Wish me luck, y'all ...

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:11 pm

Speaking of mice ...

With the onset of cold weather, there's a new mouse in the house. This mouse is very secretive, and I haven't seen him. I don't know if he'll shape up as a productive member of the Global Pennywhistle Tweaking Research and Production Consortium Headquarters or not, as he doesn't report for work. All he's done so far is make sunflower seeds vanish mysteriously in the night. (They're the seeds Nano sent for Ralph II. I've been saving them for the next mouse.) I'll have to put out an almost empty peanut butter jar on its side. A mouse has to stick around for a project like that, and then maybe I'll get to see him.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Blackbeer · Post by **Blackbeer** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:21 pm

Well heck Jerry, I for one can`t wait to get my hands on one of those. Eb would be my choice. The trouble with my tweeking techneque is that I don`t have one. It is totaly hit or miss. When I have lucked out with a good tweek on one of my Gens it is a thing of beauty. I love the sound of Gens. Good luck and my the whistle gods smile on your inspired work.

Tom

Celtoid · Post by **Celtoid** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:23 pm

Cranberry wrote:I have a small camera the shape of a mouse in the ceiling of your whistle lab, recording all your secrets, Jerry.

Observing someone tweaking his fipple is, well, whistle voyeurism at its worst...and industrial espionage at its best.

Rando7 · Post by **Rando7** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:32 pm

Jerry Freeman wrote:Prototype production configuration whistlehead number two has completed final tweaking and ...

I'm over the moon. It's better than prototype production configuration whistlehead number one, which is itself an excellent whistle. I've no reason to expect any different results with production batches, so barring any complete surprises,

We have our breakthrough.

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. I'll keep you posted as I gear up for production. As with my other tweaked whistles, I'll be selling them direct through email, on eBay and through The Whistle Shop.

Good job, Jerry! You may have found the Holy Grail of whistledom, and you didn't even have to get past Castle Anthrax or Tim the Enchanter!

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:40 pm

Congrats on your Gen success! I have what is arguably the worst-sounding Gen B-flat on the planet, but I think I'll just leave it the way it is, as a Horrible Example. Your fipple tweek won't fix the dreadfully-out-of-tune issue

, I don't suppose?

Cheers,

serpent

(edit) BTW, from what you're saying, it seems what you're doing falls more under the aegis of "re-engineering" than "tweeking"... Maybe Gen should be hiring you! (/edit)

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 8:46 pm

I'm working on tweaks for out of tune tubes. My thinking is to use .005" brass shim stock backed with double faced tape for a more permanent and presentable variation of the tried and true cellophane tape tube tweak. The shim stock has been ordered, isn't here yet. I'll keep you posted.

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. Try to say "Cellophane tape tube tweak for out of tune tubes."

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 9:24 pm

I WANT ONE!!

I love my Gens that work well- if you can do this........... the skys the limit!

Monster · Post by **Monster** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 9:51 pm

Good going Jerry, this could be a fairly big market for you! Lots of whistlers have dreamed of owning a good generation, you may be making a lot whistlers happy.

It may be a little early for this kind of question, but can a whistler send you a (preferably untweeked but already owned) Generation head, then you tweek it up and send it back. Or will you be working on new heads only? Nothing like getting detached whistle heads in the mail you know.

serpent · Post by **serpent** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 10:27 pm

Jerry Freeman wrote:I'm working on tweaks for out of tune tubes. My thinking is to use .005" brass shim stock backed with double faced tape for a more permanent and presentable variation of the tried and true cellophane tape tube tweak. The shim stock has been ordered, isn't here yet. I'll keep you posted.

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. Try to say "Cellophane tape tube tweak for out of tune tubes."

Well, my hat's off to ya, Jerry, but now you're moving waaaay out of "tweeking", past "re-engineering", and right into "re-manufacturing". As much as you know, and as tenacious as you are, you seem a really good candidate for becoming a maker. Why'n't ya join me and Raindog and Dan Bingamon and a bunch of others, and make yer own!? You won't get rich, but there's a lot to be said for you doing it "the right way" because you know how!
Best to yer, mate!

serpent

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 10:31 pm

I'm waiting for the Jerry Freeman wooden whistle.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 11:01 pm

serpent wrote:Why'n't ya join me and Raindog and Dan Bingamon and a bunch of others, and make yer own!?

All things in time, my friend. I have several designs cooking.

Best wishes,
Jerry

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Sat Oct 25, 2003 11:27 pm

Jerry Freeman wrote:Prototype production configuration whistlehead number two has completed final tweaking and ...

I'm over the moon. It's better than prototype production configuration whistlehead number one, which is itself an excellent whistle. I've no reason to expect any different results with production batches, so barring any complete surprises,

We have our breakthrough.

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. I'll keep you posted as I gear up for production. As with my other tweaked whistles, I'll be selling them direct through email, on eBay and through The Whistle Shop.

Congratulations Jerry. You are truly the Sheik of Tweak. I feel a purchase or four coming on.

cj · Post by cj » Tue Oct 28, 2003 7:32 am

I'll definitely whip out my checkbook for the JerryGen.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Tue Oct 28, 2003 8:17 am

Here's an update.

I've taken four D Generations through to completion, with seven more complete except for final voicing, plus a Bb complete. Success rate, 100%.

Now I'm experimenting with different materials to fill the cavity under the windway. I've had a suspicion that poster putty isn't acoustically the best thing to use, so I'm looking for something harder and more acoustically reflective.

The first try was with portland cement based thinset tile cement (waterproof, hard, nonshrinking, neutral color), and it seems to do what I had hoped. The upper register is more sensitive to subtle acoustical factors than the lower, and I had hoped the harder material (think plaster cathedral ceiling or concrete stairwell) would brighten the upper register a bit. On the Bb, it seems to have worked, giving a better blend between registers (Bb Generations tend to play noticeably soft in the upper, for some reason).

Also, for those who want complete sets or whistles in C, I'll be using Waltons C whistles. They sound identical to Gens, and you know what? I've never been able to get the head off a C Generation without cracking it. I tried freezing the tube before dipping the head in piping hot water, and it just won't come off intact. Based on what others have posted as well, I believe the score is C Generations 100%, tweakers 0.

Anyway, that's my report for now.

Oh, yeah. One more thing. I got a quick look at the new mouse last night. He came out for some of Nano's sunflower seeds, but just as he was settling down for business, an incoming email's "dingdong" chime on the computer spooked him. We'll see. Maybe he'll settle into the routine and become a productive member of the Global Pennywhistle Tweaking and Production Consortium Headquarters after all. At least, he's hanging out here in my office instead of the pantry. I wonder if he's ever tasted chocolate.

Best wishes,
Jerry