best to you now. In a few weeks or months, try a different one. In this fashion I have acquired a few D’s, some of which I would happily give away to the next kid who says ‘ooooh whats THAT?’, one that I keep as a spare in my purse, one on the kitchen table for the odd spare moment (and if the macaw permanently mangles it, what the heck) and my ‘good whistle’ that I do my serious practicing and all my ‘public’ playing on.
BTW, welcome to the board and the wonderful world of whistling. . .hey, is that what the www in front of chiffandfipple.com stands for?
What a great response … and quick too. I did already read the 2 theories thread. I have a friend who can whistle pretty good so I am going to get him to checkout my Generation. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good one.
As far as my next whistle though … sounds like the Sweetone is the winner. That was my first pick (thanks Dale). As long as I am careful not to sit on it I suppose I won’t have any trouble
I think the dude at the music store has his favourites and the Sweetone isn’t one of them. They do not even keep them in stock. I will look around town to see if someone else has them in stock. If not I’ll just order one and go for it.
Mo, Hope on the ferry to Bar Harbor. It drops you off almost on the doorstep of Song of the Sea! visit them at http://www.songsea.com and look at their selection. I don’t get a kickback from them, but geez, I do spend a hunk of cash there every time I visit. You would think they’d drop a freebie on me every once in a while .
Thanks for the recommendation. I would sooner drive there than take the ferry anyway. My in-laws live in Fredericton, New Brunswick which is only an hour or so away from the Maine border. Never know … may find my way down there someday
Yet another vote for the Sweetone. My four-year-old plays them occasionally, and even with his sometimes careless touch, they’re holding up fine.
My first whistle was a Clarke original, and I love the chiffy sound. They require some air, but being a flute player, this was no problem for me. If it is for you, the Whistle Shop (www.thewhistleshop.com) has a tweaked Clarke that supposedly makes this easier, and the customer service is wonderful.
You’ll be buying way more than one whistle anyhow since you’ll soon be coming down with WHOA. You’ll eventually have all those on your list, plus a couple of low whistles, plus maybe a Burke or a Copeland or. . . OK, must focus now. Anyhow, welcome to this board and a wonderful hobby.
[ This Message was edited by: cj on 2001-11-29 14:08 ]
Yes, look around for a Sweetone - if I can find a shop in Saskatoon that sells them they must be available in Halifax where celtic music is much more popular. Best of luck!
Not being contrary for the sake of it this time I personally think the sweettones are horrible yokes that sound like they look: like cheap toys. Feadog is not nice at all either. Nothing wrong with a generation or an oak (if you get a half decent one and more often than not you do)
The only decent Generation I have is my Bb. But the other 10+ are good for nothing except irritating the dogs in the neighborhood! I wish I could find a decent C and D Gen. because I know they CAN make a decent one, apparently they just choose not to most of the time–who knows? If only they were all like the Bb model . . . If y’all hear of a good batch of Gen Ds and Cs, let me know!
I have a choice of buying one of the following (all “D”) and would like to know which one would be better suited for me for now…
You know, this is the kind of question that is really impossible to answer. Everyone has answered by telling you what they like. But that is not what you asked.
Opinions differ. (Everyone likes Sweetones. Except Peter. And me.) Whether our choices will suit you, the Lord only knows. And even if they did, the variability of cheap whistles being what it is, you might get one that the person who recommended it to you wouldn’t even like.
Why not ask your friend if your Generation is any good. If it is, learn to play it. Then, when you can play a bit, go and try out other whistles and decide for yourself. If it’s not any good, ask him or her to choose one for you. It’s not as if we’re talking a huge investment here…
And since you have a Generation, do yourself the favour of removing the head (soak it in hot water to loosen the glue) and reposition it a little further back, so that it is not sharp (which they all are from the factory). Often this small step improves the tone considerably, as well as the tuning.
I have had my brass Generation for about 7 years now, and i’m so happy with it that I’ve never really felt the desire for a different whistle. Nobody else seems to feel this way, but i think that the best way to buy generations is to ask the shop assistant to bring out a tray full and find the best one - a beginner could get a whistling friend to do this for them. By the way, personally I hate sweetones.
Jo.
Sweettone is a great whislte to start with. It wasn’t the whistle I started with, I started with a walton’s. when I found I couldn’t play both my walton’s and my expensive Sweet rosewood whistle(the two instruments play very differently), “Song of the Sea” recommended a sweettone. It’s nice, a little bit of resistance and not too loud. You can drool all you want and not ruin it. I’ve had mine for years and it’s as good as new. Once you can play a sweettone, you can play other whistles easily.
But you’re going to find that you simply can’t own one whistle . . . and that’s an issue that EVERYONE deals with in this group. If you find the urge to buy another one (because you REALLY like to play), then I recommend Tony Dixon. It’s not too expensive, either, but feels sturdy and sounds great. I now wish I hadn’t bought the Sweet whistle, I don’t like the way it plays, now that I’ve played others.
Only time will tell … unless I get another whistle to compare with it.