Exploring the Negative Generation Urban Legend

[pancelticpiper]

Whatever Jerry does to Generations, it's like magic to me.

I've messed around with tweaking Generations for decades but I have no idea how he gets Bottom D, Middle D, and both octaves right in tune! I've not been able to.

When I went on tour in December I played a Freeman Tweaked Generation Bb at every concert and it was superb.

That being said, what Jerry does to Generations does change their timbre. There's a wide-open ringing rich reedy tone that the very best off-the-shelf Generations have which the six Freeman Tweaked Generations that I tried do not have. It's a matter of preference, of taste, I suppose.

Lacking that one-in-a-thousand magic off-the-shelf Generation Bb which has the full strong tone AND is perfectly in tune, I would much rather play a Freeman Tweaked Generation Bb than any other Bb on the market.

[pancelticpiper]

maybe these will arrive with no dents

Nothing wrong with a few dents! My best off-the-shelf Generation D has a big dent in it. It's superb.

The best Copeland Low D that I've ever heard, played by David Brewer of Molly's Revenge, has a huge dent at the top, on the mouthpiece. David said that after dropping it and denting it, it actually had a better tone than before! More flutelike, he says.

[JTC111]

...after dropping it and denting it, it actually had a better tone than before! More flutelike, he says.

You know you're just asking for trouble by intimating that a more flutelike tone is better.
Let the browbeating commence!!!
....
To everyone else, I'm just kidding. We all know we all have individual tastes when it comes to what comes out of a whistle. I saw the posts coming and I wanted to be the first to jump all over it ....which I guess could be described as in another way.
....
I really am kidding.
And here's a gift to show my affection for all of you...

[Daniel_Bingamon]

MTGuru's early post about comments on products. Maker's of instruments do listen to the users and make changes (that is, changes that work with budgets and obey the laws of physics)

[benhall.1]

MTGuru's early post about comments on products. Maker's of instruments do listen to the users and make changes (that is, changes that work with budgets and obey the laws of physics)

Bit restrictive, isn't it?

[mickey66]

maybe these will arrive with no dents

Nothing wrong with a few dents! My best off-the-shelf Generation D has a big dent in it. It's superb.

The best Copeland Low D that I've ever heard, played by David Brewer of Molly's Revenge, has a huge dent at the top, on the mouthpiece. David said that after dropping it and denting it, it actually had a better tone than before! More flutelike, he says.

When the dents are on the holes or right next to them it really bugs me any other place on the whistle I would not care.



www.tuxedomusic.com

[Whistlin' Will]

And here's a gift to show my affection for all of you...

That's affection? I'm scarred for life.

[JTC111]

That's affection? I'm scarred for life.

Some elaboration would be helpful.

[Jerry Freeman]

I think it's relevant to this thread to report the following:

Up to the summer of 2009, I wasn't happy with the results I was able to get tweaking Bb Generations. In August of 2009, I attended the Pipers' Gathering in Killington, Vermont. There, I met a gentleman who told me "I've got a really great Bb Generation. Would you like me to bring it over for you to look at?"

Of course I said yes.

He brought over an old, but current design, nickel Bb. I asked him to play it for me. In fact, it was the best Bb Generation I'd ever heard.

Inspecting it, I saw immediately it had a casting defect in which a large amount of plastic flashing was in a position not intended by the original tooling design. I had seen that particular flaw many times (and I continue to see it), though not quite as serendipitously configured as that one. It took about ten seconds for me to see what was going on with that whistle, and I handed it back to the owner.

I went home from the Gathering and immediately began experimenting with an adjustment to the Bb Generation tweaking scheme that would replicate the geometry I'd observed. The result is the current model tweaked Bb Generation.

Then, in the summer of 2010, I was attending the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Mid-Atlantic Fleadh in Pearl River, New York. Another gentleman mentioned he had an old Bb Generation he'd like me to look at.

When he brought it to the table, I saw immediately that it looked like the one I'd seen the previous summer in Vermont. These whistles both had the unusual very dark blue plastic, and I could see the same casting defect. On detailed inspection, it did look like that whistlehead may have come from the same production run. It looked identical in every way.

And then trying the whistle, I found it was indeed, a strikingly good Bb Generation, right "out of the box," one of the two best Bb Generations I've ever encountered.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[oakuss]

Does anybody know of a music store in the LA/orange county (CA) area where they sell Generation whistles? I'm particularly interested in the south bay/long beach area.

[mickey66]

It's been five days since I did my first post on this thread and ordered two Generation whistles key of "D" one brass and one Nickel well, they made it here today and to my surprise no dents but wait! They are BOTH very good whistles....they play and sound very good.... It was almost two years ago I bought my first Gens and these are much,much better whistles. Did I get lucky or just better or both????


www.tuxedomusic.com

[pancelticpiper]

Does anybody know of a music store in the LA/orange county (CA) area where they sell Generation whistles? I'm particularly interested in the south bay/long beach area.

McCabe's in Santa Monica does, or used to. I haven't been there in a while.

In Long Beach you can try World of Strings... who knows?

I know The Folk Music Center in Claremont carries several makes of whistles including Generations.

[narrowdog]

Since this thread was started and because I didn't own a
Generation whstle in D I've ordered a red top from Jerry freeman
(which should be with me in the next week, thanks Jerry)
and today a 'New' Gen red top I bought off Ebay for £2, yes thats a hole $3 arrived in the post.
I wanted to get one new and unseen as a bit of an experiment
Now, apart from moving the head (cup of hot water)to bring it in tune,
it's really a very good whistle. In fact after playing it for a good hour this evening I really do like it.
I've posted a couple of pictures to show the moulding seams on the mouth piece.
I've not seen a seam like this before, any thoughts?
It's going to get cleaned off tomorrow because I can feel it on my lips.

[Feadoggie]

I've posted a couple of pictures to show the moulding seams on the mouth piece. I've not seen a seam like this before, any thoughts?

That oval "dimple" on the back of the head is indicative of an older Gen. The newer ones are smooth as a baby's... well you know.

[narrowdog]

I've posted a couple of pictures to show the moulding seams on the mouth piece. I've not seen a seam like this before, any thoughts?

That oval "dimple" on the back of the head is indicative of an older Gen. The newer ones are smooth as a baby's... well you know.

So do we have any idea how old my Gen is?
It's never been used and looks like it came straight from the box,
and as I said before the head was stuck making it play very #
My newer C & Bb heads are as smooth as a .......