Is Freeman okay?

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pancelticpiper
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by pancelticpiper »

PB+J wrote: 1) Never ask about the progress of your _____ . If you do, I will stop building it.

2) If you piss me off, I may keep your deposit and never build your ______ .

3) Come by my shop: refer to #2 above.
(edited)

I have quite a few stories from 40 years of dealing with pipe makers and flute makers, and that template sums it all up fairly well.

I might add:

4) If you don't ask about the progress of your _____ I will assume you're in no hurry, and I'll skip over your place in the queue and start working on somebody else's ______ . If you do ask, refer to #1 above.

5) If we discuss any sort of special order, I will send you my standard ______ .

6) If you specify that you would like my standard ______ I will experiment with a design I've never tried before and send it to you.
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c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
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thx712517
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by thx712517 »

For those curious, here's an update.

Whistle ordered and paid for: March 3rd
Tracking number created: April 21st
Status: Pre-Shipment. "This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date."
Current date: May 7th.

I hope he's doing okay. I'm looking forward to getting the Mellow Dog.
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by pancelticpiper »

thx712517 wrote: Whistle ordered and paid for: March 3rd

Current date: May 7th.
Over the years I've found that the gestation period for an Irish instrument is at least 9 months.

That's for instruments said to be at hand, or that will be made immediately or in the very near future.

For any estimated delivery date of over a few months you can confidently double it, at minimum.

One pipemaker hadn't done a thing with my order in 6 or 7 years, though I had paid him a 50% downpayment. I know he had skipped over my place in his queue numerous times to make things for other people. Finally he refunded my money. That's the only time I've got a refund from a maker for not making me something, in 40 years of doing this.
Richard Cook
c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle
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Sedi
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by Sedi »

I think 2 months is pretty fast. Especially considering the current circumstances.
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by pancelticpiper »

I will say I recently had a new from-the-maker Irish instrument appear the fastest I've ever experienced!

I chatted with Colin Goldie over the phone (he in Germany, I in California) and he played some whistles, we settled on one, he said he could get it posted in a day or two, a week later I had it.

It was just in time...for all the St Patrick's Day gigs that got cancelled. :cry:
Richard Cook
c1980 Quinn uilleann pipes
1945 Starck Highland pipes
Goldie Low D whistle
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by Chris Wall »

Sedi wrote:He wrote on Facebook once that he doesn't really "keep a stock" of whistles. But I guess sometimes he has one ready and no buyer. But most of the time he tweaks them once somebody orders one. It seems that many makers/tweakers these days have a huge backlog of orders. Chris Wall for example had to even stop taking orders altogether AFAIK at the end of last year. And some have waited about a half year for a whistle from Chris Wall.
I still hope that one day Jerry will make a whistle of his own like he is planning for years. I'd be all over that one.
*Note to mods: Not trying to plug myself here, I just thought I'd respond to the earlier post where I was directly named.

Just for clarification, I didn't stop taking orders at the end of last year, I just migrated away from ebay and etsy and over to my new site chriswallflutes.com

And just so everyone knows, all of the top whistle makers are having far busier than usual order and email loads at the moment. The world wide stay at home orders have actually increased our business greatly, and some makers' production and shipping have been affected by all the craziness. So, if you don't hear back from any of us, I'm sure it isn't personal, these are just extraordinary times that we are all trying to adapt to.
"In whistlemaking, attention to detail is what separates the pros from the cons."
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by Sedi »

Ah, good to know, thanks. I gotta bookmark your site.
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Tell us something.: Would like to learn more about tin/penny whistles! Just ordered a set (C/D) of Freeman whistles off Ebay - anxiously awaiting them.

Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by jplee3 »

Wow, glad(?) I stumbled across this thread since I'm in the same boat it seems. Ordered a the C/D Mellow Dog set on 4/26 and haven't heard a word after a couple Ebay messages have gone out. Before finding this thread, I started an inquiry though but only because the expected delivery window was supposed to have been May 9th-13th. Today is the 14th. I understand that there might be considerable delays in production due to the current circumstances but I also think it's a bit misleading not to update the listings/store to indicate that there will be delays so interested parties have a reasonable expectation of shipping times, etc. Especially after we have placed the order and PAID for it. Kind of like taking our money and leaving us in the dark.

I'm still hoping to get this set as I'm very interested in learning the penny whistle - I would just appreciation *some* form of communication back.
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Tell us something.: Would like to learn more about tin/penny whistles! Just ordered a set (C/D) of Freeman whistles off Ebay - anxiously awaiting them.

Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by jplee3 »

thx712517 wrote:For those curious, here's an update.

Whistle ordered and paid for: March 3rd
Tracking number created: April 21st
Status: Pre-Shipment. "This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date."
Current date: May 7th.

I hope he's doing okay. I'm looking forward to getting the Mellow Dog.
If you don't mind me asking, what is the origin of USPS label? Is it CT (Coventry)? I have a pre-shipment label via Stamps.com but the source address shows NC - I'm guessing that's not him....
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by PB+J »

jplee3 wrote:
thx712517 wrote:For those curious, here's an update.

Whistle ordered and paid for: March 3rd
Tracking number created: April 21st
Status: Pre-Shipment. "This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date."
Current date: May 7th.

I hope he's doing okay. I'm looking forward to getting the Mellow Dog.
If you don't mind me asking, what is the origin of USPS label? Is it CT (Coventry)? I have a pre-shipment label via Stamps.com but the source address shows NC - I'm guessing that's not him....

I think you omitted some of the shipping label.

USPS is United States Postal Service. "CT" is the abbreviation for the state of Connecticut. NC is the abbreviation for the state on North Carolina. I think Freeman lives in CT
jplee3
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Tell us something.: Would like to learn more about tin/penny whistles! Just ordered a set (C/D) of Freeman whistles off Ebay - anxiously awaiting them.

Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by jplee3 »

PB+J wrote:
jplee3 wrote:
thx712517 wrote:For those curious, here's an update.

Whistle ordered and paid for: March 3rd
Tracking number created: April 21st
Status: Pre-Shipment. "This does not indicate receipt by the USPS or the actual mailing date."
Current date: May 7th.

I hope he's doing okay. I'm looking forward to getting the Mellow Dog.
If you don't mind me asking, what is the origin of USPS label? Is it CT (Coventry)? I have a pre-shipment label via Stamps.com but the source address shows NC - I'm guessing that's not him....

I think you omitted some of the shipping label.

USPS is United States Postal Service. "CT" is the abbreviation for the state of Connecticut. NC is the abbreviation for the state on North Carolina. I think Freeman lives in CT
Yea, it was for something else...

I got a response from my inquiry on Ebay on 5/16, where he apologized and said he would ship it out in a couple days:

"I apologize for taking so long with this. The last six weeks I’ve worked (more than) full time as a volunteer helping a group of critical care doctors convey information to the public and other doctors about a treatment protocol that s saving lives in hospitals and keeping people off ventilators. Last week, one of the doctors, Pierre Kory MD, a professor of critical care medicine at University of Wisconsin Medical School who is himself working as a volunteer in hospitals in New York City, testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Even with all that, lately I’ve been able to spend more time catching up whistle orders. I’ll be able to send your whistle set in the next day or two. Again I apologize for the delay and I appreciate your patience. Best wishes, Jerry Freeman"

Well, the label has been printed but I'm not sure it has been dropped off. I think this was, more or less, a canned response.
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Tell us something.: Would like to learn more about tin/penny whistles! Just ordered a set (C/D) of Freeman whistles off Ebay - anxiously awaiting them.

Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by jplee3 »

Hey all, finally got the whistles -they're nice, although I have no real benchmark to compare them to as far as tin whistles I've played (since this is my first set) lol.

I noticed the C whistle is a bit stubborn in terms of getting the fipple on and adjusted, as well as off. Is there a good fix to remedy this?
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by kkrell »

jplee3 wrote:Hey all, finally got the whistles -they're nice, although I have no real benchmark to compare them to as far as tin whistles I've played (since this is my first set) lol.

I noticed the C whistle is a bit stubborn in terms of getting the fipple on and adjusted, as well as off. Is there a good fix to remedy this?
AFAIK, you're not supposed to take it off. Jerry tweaks them & I thought wraps the fipple so it won't split.
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Tell us something.: Would like to learn more about tin/penny whistles! Just ordered a set (C/D) of Freeman whistles off Ebay - anxiously awaiting them.

Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by jplee3 »

kkrell wrote:
jplee3 wrote:Hey all, finally got the whistles -they're nice, although I have no real benchmark to compare them to as far as tin whistles I've played (since this is my first set) lol.

I noticed the C whistle is a bit stubborn in terms of getting the fipple on and adjusted, as well as off. Is there a good fix to remedy this?
AFAIK, you're not supposed to take it off. Jerry tweaks them & I thought wraps the fipple so it won't split.
The Mellow Dog C/D set only comes with one fipple, which is intended to be swapped and used between both whistles. Ultimately, I'd like to purchase another fipple though. Maybe I should just go ahead and do that so I don't need to keep messing around with all the swapping. It's pretty annoying.

Any suggestions on where I could buy another fipple?
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Re: Is Freeman okay?

Post by kkrell »

jplee3 wrote:
kkrell wrote:
jplee3 wrote:Hey all, finally got the whistles -they're nice, although I have no real benchmark to compare them to as far as tin whistles I've played (since this is my first set) lol.

I noticed the C whistle is a bit stubborn in terms of getting the fipple on and adjusted, as well as off. Is there a good fix to remedy this?
AFAIK, you're not supposed to take it off. Jerry tweaks them & I thought wraps the fipple so it won't split.
The Mellow Dog C/D set only comes with one fipple, which is intended to be swapped and used between both whistles. Ultimately, I'd like to purchase another fipple though. Maybe I should just go ahead and do that so I don't need to keep messing around with all the swapping. It's pretty annoying.

Any suggestions on where I could buy another fipple?
I didn't realize those sets swapped heads. I have his Blackbirds, which had a head for each. Since the essential benefit of a Jerry Freeman tweaked whistle is the tweak, any additional fipple head should come from him as well.
International Traditional Music Society, Inc.
A non-profit 501c3 charity/educational public benefit corporation
Wooden Flute Obsession CDs (3 volumes, 6 discs, 7 hours, 120 players/tracks)
https://www.worldtrad.org
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