The Search for a "Good" Generation

Loke · Post by **Loke** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 8:34 am

Hi All,

I recently purchased the CD "Tin Whistles" with Paddy Moloney and Sean Potts. I believe they both play Generation whistles for all the songs (correct me if I'm wrong). After listening to this CD I'm tempted to start a search for a "good" Generation D whistle. I have a couple of questions for those in the know about this quest:

1. Are there any shops or reputable individuals who sell "good,” new Generation D's? If so, let me know so I don't have to buy every Generation D whistle in town.

2. If there are no sellers of "good" Generations, is it okay to try out whistles in music shops? I never have tried this, since I always expected the shop owners to make me buy it if saliva'd one up. It kind of makes me think about when I was a kid when I would lick a plate at the table to prevent anyone from stealing my place…in the case of the whistle, I don’t necessarily want to claim it.

Thanks in advance,

Loke

StevieJ · Post by **StevieJ** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 8:41 am

Yes it's OK to try whistles in shops - you should insist politely.

Generation Ds usually sound better (less raspy) the minute you get them home, unglue the head and position it correctly. But choose one that sounds OK to start with. I find that these days most Ds are in fact OK. Then there are variety of tweaks, discussed at length many times in this forum, which can turn your OK whistle into a little gem.

Note that on the CD you mention they are playing C whistles (except for one air on a Bb). Generation Cs these days are usually a safe bet and can sound very very nice out of the box. Just as well because getting the head off is almost impossible.

Roger O'Keeffe · Post by **Roger O'Keeffe** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 8:45 am

That's the $64,000 question, I'm afraid, Loke.

I suggest you "refine your search" by indicating where you live. For example, public health laws in Dublin have made it illegal to try an unbought whistle for over twenty years, but you might get away with it if the shopkeeper reckons you're serious.

As far as I know some of the dealers in the US do allow tryouts, and I'm sure they wouldn't break the law (would have put in a smiley but I'm afraid someone might sue me).

Your question prompts two thoughts:
A conscientious dealer could probably set up a trial rig comprising a bag with an air pump plugged in at one end via a non-return valve, and a flexible outlet which would snugly attach to fipples of different sizes and shapes. The customer could apply elbow pressure to the bag to test the second octave. They might even be able to turn it into a new instrument, the uilleann whistle.

... and secondly wouldn't "Spittle in an unbought whistle" be a good name for a reel?

Wandering_Whistler · Post by **Wandering_Whistler** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 9:01 am

On 2002-09-19 10:45, Roger O'Keeffe wrote:

Your question prompts two thoughts:
A conscientious dealer could probably set up a trial rig comprising a bag with an air pump plugged in at one end via a non-return valve, and a flexible outlet which would snugly attach to fipples of different sizes and shapes. The customer could apply elbow pressure to the bag to test the second octave.

Mars music had something similar to this...it was a bellows with a place to stick whistle instruments to make it 'toot'. I looked at the sales guy incredulously and asked "Do you think someone would buy a guitar if the only way he could hear it was a machine that raked a back scratcher across the strings?"

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 9:54 am

On 2002-09-19 10:41, StevieJ wrote:
Yes it's OK to try whistles in shops - you should insist politely.

Many of the shops I have been in lately have tried to claim that there is a federal law prohibiting them from letting people try wind instruments. This would imply one of two things:

1) They are purposely being misleading in order to prevent people from trying wind instruments, on the grounds that they are afraid they won't be able to sell them if they are 'shared'

2) Stores that do allow trials (I have been to a few) are in violation of federal law.

Personally, I don't buy whistles from shops that don't let me try them first. And I let them know that as I leave.

Cees · Post by **Cees** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 10:13 am

I've been to three stores in this area that have whistles, and none will let you try them first. They are all packaged in plastic. One store had some plastic off some of the Sweetone fipples and the sales person was upset about it...there's a big sign there saying "please do not try out the whistles for hygienic reasons" or something, but she said people don't listen.

I don't really blame the shop owners. I mean, would you really want to buy a whistle that who knows who has been sucking and/or blowing into? With all the germs and diseases around these days, I sure wouldn't. I'd rather take my chances buying an untried one (if it was one of the cheapies--not a high-end one).

I think if there were any shops around here selling high-end whistles (which there aren't), if I were the owners I would invest in alcohol swabs or something. On the other hand, usually high-end whistles don't have any problems and are a pretty safe bet to buy, if you know you like the sound of that particular kind already.

As for the search for the elusive good Generation...don't have any answers for that. Just my opinion...I'd rather chance getting a "bad" one then buying something tons of other people have tried.

garycrosby · Post by **garycrosby** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 10:32 am

Many of the shops I have been in lately have tried to claim that there is a federal law prohibiting them from letting people try wind instruments.

Ask them exactly what law they are referring to.

raindog1970 · Post by **raindog1970** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 10:43 am

My experience has been that the Generation "Folk" whistles (brass with a green mouthpiece) have a considerably higher ratio of "good ones" than the other two varieties.
I have no idea why this is, but I've seen others post similar impressions of them.
The "Folk" whistle is only available in the key of D... makes me wonder if perhaps it is Generation's attempt to produce a higher quality D whistle, which seems to be the key that's hardest to find a good one in.

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Gary · Post by **Gary** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 10:50 am

If you want the ultimate in a Generation soprano D, buy a Feadog, put a LBW head on it and throw all your other whistles away.

psychih · Post by **psychih** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 10:54 am

On 2002-09-19 12:50, Gary wrote:
If you want the ultimate in a Generation soprano D, buy a Feadog, put a LBW head on it and throw all your other whistles away.

Hahahaha!!! Gary...that's what I did

E = Fb · Post by **E = Fb** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 11:06 am

I did something similar to Gary. I put a "Walton's Mello D" fipple on a Feadog barrel. I had to use tape as filler because the Mello D fipple is quite wide. It's now a very nice sounding whistle, my favorite next to my Brass Burke. I tried the fipple from a Little Black, but it wasn't as good in my opinion.

rossmpfc13 · Post by **rossmpfc13** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 11:07 am

didn't some people decide that the older generations were better? Like from the 70's and 80's?

mike.r · Post by **mike.r** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 11:20 am

I love generations but I do feel even a good one requires some assistance by way of tuning and voicing.The mythical good gen may well exist but some adjustment will still be needed if it hasnt already been done by someone. Peace, Mike

pdunn · Post by **pdunn** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 11:39 am

You may want to try a Cillian Obriain improved D. There not as cheap as any standard generation. My father bought one for me in Dingle. It looks like it has a generation folk D head on it. that is modified by cutting off the old fipple blade and glueing on a heavier clear plastic one. I don't know what the body is or was but its the best generation style D i've played. I think my father paid 18-20 Euro. If only he'd make a C.
patrick

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 11:51 am

A few weeks ago I bought 3 Gen Ds and 3 Feadogs for experimentation in tweaking. When they arrived I played each whistle to do a "before and after" comparison. Much to my surprise, all 6 whistles were excellent, so that ruined my tweaking experiment. I left them as they were. I wrote Thom Larson and asked if Gen and Fea were making better whistles these days, and he said no, that I had just gotten lucky.