An Accidental Tweakage???

IrelandsRose · Post by **IrelandsRose** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 12:35 pm

I was running up the basement steps, whistle in hand, when I literally fell up the steps. Me and my whistle went tumbling backward and hit every step along the way. Needless to say....OWWWWWWW. Imagining horror of horrors as I got up to go get my whistle thinking it was surely broken. It wasn't. WHEW! However it was bent! grrrrr Near one of the holes it was indented a little too. I tried it skeptically and to my great suprise it not only was fine... but the sound quality was much better!! No buzzing whatsoever and it was more stable. It still is. LOL It may be dinged up a bit now but it plays a lot better than before. Hmmm I wonder why a dent would make a difference. Just out of curiousity if anyone would know how that effects it I'd love to know.

Ah well, back to noodling

And yes I know It is funny that Im able to fall up instead of DOWN the stairs like a normal person. I can probably break a hole too!!!

lmbo

canpiper · Post by **canpiper** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 12:45 pm

I have no idea why the whistle sounds better, but I would love it if you could teach me how you fall down stairs. I have a Generation C that could use a tumble! Alternatively, I could send the Generation to you, and maybe you could just walk around with it for a while. I might get lucky!

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 12:46 pm

IrelandsRose wrote:... I can probably break a hole too!!! lmbo

WEll... you've certainly proven that you can at least dent one. LOL!

Glad you are OK, and I vote a prize for the most unorthodox tweak of the month.

steggy · Post by **steggy** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 12:49 pm

good for you

it's amazing what you can get away with. i have bent them, sat on them and even smashed one in the car door, I have one with a corrugated ripple about 1/2 the length of the thing where it is twisted slightly!! . Still sounds good, in fact have quite a reputation for playing with knackered whistles. I feel there is a certain kudos in having your whistle tied up with gaffer tape or even better string(mainly for effect). Whilst on the subject try this blow into the whistle lower octave and then as you snap a tiny elastic band onto it blow into thr upper octave. Guitar players think you have a capo for your whistle.

love and peace

steggy

n4vgm · Post by **n4vgm** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 12:57 pm

I was just going to post on my teaking experience so I'll put it in here. I bet this accidental tweak has occured before.

Anyway, I tried lightly tweaking a couple of whistles ( a LBW and a Waltons brass) and I found that polishing the ramp edge helped the ease of hitting notes. The sticky tack tweak was interesting. I first did it like the Freeman article said, right up to the windway. That seemed to "choke" the tone so I removed some (about 1/3). That worked well!

n4vgm · Post by **n4vgm** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:48 pm

Hey! Some of us play guitar, and some don't ever use a capo! What did you think all those frets are for anyway?

Bob Z.

canpiper · Post by **canpiper** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:07 pm

n4vgm wrote:Hey! Some of us play guitar, and some don't ever use a capo! What did you think all those frets are for anyway?

Bob Z.

...I thought they were for putting capo's on.

n4vgm · Post by **n4vgm** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:37 pm

Anyway, back to tweaking. Though I'm new to the whistle, I usually mod other istruments so I felt comfortable attempting a tweak after playing my new whistles about 2 weeks ( just to get a reference). I was surprised that the sticky tack had such an effect of the sound, I tried to do it just like the tweaking article said. Maybe I just like a slightly raspy tone!

Anyone have ideas on the proper amount of sticky tack to be pushed into the sub windway cavity? Perhaps I'm jamming the stuff in too much and Jerry installs it flush but not filling the cavity.

Bob Z.

RonKiley · Post by **RonKiley** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:24 pm

I think you will find a large variance in opinions on the sticky tack tweak from don't do it to flush with the front of the windway. I either don't do it or I make it a little concave. I try whatever it takes to make it sound they way I want it.

Ron

picardy third · Post by **picardy third** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:29 pm

I believe some of the first whistlers wrote about this tweak in the session tune "Tripping Up the Stairs". Who knew that these tunes are actual hints at making you instument sound better. "The Cup of Tea" for getting the fipple off.

Now if only I could get the "Rolling in the Rye Grass" tweak to work for me.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:53 pm

picardy third wrote:"The Cup of Tea" for getting the fipple off.

Also, "The Parting Glass."

Best wishes,
Jerry

canpiper · Post by **canpiper** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:31 pm

Given that no one seems to be volunteering to fall down the stairs with my Gen. C, I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on how to get the fipple off so that I can experiment on it with more conventional tweaks. I've tried the cup of hot water approach 3 or 4 times, and it just doesn't budge (I have had success with this method on other whistles, though). I've put as much elbow grease into as I can (I'm about 6foot, 215lbs), and nothin. Does anyone have any other strategies?

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 8:49 pm

canpiper wrote:Given that no one seems to be volunteering to fall down the stairs with my Gen. C, I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice on how to get the fipple off so that I can experiment on it with more conventional tweaks. I've tried the cup of hot water approach 3 or 4 times, and it just doesn't budge (I have had success with this method on other whistles, though). I've put as much elbow grease into as I can (I'm about 6foot, 215lbs), and nothin. Does anyone have any other strategies?

I do, but you're not going to like it ...

Best wishes,
Jerry

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 6:07 am

Canpiper

A few days ago I put a (self-tweaked) Walton Mellow D mouthpiece on my Gen C and am very happy with the results. The Mellow D got a Feadog C mouthpiece and i'm very happy with that as well. I did try the Gen C mouthpiece on the Walton and it sounded nice but got stuck and nothing would move it. I burnt the bugger off!!

Whitmores75087 · Post by **Whitmores75087** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 5:32 pm

Pipers put plastic straws into the chanter to perturb the air and improve the sound. I believe some whistle makers do some fancy stuff to achieve the same effect. I've never been able to see it looking down the barrel, and I doubt they would share their knowledge, if asked. Maybe your kinky whistle sounds better because air perturbance??

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An Accidental Tweakage???

An Accidental Tweakage???

Re: An Accidental Tweakage???

bash that whistle