A question - Why do you tweak?
- ennistraveler
- Posts: 101
- Joined: Fri Nov 19, 2004 9:49 am
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Vänersborg, Sweden
- Contact:
A question - Why do you tweak?
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?
Should I know?
Brother Steve rocks!
- Bloomfield
- Posts: 8225
- Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2001 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Location: Location:
- Crevan
- Posts: 118
- Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2004 5:15 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: North Bay, Ontario, Canada
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
If you still don't understand:
http://www.chiffandfipple.com/tweak.html
-Kevin
- Flyingcursor
- Posts: 6573
- Joined: Tue Jul 30, 2002 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Tell us something.: This is the first sentence. This is the second of the recommended sentences intended to thwart spam its. This is a third, bonus sentence!
- Location: Portsmouth, VA1, "the States"
- Bloomfield
- Posts: 8225
- Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2001 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Location: Location:
- KDMARTINKY
- Posts: 781
- Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2004 2:02 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Kentucky
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.
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.
Keith
Bionn dha insint ar sceal agus leagon deag ar amhran
There are two versions of every story and twelve of every song
Bionn dha insint ar sceal agus leagon deag ar amhran
There are two versions of every story and twelve of every song
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.
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
- Posts: 8225
- Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2001 6:00 pm
- antispam: No
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
- Location: Location: Location:
- emmline
- Posts: 11859
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2003 10:33 am
- antispam: No
- Location: Annapolis, MD
- Contact:
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.
Tweaking whistles, for those so compelled, seems a more benign past-time.
- Joe_Atlanta
- Posts: 110
- Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2004 3:32 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: this space available
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
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
Got bass? http://www.talkbass.com
- RonKiley
- Posts: 1404
- Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 12:53 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Germantown, MD
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
Ron
I've never met a whistle I didn't want.