::topic:: ^
Cheers and school,
Armand
Oak.
Feadóg.
nothing is like a good nickel generation Eb, now if I could just find a good nickel D…without the tweaking method.
I also want to say that Walton’s sells a nickel D, but it’s been a long time since I checked so I’m not sure. Their C is awesome, though (much much better than Generation C).
Yes, definitely try an Oak. I just received a nickel Generation 2 weeks ago and liked it’s tone. So I ordered a few other nickel models to compare, a Waltons and Oak.
The nickel Waltons is pretty close to the brass version, slightly breathy with a touch of rasp, but the tone seems a little clearer. (Note this is the regular Waltons D, not the Mellow D.)
The Oak is closer to the Generation. It has a similar tone, better intonation, the C nat sounds like a real note, the upper register isn’t too shrill, and it plays great. All this for $11, what a bargain!
Have a nickel Feadóg and nickel Clare on order, I’ll write back in a few weeks once I’ve had a go at them.
Charlie
Nothing is like a good Gen Eb period. Lovely whistles. Why on earth is the quality control on Eb Gens so much more consistent than on D and C versions? I don’t like the sharp seam on the Eb mouthpiece, but a bit of sanding smooths it off.
As for nickel cheapies, the nickel Feadogs are very good. With the putty/blu-tac tweak filling the cavity under the windway they become a tad smoother and sweeter. In fact they become excellent trad sounding whistles.
They use the same mouthpiece on both Eb and D Generations, but the window dimensions favor the length of the Eb tube.
If they’d move the blade edge a little closer to the windway exit, the problem would be solved… and it wouldn’t hurt to reduce the windway height a bit as well. 
I’m not techie enough to know about the window dimension thing, but I’m sure you’re right. If that’s the case I wish they’d shift the blade on the D as you suggest.
I have to differ a bit on the mouthpiece being exactly the same on D and Eb… Even if the actual moulded thingy itself is the same there’s certainly a difference in finishing. The mouthpieces on the half-dozen or so D Gens I have are all smoothly rounded on the top surface of the ‘beak’. All the Eb Gens I have (also about 6 in Nickel and brass) have a sharp ridge running down the center of the top of the ‘beak’ - this is true of both the blue and the red mouthpieces. The examples I have were bought between 6 months and two years ago.
Still, I expect you’re right that it’s the window thing that makes the difference in playability.
Hmm… I’ve not encountered one with a ridge down the center of the mouthpiece, so maybe those aren’t exported to the US.
Then maybe you’ve been getting Eb Gens from an older or newer batch than mine came from… hard to say unless someone like Jerry Freeman who has handled a large number of Gens over the past couple of years chimes in.
Seems like I recall reading that older Gens were made like the ones you describe… and almost everyone agrees that older Gens were better.
Buddhu has wandered into a cache of pre-1980’s vintage Eb Generations that were never sold until he found them. Eb and D Generation whistleheads are, indeed, the same. The ridge disappeared in the early '80’s, and the voicing became less pure/sweet and more husky/raspy at the same time.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Good heavens. I though all Gen Eb heads were like that. Thanks Jerry.
Well that explains that then. Admittedly I believe I bought all my Ebs at the same shop, but over a period of about 18 months… Wow, either the guy has a big stock of these oldies or I’m the only person buying them. And he has both nickel and brass Gens with the old ridged head! If they are an extinct species I’m going to go buy a couple more - they really do seem to be sweeter, even when stuck on a D tube. Although I think the bell note becomes a bit more fragile when the head is on a D tube.
When I get some more I’ll post a comparison photo for reference if anyone’s interested. I’m afraid all the ones I have at the moment have had the ridge sanded off.
Buddhu,
I sent you a PM, but it looks like you didn’t pick it up when you posted to the thread.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Ah… I LOVE the sound of the Burke whistles, but after trying them, I’m just not satisfied! I guess high quality whistles aren’t my thing =P Which is good anyway since I don’t have to spend that much =]
So let’s see what I’ll be getting very soon…
Walton’s
Feadog
Oak
Maybe a Shaw
Maybe a Clarke
Ahhhh, whistle sampler!!! They should do something like that..
Cheers,
Armand
If you can, get a Freeman-tweaked Shaw. They’re supreme. 
Clare makes a nickel D.
Indeed they do. And I’ve found both (I might’ve had three…I can’t remember) of mine to be really sweet sounding and responsive. I also like how on the nickel Clares the end of the tube is filed down some so that the whistle head fits better.
Tried to PM you back, Jerry, but chiffboard locked up on me… and far too many Guinnesses tonite to PM (or anything else complicated) but I’ll get backj to you tomorrow, as I had a successful outing
Pics of the mythical ridged Eb Gen head will be posted tomorrow too. Phew… for a while there I thought maybe I’d imagined them.
G’night all.
OK.
For anyone interested, here are those Gen Eb heads (left and right of pic). Also included for comparison is a current style head (centre).
Jerry: I sent you a PM.
(edited to remove spurious tag)
The Oak is definitely a lovely whistle…It was the first one I used and I used it for a good year and a half before finding anything else I liked better. I still love the sound of the Oak and how it plays…it’s just VERY quiet, especially in the low register (making it not such a good session whistle when you have a large session)…I primarily use my Susato now, but when I’m not as certain of a tune, I still pull out the Oak to play it on.
~Crysania