Question: Generation Whistles

[robert schuler]

The dots are on the whistle mouthpiece where the whistle tube enters the mouthpiece. Look at the area where the tube enters the mouth piece the dots are facing you, they are a bit smaller than a pin head...My Bb has two dots...Bob.

[Jerry Freeman]

The dots on D/Eb whistleheads are much smaller than a pinhead. More like pinpoint sized dots. And the concentric rings on the D/Eb whistleheads that don't have dots are very subtle. You might think there's no mark at all because such concentric rings are common and we're accustomed to seeing them on surfaces that have been machined or that have been cast in cavities that have been machined.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[walrii]

As Jerry says, the marks are on the bottom edge of the mouthpiece. If you took the mouthpiece off the tube and looked straight into the mouthpiece from the tube end, the round rim of the mouthpiece closest to you is where you are looking for the marks. It helps to get the light to reflect off the plastic as the marks are very small.

Jerry, correct me if I'm wrong here: if I hold the mouthpiece as decribed above and put the windway at 12 o'clock, then the D/Eb mouthpieces with three diamonds have the marks at 9 o'clock, the Bb mouthpieces with one mark have it at 12 o'clock and the Bb mouthpieces with two marks have them at 6 o'clock. The rings on the D/Eb mouthpieces without marks are subtle but easily visible if you catch the light off the edge.

BTW, my Bb whistle with one mark (the supposedly inferior mold) is Jerry Freeman tweaked and plays nicely, thank-you-very-much.

[Jerry Freeman]

Left to right: D/Eb, three dots (left side); D/Eb, faint concentric rings; Bb one dot (top); Bb two dots.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Jerry Freeman]

Walrii,

The marks are not always in the same position (e.g., nine o'clock), indicating that the part of the tooling that contains the mark is a moving part in the assembly and functions the same from any rotated position. (Yes, I've confirmed beyond doubt that it's the same identical cavity even when the marks are in different positions.)

Best wishes,
Jerry

[walrii]

These threads always make me feel like I'm in a TV cop drama or a spy-thriller movie - digging around for evidence, advancing theories, trying to find the answer. I love it! We could make yet another very bad reality show: "Whistle Sleuths of the Internet."

[PhilO]

Much easier when you know what to look for. I found on 2 redcap Ds the 3 dots on each. I also found the 3 dots on the bluecap Eflat. I found absolutely no marks on the others. Note that the redcap Bflat has a circle of copper colored stuff (glue?) covering much of the surface which we are examining.

Philo

[RonKiley]

I checked the following pairs for markings

two Bbs a blue top that has one dot and a red top that has two dots. The red top is a much better whistle. The blue top has a higher blade above windway floor gap. It has a weak bell note but otherwise it is OK. I could lower the blade a little with a guitar pick and glue tweak or replace the blade with a new blade.

two Ds one red top and one blue top. The red top has concentric rings, the blue top three dots. They both play well.

two Cs, a red top and a blue top. They both have a single dimple and play about the same.

A red top and blue top Eb, both have concentric rings both play well and have nearly identical tone.

Another blue top D concentric rings plays well. However this one had a split in the head beside the window. I repaired it with magic tape and CA glue. At least as good as new if not better.

Some things surprise me. I have a Feadog that split down the middle of the blade. Once again magic tape and CA glue. When I got finished and it cured suffiently to keep me from gluing my lip to the mouthpiece I gave it a try. It was better than when it was new and it was great then. Happy little accidents.

[PhilO]

"Happy little accidents" - there's a movie there somewhere. Has there ever been a movie cantered around whistle playing? Shut up all of you; no, it would not be boring!

Philo

[DrPhill]

Has there ever been a movie cantered around whistle playing? Shut up all of you; no, it would not be boring! Philo

Not if it was about Andrea Corr riding a horse to change the pitch of a whistle.......

[PhilO]

Phill, Phil, great minds think alike indeed...

Philo

[Jerry Freeman]

Left to right: D/Eb, three dots (left side); D/Eb, faint concentric rings; Bb one dot (top); Bb two dots.

Today I was working on a batch of D/Eb Generation whistleheads, and I encountered a dark blue example. That color used to be common years ago, but rarely shows up nowadays. That whistlehead has four dots on the socket end, which demonstrates that there were originally at least three mold cavities and at least one cavity (the one with four dots) has been retired.

This also suggests that the Generation people have boxes of whistleheads in their warehouse and assemble the whistles from stock that may have been around awhile. The fact that the whistleheads on new Generations can be rather beat up and shopworn looking is consistent with that possibility.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[MTGuru]

The ways of the Oswestry elves are mysterious.

[AbrasiveScotsman]

This is probably a stupid question, but if people have questions about how Generations whistles are produced why can't we just ask someone at the Generations factory?

Do they not answer enquiries?

You'd think if you make a product for an admittedly geeky niche market you'd be prepared to answer the occasional technical question.

[Kypfer]

why can't we just ask someone at the Generations factory?

Do they not answer enquiries?

... far too easy, that'd leave very little to theorise about on these forums

As it happens, I did write and ask about their green-headed Folk Whistle, as in "was there any difference to the red or the blue" ... only the colour was the reply ... so they do answer