Got a Jerry Freeman Tweaked Generation in A

[Pfreddee]

It's a whole other instrument. I am having to relearn how to cover the holes and how little air it needs (at least to me) to make a halfway reasonable sound. I have slowed down considerably just to be able to get a sound out of it that's close to what I think it should be. I'm not sure if this whistle is a good idea because I am struggling to make it play (I think I can manage it) and shifting back and forth between it and a high D causes some major adjustments on my part, and has resulted in a deterioration in sound on the higher whistles. I am counting on practice and working at getting the tone I'm looking for to straighten things out in the long run, but it's an interesting experience nonetheless.

This is not a review of the whistle. It is merely my experience with it so far, and I think that anyone moving from a high D to a lower pitched whistle would report the same thing. I'm just sharing an experience, for what it's worth.

With best regards.

Pfreddee(Stephen)

[brianholton]

Persevere with it. It will get easier. Different airflow, breath pressure, articulation, different grip, larger holes - all these affect you when you first make the change, but none of these is insuperable. Tiny adjustments will result in big changes. Keep blowing it, keep switching back and forth, and after a while, you'll hardly notice the difference, as you internalise all these tiny shifts and forget you're making them.

Good luck! The Freeman A is a lovely instrument. I have one too. I just picked it up and played a slow air and a hornpipe on it. It was delightful. It'll repay your patience.

[ickabod]

I have a Freeman Tweaked Generation Bb and the Low A. I find they both are almost identical in play ability.. Exception of course for the c nat which is normally oxxooo. On the low A it is oxxxxo unless you half hole...

I really like the set. If think if you like playing a basic Generation Bb I think the chances are really good that you will like Jerry's Low A.

[mickey66]

I also have a Freeman Tweaked Generation Bb and the Low A. This has taken me on a journey to the Low D Whistle. After that, no going back to the High Whistles.

[busterbill]

I'm mostly a flute player but found a sindt a and couldn't resist. I also noticed going back and forth from the high d whistle to the a was weird at first, but it did get better after a few weeks. If you like the sound keep it up. I enjoy the lower tones for playing around the house. It isn't as piercing. My a is much quieter than the high d. And I find myself grabbing it if I need to read a tune off the page. I finger as if it is a d whistle and just play in whatever key the instrument transposes to.

[pancelticpiper]

I got a Freeman Generation A, and a Sindt A, and a Burke A, and a couple Susato A's, and in the end I got rid of them all and stuck with my home-made Generation A, using a great-playing Generation Bb top that came on a Freeman Generation Bb.

For whatever reason that top plays much better than the Generation Bb top that came on the Freeman A.

The Sindt A was a superb whistle and very, very close to my FrankenGen with the Freeman Generation Bb top, but I preferred the latter by a hair.

Since I made the tube myself I could get the C natural fingering just the way I want it oxx oox.

I used the hobby tubing locally available, which is a slightly larger diameter than the Generation Bb tubing. Maybe the slightly bigger bore is part of why it plays better.

Generations in A, Bb, B, C, C#, D, Eb, F