Tipple Wedge

lollycross · Post by **lollycross** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:46 pm

Hi all,
I just looked at Doug Tipple's web page as I hadn't been there for awhile.
He is now talking about a "Tipple Wedge" that Michael Eskin tried and
says is really great for adding a better sound to the 2nd octave of the
flute.
Is everyone buying one to glue into their flute????
Lolly

SirNick · Post by **SirNick** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:53 pm

Hi Lolly,
I've got a Tipple 8 hole with the wedge but find that I prefer not to use it. Based on other feedback, I think I'm the oddball on this topic.

Tipple/fipple Flutist · Sun Oct 17, 2004 6:25 pm

I have the three piece grey Tipple amd I have the fipple also.
I am a new player, having just taken up the flute for the first time, the Tipple is my only flute at this time.
I find the fipple gives the flute a woodier, (or perhaps a breathier), tone, without it, it tends to sound more like a regular flute.
I like playing both with and without it, I don't have it glued in for that reason, I just slide it in and breath moisture holds it in place for the most part, you just tap the flute on the end to pop it out for swabbing.
It is supposed to help bring in tune the higher range notes, but I'm one of those people who is new at this so I am out of tune on the higher octaves most of the time yet so I can't really vouch for this.
I know I like the difference in tone, it's like having two flutes.

BmacD · Post by **BmacD** » Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:14 pm

Before I glued it down so I wouldn't lose it. I dropped the wedge down the bore of the only other cylindrical flute I had of about the same diameter. a bamboo Olwell. Not surprisingly, it muddied the the tone. I don't know what if anything could improve an Olwell bamboo flute . On the other hand, the wedge turns a very nice three piece , eight hole Tipple flute into a wonderful flute that is similar to my M&E R&R . Biggest difference between the Tipple and the M&E is that the Tipple has much larger holes with the usual results.I've never played a Pratten style large holed flute and wonder if the Tipple has anything else in commen with Prattens? I hope my much loved small holed Aulos doesn't find out I've got a large holed second love.
Bruce

JessieK · Post by **JessieK** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:23 am

Bamboo has a slight taper, and that's why it didn't work in the bamboo Olwell.

I think the Tipple wedge is excellent! It is SUCH a simple thing, but it improves the tuning of the upper octave enormously! I tried the Tipple flute with and without it, and with it is worlds better.

vomitbunny · Post by **vomitbunny** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 8:36 am

It brings up the second octave for me. I can't play a heck of a lot yet, but it sure seems to work.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:56 pm

I haven't been able to successfully glue this thing in yet.
I tried the toothpick-through-the-windway technique Doug puts forth on
his website, but I just ended up getting glue on my windway (thank goodness
I was using Elmer's glue). Maybe I won't bother securing it... I only wanted to
glue it because I'm afraid of loosing it, but it stays in as long as I don't jostle it
when it's vertical (which I tend to do when I put it down for storage).

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:05 pm

fearfaoin wrote:I haven't been able to successfully glue this thing in yet.

By all means, use Elmer glue; don't go for anything more permanent.

Here's how i glued mine: i put the glue on the back of the wedge, and inserted the wedge in the headjoint upside down, i.e.: with the side with the glue up. I carefully tilted the headjoint so the wedge slid all the way to the cork end, but still with the glue pointing up. I had the blowhole pointing down at this point, so the wedge is at the blowhole side of the headjoint, with the glue side up.

Then i gently but quickly toppled the headjoint around (with the cork end down) like this:

== -> || -> ==

so the wedge fell down on the correct side, with the glue down.

After that, i used a wooden stick to push the wedge down and hold it in place for a few minutes while the glue set.

I hope this makes sense.

fearfaoin · Post by **fearfaoin** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:54 pm

That made perfect sense, glauber. I was thinking of somehow putting glue on the bottom
of the wedge (instead of the side), and you solved the problem of how.
So, is the wedge best positioned directly opposite the windway, or at some angle to it?
I was going to get around to experimenting with the position of the wedge, but hadn't
gotten around to it...

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:22 pm

fearfaoin wrote:That made perfect sense, glauber. I was thinking of somehow putting glue on the bottom
of the wedge (instead of the side), and you solved the problem of how.
So, is the wedge best positioned directly opposite the windway, or at some angle to it?
I was going to get around to experimenting with the position of the wedge, but hadn't
gotten around to it...

I put it directly underneath the blowhole, but i don't think it really matters. All that matters is the gradual reduction in the air volume as you move towards the cork. This achieves the same result as Boehm's "parabolical head" with less effort. I put it underneath because it's easier to press it in place this way.

Doug_Tipple · Post by **Doug_Tipple** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:52 pm

In the original Fajardo patent design, the metal wedge and the stopper with O-rings were one piece. This allowed you to rotate and adjust the wedge with respect to the blow hole, which Fajardo listed on his patent as a desirable feature for adjusting third octave notes, I believe. I generally place the wedge against the stopper and directly under the blow hole, although the flute will play quite well with some rotation from that postion.

Sorry about the problems with gluing. I use a large wooden dowel with a slight taper that matches the wedge to hold the wedge securely while I glue it. This way I can handle the flute without the wedge changing positions when I am gluing it. For anyone who asks me to glue the wedge in place, I use the smallest amount of super glue on the tip of a tooth pick, as I mention on my webpage.

Best wishes and happy fluting.

Daryl · Post by **Daryl** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:12 pm

I just got a wedge for my 3-piece Tipple, but haven't had a chance to really put it through its paces yet.

Thanks for clarifying about the wedge position! I, too, was wondering if it made a difference whether or not the wedge was directly beneath the blow hole.

I don't know if I'm coordinated enough to try Glauber's gluing method....

-- Daryl

KateG · Post by **KateG** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 8:04 am

I have an early model one-piece Tipple -- would a wedge work for that as well?

Bretton · Post by **Bretton** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 1:22 pm

I've found my flute sounds a little better (maybe I'm just imagining things) with the wedge rotated a bit back towards the player...it seemed to give a clearer tone.

-Brett

bang · Post by **bang** » Wed Oct 20, 2004 1:40 pm

Bretton wrote:I've found my flute sounds a little better (maybe I'm just imagining things) with the wedge rotated a bit back towards the player...it seemed to give a clearer tone.

it makes sense to me that rotating the wedge away from the incoming airstream would interfere least with normal airflow.

Chiff and Fipple Forums

Tipple Wedge

Tipple Wedge

TIpple fipple