Seeking Gen Bflat Tweaking Advice

[serpent]

Well, of course, I had to pull out a Sweetone head and try this. I don't have teflon tape at my desk, but it would be a Sweetone D head to go on a Generation Bb tube, and it would take a lot of tape.

The idea that dulling the blade strengthens the lower register is correct, but it isn't the dulling that does it.

When you dull the blade, you also lengthen the voicing window by taking some material off the end of the blade. Even lengthening the voicing window a tiny bit has an effect on the bottom two notes.

Whenever I do that particular tweak, I sharpen the soundblade again, and the bottom notes stay strong. I've tweaked a whistle that needed as much as 1/16 of an inch taken off the blade to get the bottom notes strong. On that whistle (a Dixon low D), I sharpened the blade again, the bottom notes stayed strong, and the upper register was fine.

What I've found is, a duller blade gives a less focused timbre, especially in the upper register. I always sharpen the blade again after taking some material off the edge to lengthen the voicing window enough to strengthen the bottom notes.

Best wishes,
Jerry

mmmmm.... I didn't intentionally "dull" the blade, canonically speaking. I removed a bit of flash from it. The effect was to dull it slightly, by removing a slim knife-edge of plastic flash that wasn't part of the design, but it only removed maybe 0.020" of "false edge". And I didn't mention this, but I did follow the 600 with 1500, about as good a polish as you'd get using an Extra Fine Cratex wheel. What the treatment did for me, was get rid of some weird chiff that sounded like the whistle was kind of "choked up". However, thanks, Jerry, you may just have solved a problem I've been having with lower-range Anacondas!

Cheers,
serpent

[silverton]

I've got a Gen Bb with a Sweetone C head on it. Of course it took a lot of teflon tape to make the fit, but what a sound! Warm and resonant is how I would describe it, with a mellow sort of "buzz" in the lower register (not related to the Susato hrrrng).

Only thing is, it tends to "squeak" a lot, especially when transitioning to the 2nd octave. Anyone know how to work on that problem?

[Jerry Freeman]

Serp,

In my experience, taking .02" off the soundblade is enough to strengthen the lower two notes if the whistle is almost right. And taking off any irregular flash will help unchoke a whistle, focus and sweeten the timbre (as you well know).

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. Do you ever run into a problem with some of the low register sounding like it's trying to play a bit of the upper register in with the lower? Kind of like it's mostly the lower register, but it's trying to play both registers at the same time?

[TXwhistle]

I ran into that problem when I tweaked my Sweetone. Should have sent it to you!

[Ridseard]

Here's my blade tool, a rather dull file on a cheap pair of nail clippers. Just be careful when working on the blade, "as someone crossing an iced-over stream or a warrior in enemy territory."

[Jerry Freeman]

I like that image, Ridseard.

The Tao of Tweaking

And there is, indeed, something mystical in coaxing music out of a whirling puff of air.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Boo]

Just a quick update on my newbie tweaking. Thanks, all, for the helpful suggestions.

The surgery: I got two sheets of sandpaper, one 600 and one 1500 grade. Starting with the 600, I alternated dulling and then sharpening the blade about a dozen times before I got the results I wanted. I got the ridges out of the tip of the blade and the big dip is gone.

Boy, is this a delicate operation! Even just two or three back-and-forth motions with the 600 produced a noticeable change. Half way through, I switched to the 1500 because I wanted more control and I found even a few passes with the 1500 made a difference.

The results: The bottom octave is still strong, though now a little less chiffy. The second octave requires about 50% less back pressure and the top notes are no longer muddy.

I'm thrilled.

This tiny operation gave me two insights:
1) I can see why whistle makers and whistle tweakers do this painstaking work--the results are truly rewarding.
2) Whistle makers and whistle tweakers are absolutely mad, insane. Batty, nuts, a few pawns short of chess set. This is painstaking, meticulous work which would drive anyone over the edge.

P.S. Thanks, Jessie, for the suggestion. I'll have to pick up a Sweetone to try that transplant.

[Ridseard]

IAnd there is, indeed, something mystical in coaxing music out of a whirling puff of air.

The universe came into being "when the morning stars sang together" (Job 38:7).

[serpent]

Serp,

In my experience, taking .02" off the soundblade is enough to strengthen the lower two notes if the whistle is almost right. And taking off any irregular flash will help unchoke a whistle, focus and sweeten the timbre (as you well know).

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. Do you ever run into a problem with some of the low register sounding like it's trying to play a bit of the upper register in with the lower? Kind of like it's mostly the lower register, but it's trying to play both registers at the same time?

If my blades are punched a few thou too high, I'll get that. If more than that, it tends to show up by being real airy in the low reg and heavy low-reg overtones in the upper. I generally underpunch the blades at first, then in final voicing, I'll bring the blade down until the overtones in both registers are controlled. After that, it's mostly a matter of edge polish and roundness.
-serp-

[Jerry Freeman]

The results: The bottom octave is still strong, though now a little less chiffy. The second octave requires about 50% less back pressure and the top notes are no longer muddy.

I'm thrilled.

Boo, you've made my day.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[Bloomfield]

No, Boo, you made MY day. Jerry, it was my post that made her do it!

Congrats, Boo.

[Boo]

You've both made my day and now I'm going to celebrate on Isle de Chiffy. Look out penguins, here I come!