Got a Generation brass Bb

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Pfreddee
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Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by Pfreddee »

I just got it in the mail from The Whistle Shop. I like the tone; I'm having to adjust my technique (such as it is) for playing it, as it takes a different approach from the D and C Clarke Originals. There are some faults in the intonation and some of the notes are wonky as I play, but I think I will eventually adjust to the whistle and get better at it. It's untweaked, and I want to keep playing it that way until I get the hang of of it, before I meddle with the instrument.

Any thoughts?

Thank you to all who reply.

With best regards,

Pfreddee(Stephen)
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jiminos
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by jiminos »

I have two Gen Bb's. An 80's brass and a 90s nickel. Love them both. The brass one is something special. It did take awhile to adjust from the D. The wonkiness goes away with time. Happy whistling!
Jim

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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by benhall.1 »

My top tip is:

Don't tweak it. It'll be fine the way it is.

Second point is a question: what do you mean by "There are some faults in the intonation"? Which notes and in what ways?

Out of interest, I've played a few Gen Bbs over many years and, just from personal experience, I'm yet to find a bad one.
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by s1m0n »

Yo. it's a whistle. Acts like most whistles anywhere. I dunno how much Dale (chiffboard owner) makes from high-end whistle makers' ads, but the secret truth is that there's little or no difference between a $15 whistle and a $300 whistle. Buy a whistle and play it. Given enough effort, you will sound good. No amount of cash will reduce the effort required.
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benhall.1
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by benhall.1 »

s1m0n wrote:I dunno how much Dale (chiffboard owner) makes from high-end whistle makers' ads
Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. You could multiply it many times over and it would still be the same.
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by pancelticpiper »

My experience is the opposite.

Though I've tried every Generation Bb I've come across over the last 40 years, in shops etc, hundreds of the things, I've never been able to buy a really good one.

I've heard and tried really good ones, but they were not for sale, being prized possessions of the owners.

For years I played the best of the mediocre ones I've acquired but it's 2nd note, what would be E on a D whistle, was very sharp, and I had to flatten it with tape.

My hat is off to anyone lucky enough to have found a really good Generation Bb. I'll you pay $100 for it without hesitation. (But it has to be really good. I already have a dozen mediocre ones, and I don't need any more.)
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Pfreddee
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by Pfreddee »

What do I mean by intonation? It squeaks and some of the notes (the bottom Bb especially) sound thin unless I hit the hole exactly so with my finger. I have already gotten some good (to my ear) sounds out of it in the short time I've played it, so I have hopes that it will settle down.

With best regards.

Pfreddee(Stephen)
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benhall.1
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by benhall.1 »

Pfreddee wrote:What do I mean by intonation? It squeaks and some of the notes (the bottom Bb especially) sound thin unless I hit the hole exactly so with my finger. I have already gotten some good (to my ear) sounds out of it in the short time I've played it, so I have hopes that it will settle down.

With best regards.

Pfreddee(Stephen)
Ah. If it squeaks and the bottom note doesn't sound properly, it's almost certainly to do with getting a good seal on all holes, including (maybe especially) those covered by the top hand. What you describe doesn't sound like an intonation problem though. An intonation problem is one where, despite covering all holes correctly and getting a decent sound out of the notes, some of the notes are out of tune.
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by Pfreddee »

My mistake on the description of the problem. I'm working hard on getting a good seal on all of the holes. Some are easier than others...

With best regards,

PFreddee(Stephen)
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benhall.1
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by benhall.1 »

Pfreddee wrote:My mistake on the description of the problem. I'm working hard on getting a good seal on all of the holes. Some are easier than others...

With best regards,

PFreddee(Stephen)
Yes, that's often the case. I think that it's not only to do with the holes being different sizes, but also the different spacing between them and the fact that, when one is concentrating on the fingers of the bottom hand, it is quite possible - even easy, at times - to forget about the seal of the fingers of the top hand, and that's where the problem often lies. I think, anyway.
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by pancelticpiper »

Pfreddee wrote: I'm working hard on getting a good seal on all of the holes.
Your fingers will eventually learn where they need to be.

Just avoid the common beginner's mistake of trying to get a good seal by using more finger-pressure.

A good seal comes from accurate placement, not a 'death grip' on the whistle. The grip should be very light, the hands relaxed.

"Intonation" refers to the tuning of the various notes, "timbre" refers specifically to the sound-quality. While most musicians separate these two aspects, in the Highland piping world the word "tone" refers collectively to three aspects: intonation, timbre, and volume.
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by stetix01 »

I just got my freeman tweaked version of the same whistle and its a dream. I cant believe I can get this kind of sound for this little money. I dont know what he does to tweak them but its worth every penny (no punn intended).

And yes, I've had to switch my grip on the lower hand to a pipers grip for comfort sake. I could force myself to learn to stretch but I remember the pain of trying to do that on a guitar.
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by inthevale »

Pfreddee, sealing all of the holes can be a challenge for us newbies. I've found that applying a little skin moisterizing lotion to my hands before I play seems to help. This probably sounds a bit silly and may not apply to everybody. I'm an older guy with dry older guy skin, and the lotion really seems to help make for a better seal.
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by Chifmunk »

inthevale wrote:I'm an older guy with dry older guy skin, and the lotion really seems to help make for a better seal.
plus, one's significant other may thank one for it :love:
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Re: Got a Generation brass Bb

Post by mickey66 »

[quote="Pfreddee"]I just got it in the mail from The Whistle Shop.
Last edited by mickey66 on Sun May 21, 2017 3:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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