since the last time, I’m having problems with some of my whistles Jerry Freeman, Feadog and Generation in D.
They are indeed a wonderful whistles, and when you purchase them became my favorite whistles … but since several weeks ago, they sound loud and sharp … before you had a sweet traditional sound. I have cleaned with dental floss and a little dishwashing detergent, but still no improvement …
maybe that are already very old? have almost 5 years of use …
Well, I am far from an expert, and this is just a shot in the dark, but in my experience several things could be happening:
It’s been a while since you’ve played and need to practice your breath control–you could be overblowing in the first octave.
You may have played the high D whistle long enough to want something lower and less shrill, perhaps a step down to a C whistle, a Generation Bb or one of the makers of lower-keyed whistles. My favorite is a Burke low A, which is lower, smoother, and can still be played with the fingertips.
You could be about ready to take the plunge many have, and invest in a custom-made, more expensive whistle. They are individually tuned, and are easier to play more smoothly. I find aluminum or wooden whistles really shine.
In any case, a five year old whistle is not old and should be playable for a long time more.
Dear AlonE.
your hearing of how you play is get better
that is all
so now you have try to make performance more good
to meet improved hearing
good luck.
Have you put anything inside the whistleheads? You may have dislodged the brass or plastic lamination underneath the soundblade or dented the putty fill under the windway. This can happen, especially if someone has swabbed out the tube and pushed the swab all the way into the whistlehead.
I’ve discontinued doing tweaked Feadogs, but I’ll be happy to work with you to sort out what’s happened and make sure you have properly functioning whistles.
Have you put anything inside the whistleheads? You may have dislodged the brass or plastic lamination underneath the soundblade or dented the putty fill under the windway.
The fill does tend to fall out after a while. It fell out of two of the Blackbirds I have anyway. Doesn’t have much effect on the sound though.
nozzle check and everything seems normal these, recently did a full wash with dish soap to the nozzle but still sounds “very garish” … especially in the second octave.
I will try to upload an audio clip to explain better the sound.
You’re the first person who’s ever reported the fill falling out, and I’ve done tens of thousands of whistles by now.
And it does have an effect on the sound. Alan Jones was trying out whistles at the Pipers’ Gathering in August. He picked up a D Blackbird I’d been working on, played it and announced, “It’s sort of woolly.” It sounded woolly to me, as well, and I wondered what was wrong with it. When I picked it up, I saw immediately that I hadn’t filled under the windway.
In a minute, with the windway properly filled, Alan tried it again. “Amazing,” he said. It definitely makes a difference.
An audio clip won’t give me any useful information. I’ll need photos, and even those might not show what’s wrong. Send me a PM with your address and a list of which whistles have gotten spoiled, and I’ll replace them.
You’re the first person who’s ever reported the fill falling out, and I’ve done tens of thousands of whistles by now.
And it does have an effect on the sound. Alan Jones was trying out whistles at the Pipers’ Gathering in August. He picked up a D Blackbird I’d been working on, played it and announced, “It’s sort of woolly.” It sounded woolly to me, as well, and I wondered what was wrong with it. When I picked it up, I saw immediately that I hadn’t filled under the windway.
In a minute, with the windway properly filled, Alan tried it again. “Amazing,” he said. It definitely makes a difference.
I suppose if I hadn’t mentioned it now it would have seemed it had never happened.
In fairness I did notice when I picked up the whistles they played slightly different but not too much to worry about.
The ‘woolly’ comment seems odd to me. If anything I always slightly disliked the fill because to me it seemed the very thing that made the sound ‘woolly’ not the other way around as you say.
I suppose a little test would be appropriate. I’ll post two clips, one Blackbird without the fill, one with. Two different heads on the same nickel Generation body (which I prefer to the original).
Here they are, warts and all, the usual quickie. Can you hear which has the fill and do you think it’s a big difference?
I don’t dare speculate on which has been filled, but I like #1 better. They’re very similar, but #1 seems to have a fuller tone, while #2 sounds “warbly” to me, for lack of a better term.
