Jerry Freeman Tweaked Shaw D--review

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 8:53 pm

After I got my Jerry-tweaked Shaw D, I wrote to tell him what I thought of it.

He asked if I wouldn't mind publishing my impression on this board, but I am not as good at reviews as others are.

Wanderer's review of the tweaked Shaw is most excellent.
I love mine.
I have had occasion to hear someone WHO CAN REALLY PLAY, play it, and the sound was unbelievable! Indescribable!
It's far and away my favorite "cheapy"

Mary

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:39 pm

Thanks, Mary.

There's a quality of resonance about a well set up conical bore, rolled metal whistle that's hard to describe, and I don't know if it's possible to capture in a review, even with sound clips.

Greg hints at it when he talks about that special quality really good Clarkes have. Anyway, to my ear, it's a very pure drop authentic traditional tinwhistle sound, but it's a different species of pure drop authentic sound than that of a cylindrical bore whistle like a Generation.

There's something especially "juicy" about the sound, but I can't find a terminology for it other than to refer vaguely to the particular resonant quality of some conical bore, rolled metal whistles.

If anyone can help work out terminology for this, we'll be one step closer to world peace, I think.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:03 pm

E = Fb wrote: So, what got my Irish up was that every single one that he got is so excellent, and my experience was such a let down. And I couldn't help but come to the conclusion that he got the pick of the litter. An assumption, I agree.

I don't think Jerry would send out whistles he didn't consider good, and I don't think Jerry would prefer one buyer over another. I also don't get your remark about "because of who he [Wanderer] is." Is he someone apart from himself? Sorry if I'm missing something.

I had one of Jerry's early tweaked Shaws btw, and it didn't work for me.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:13 pm

Bloomfield wrote: I don't think Jerry would send out whistles he didn't consider good, and I don't think Jerry would prefer one buyer over another. I also don't get your remark about "because of who he [Wanderer] is." Is he someone apart from himself? Sorry if I'm missing something.

I had one of Jerry's early tweaked Shaws btw, and it didn't work for me.

I'm really not all that special

Whistling Willie · Post by **Whistling Willie** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:14 pm

Bloomfield wrote:
I had one of Jerry's early tweaked Shaws btw, and it didn't work for me.

thats because you are not really you

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 11:56 pm

Bloomfield is not Bloomfield. I am Bloomfield. And Jerry is me, because Martin Milner is avanutria. Dale doesn't really exist, and TomB is actually me, Walden. emmline is amar, and izzarina is aderyn_du in hiding. So, in conclusion, Wanderer is Loren.

Whistling Willie · Post by **Whistling Willie** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 12:22 am

Everything now seems so much clearer

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:59 am

Cranberry wrote:Bloomfield is not Bloomfield. I am Bloomfield. And Jerry is me, because Martin Milner is avanutria. Dale doesn't really exist, and TomB is actually me, Walden. emmline is amar, and izzarina is aderyn_du in hiding. So, in conclusion, Wanderer is Loren.

Is Tube Dude Energy?

Whistlin'Dixie · Post by **Whistlin'Dixie** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 10:09 pm

Of course not, silly. You are!

M

buddhu · Post by **buddhu** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:26 am

The only Jerry-Tweak I had so far (but I'm planning to get some more) was a Mellow Dog (from Bigwhistle.co.uk) which I have to say didn't *quite* work for me as it arrived. The tube is great, with the correction to the sharp bell note, but the tweak to the ramp either didn't suit my playing (I'm no breath control expert), or maybe had got dinged in transit and may have needed resetting. I put a Feadog C head on with the under-windway void filled but no ramp tweak and it sounds great now.

I guess tweaked whistles are like stock ones in so far as one size doesn't fit all. Different people get on with different things.

I was planning to get a Jerry Gen, but I must say I'm totally tempted to go for a tweaked Shaw. Aargh... I was never good at making decisions.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 8:42 am

buddhu wrote:
I was planning to get a Jerry Gen, but I must say I'm totally tempted to go for a tweaked Shaw. Aargh... I was never good at making decisions.

it's a matter of preference, one of the whistles Jerry sent me was a Shaw wihich self tweaked itself into unplayability after a week, I sent it back and Jerry returned it re-done it worked a bit better then but I didn't like the tuning and the overall sound of it, but I actually don't like tapered whistles at all and this was no exception so it went back again with the rest of the stuff he sent me.

I did keep one nickle Generation which is in itself a nice whistle though I maintain it's a totally different whistle in tone and playing character than the old Generations I have, it is not been treated with Jerry's final tweaking scheme though.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 9:05 am

buddhu wrote:The only Jerry-Tweak I had so far (but I'm planning to get some more) was a Mellow Dog (from Bigwhistle.co.uk) which I have to say didn't *quite* work for me as it arrived. The tube is great, with the correction to the sharp bell note, but the tweak to the ramp either didn't suit my playing (I'm no breath control expert), or maybe had got dinged in transit and may have needed resetting.

I would be curious to know what about the tweaked Mellow Dog you didn't like.

You mention that "I'm no breath control expert," so I'm wondering if you're more comfortable with a whistle that accomodates more assertive blowing.

The bottom notes of a tweaked Mellow Dog require a gentle touch, though this whistle isn't as delicate to play as an O'Briain Improved. The O'Briain Improved is even sweeter/purer still than the tweaked Mellow Dog. The further you voice a whistle towards the sweet/pure end of the spectrum, the more sensitive the lower notes become to breath pressure.

I've voiced the tweaked Mellow Dog as sweet/pure as possible with the bottom notes what I consider acceptably playable, but for someone who tends to play assertively, those notes may be too sensitive.

Best wishes,
Jerry

TomB · Post by **TomB** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 2:30 pm

Walden wrote:
Cranberry wrote:Bloomfield is not Bloomfield. I am Bloomfield. And Jerry is me, because Martin Milner is avanutria. Dale doesn't really exist, and TomB is actually me, Walden. emmline is amar, and izzarina is aderyn_du in hiding. So, in conclusion, Wanderer is Loren.
Is Tube Dude Energy?

No, Tube Dude is Dazed in LA!

Tom

buddhu · Post by **buddhu** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 5:12 pm

Jerry Freeman wrote:
buddhu wrote:The only Jerry-Tweak I had so far (but I'm planning to get some more) was a Mellow Dog (from Bigwhistle.co.uk) which I have to say didn't *quite* work for me as it arrived. The tube is great, with the correction to the sharp bell note, but the tweak to the ramp either didn't suit my playing (I'm no breath control expert), or maybe had got dinged in transit and may have needed resetting.
I would be curious to know what about the tweaked Mellow Dog you didn't like.

You mention that "I'm no breath control expert," so I'm wondering if you're more comfortable with a whistle that accomodates more assertive blowing.

The bottom notes of a tweaked Mellow Dog require a gentle touch, though this whistle isn't as delicate to play as an O'Briain Improved. The O'Briain Improved is even sweeter/purer still than the tweaked Mellow Dog. The further you voice a whistle towards the sweet/pure end of the spectrum, the more sensitive the lower notes become to breath pressure.

I've voiced the tweaked Mellow Dog as sweet/pure as possible with the bottom notes what I consider acceptably playable, but for someone who tends to play assertively, those notes may be too sensitive.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Hi Jerry,

I just dug out your tweaked head from the Mellow Dog and tried it again. Your description of the tone is spot on: pure and sweet. The issue I have isn't so much with the low notes (I learned to go gently with those on the first Dixon I had), but more with the second octave. Mostly on tongued notes, the first attack is very fragile. It's better with legato playing, but a careless cut can still break the note and squeak it. Also, just as the low notes need gentle blowing, the second octave seems to take a far more marked increase in pressure than I'm used to, and consequently seems disproportionately louder.

Don't worry too much - I'm sure the 'fault', if there is one, is as much with my relative inexperience as with the whistle.

BTW, do you take some off the top of the Walton tube as well as adding to the bottom? It's a great tube. I can't understand why more cheapie manufacturers don't do a D with the wider bore tube. Bearing in mind how accurate the tuning on Feadog tubes is I'd love it if they did a D in the same diameter as the C. Of course, that is pretty much what you achieve with the Mellow Dog

.

The Mellow Dog sound is great, but I don't seem able to handle it well enough to get that tone consistently across the range of the whistle.

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 5:14 pm

Awhile back, I mailed a nickel Gen D I bought in 1976 to Jerry and asked if he could approximate the sound. He got a new tweaked one pretty close and I like the tweaked one better because it's more stable and lost the bit of raspiness some of the notes in the old one had. It's also slightly louder in the lower octave. People on several occasions have commented on how nice the whistle sounds. A friend of mine ordered one on my recommendation, but sent it back before I could check it out. Someone else I know tried mine and didn't think it was anything special. That tells me at least part if it is a matter of taste. (I have good taste and they don't.)
Tony