A question - Why do you tweak?

ennistraveler · Post by **ennistraveler** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:27 am

I guess I should know, and I talked to someone about this a long time ago but I don't remember. Why do you tweak a tin whistle? What is it you do (more than taking off the mouthpiece?)

Should I know?

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:34 am

The idea is to improve the whistle. Personally i've never really seen the need, outside my d whisltes most haven't even their heads removed.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:36 am

Ask not, why do you tweak?
Ask rather, how do I attain the state of tweaking, of oneness? All evil flows from these three sources: the Windway, the blade, the fipple.

Crevan · Post by **Crevan** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:42 am

Some people are not satisfied with the way whistles come to them and so they tear them apart in the hopes of making them faster, stronger, and more whistle-like than ever before.

If you still don't understand:

http://www.chiffandfipple.com/tweak.html

Flyingcursor · Post by **Flyingcursor** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:51 am

Bloomfield wrote:Ask not, why do you tweak?
Ask rather, how do I attain the state of tweaking, of oneness? All evil flows from these three sources: the Windway, the blade, the fipple.

Destroy any of these and you destroy the evil.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:55 am

Desire destruction, and destruction will be your goal.
Desire nothing, and nothing will be your goal.
Desire not-desiring, and not-desiring will be your goal.
Not-desiring is evil overcome, windway, blade, fipple refined.

Crevan · Post by **Crevan** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:58 am

As you can see, failed attempts to tweak a favourite whistle can have a drastic effect on said whistle owners mental health.

Feadan · Post by **Feadan** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:05 am

Bloomfield wrote:All evil flows from these three sources: the Windway, the blade, the fipple.

You could always convert from whistle to Quena, Bloomfield. Then it's just between you and the blade!

Cheers,
David

KDMARTINKY · Post by **KDMARTINKY** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 11:12 am

I usually have to always tweak waltons, oaks, generations only so that I can get a smooth transition between lower and upper octives and to eliminate the Squeakiness.

The method I use is the same as most. Place a little wall puddy in the hollow of the mouth piece. I have eliminated the use of sand paper and have gone with soft scrubb pads which tend to work better when smoothing out the edges.

DCrom · Post by **DCrom** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:02 pm

The main reason I'd tweak is to correct flaws in the head casting - usually, tags of extra plastic left over from the molding process. If the whistle plays well, I don't bother to tweak it (about half my cheap whistles are untweaked). For ones with problems, I try to do the least needed amount of work, though if I have the head off anyway I'll generally do the blue tack in the windway trick.

Even with tweaking, not all whistles end up great (at least for me), but I can generally improve them a bit, and sometimes everything comes together and I produce a really nice one.

Of all my cheap D whistles, I'm fondest of a Generation redcap, an Oak, and a Feadog. Of the three, only the Gen was tweaked (went from "barely playable" to "really good", though - one of my successes).

In general, I'd say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". If you want to tweak, don't do it on your favorite, or only, whistle unless it's got real problems. Get some practice in on whistles where you don't have as much of an attachment, and try tweaking whistles you already like only after you're comfortable with the process.

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:06 pm

Crevan wrote:As you can see, failed attempts to tweak a favourite whistle can have a drastic effect on said whistle owners mental health.

It has ever been the fate of greatness to be mistaken for madness.

suejnnhe · Post by **suejnnhe** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:21 pm

Ummm.....like, whatever.

HeySue

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 1:34 pm

Back in the days of tv's with rabbit ears, my sibs and I would be engrossed in a program, and Dad would feel compelled to come along (not during a commercial) and tweak at the antennae until he had, at least momentarily, made it worse. We'd scream of course, and he'd go off feeling under-appreciated.

Tweaking whistles, for those so compelled, seems a more benign past-time.

Joe_Atlanta · Post by **Joe_Atlanta** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:10 pm

I got into tweaking to improve the response of the low notes on a Perri. I went on from there and have succesfully improved the sound or playability of several more, with a noted lack of sucess on a Susato VSB (have yet to do the guitar pick soundblade).

I recently successfully mash/tweaked a Clarke original and it's turned out to be one of my favorite whistles. The problem, as noted in the tv analogy, is to know when to leave well enough alone. "There's a fine line between clever and stupid." - David St Hubbins

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Tue Nov 30, 2004 6:01 pm

I used to feel compelled to tweak because the whistles didn't play properly. I just recently went and bought a Gen D so I could have a completely untweaked whistle. I selected it from a number of them at the store. It sounds beautiful. The whistles don't play better but I do. In short, make sure it is the whistle that doesn't play well. However, if you desire to tweak have at it. Its only a 6 buck whistle. What have you got to lose?

Ron