I'm a bad experimenter, I should have tried that long ago. I finally made a Bb PVC whistle that (IMHO) sounds and feels much better than my Gen Bb! All I had to do was try wider bore (20 mm). Preliminary plan:



You'll notice the large-ish holes, which provide the louder sound I needed. This Bb has a powerful, strong sound; the tone is sweet yet slightly airy; and unlike my Gen Bb, the two bottom notes are solid and reedy. I slightly bevelled the fipple, as in low whistles. I'll record clips and publish them as soon as possible.

It's raining, so I know what to do this afternoon: a new whistle in A and a new "whistle-chanter" in Bb. Next week, the new plans and information will be published on my page - plus, there will be a little surprise.

Fellow makers, please try this at home and report if you can outperform a Gen Bb. Given its solid reputation, this would be quite a remarkable feat.

Ciao, Guido

Hi Guido,

Nice work! A Bb and A is next on my list too. Is that 17mm on the bore correct? 20mm would be the OD then. Just wondering since you report a 20mm bore in the text.

Cheers,

Carey

Yup, 20 mm.

It's fun to notice that we shouldn't be using these numbers. Isn't the length-to-bore ratio supposed to be > than 20? Yet, these whistles sound so nice...

Guido, good job once again!

20mm bore? That does break the rules! I'm still using a tiny ~16mm bore on my Bb's.

Feadoggie

Nice, I am trying this next, I love my gen Bb and would love something that could beat it.

Good work, I am very interested in the new A when you finish it. I play a Susato A with the M T guru O ring tweak and it is a very good one but always looking for a better sound.

Different, rather than better!

Assuming that a certain whistle is properly tuned and voiced, only personal taste will find it 'better' than another. In other words: I struggle to obtain nice-sounding PVC whistles, but I can't guarantee others will like them. In some cases (eg. bad Generations) it's an easy victory, in others (eg. good Bb Generations) it's a challenge.

I love challenges.

Hi Guido
Maybe its just me but I'm still a bit confused about the bore of your new Bb
Is it 20mm or 17mm?

Cheers

oops sorry, the bore is 17mm, while the external diameter is 20mm.

I've published a revised diagram (the link above is updated), the plan for a whistle in the key of A, and a couple of sound clips.