Generation Bb

[riverman]

Yup, and when you start practicing (by yourself) with your Bb first for a good while, then you go to pick up the D, the D is just too shrill!! I did this the other day, and dropped the D instantly for a mellower key, at least a C. I've got smallish hands, so playing the Bb gets to my lower hand after a long while and I have to switch to something smaller... However, it does make playing the D a breeze after you've played the Bb for a good while before.

I also had trouble reaching that lowest hole on the Gen Bb, and when I did, I was only sealing it with the edge of my finger. What I did was finger stretches!! I shove the two knuckles of my left hand (the big knuckles near the fist) between the two middle knuckles of my LEFT hand, being sure to curl those left fingers all the way in. Then I relax, and hold it. I don't apply a lot of pressure, just hold them there. Now I can reach that bottom hole easily. I usually stretch before I start playing.

And, like you, I am finding the D whistle harder and harder to bear now that I can play the highest notes on the Bb without fear (of ear pain)!

[rustman]

It's been interesting to read this thread, especially for I have been waiting for Jerry Freeman's Generation brass Bb and Jerry's Mellow Dog C for almost two weeks now. I already have a Generation nickel Bb which I tweaked a bit by myself. I love the sound of it and it is nice to compare it with Jerry's tweak. Time goes so slow when you are waiting...

[Bothrops]

Time goes so slow when you are waiting...

Tell it to me, I'm waiting a package since 1 month ago, and it didn't arrive yet, I'm hopeless!

[jking]

just picked one up today at the local music store. Seemed fine right of the shelf. I played 5 diff ones and they did vary though but all were somewhat decent. Posted a link..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpIUc8Gsj80

[arnie]

just picked one up today at the local music store. Seemed fine right of the shelf. I played 5 diff ones and they did vary though but all were somewhat decent. Posted a link..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpIUc8Gsj80

Is it you? I just LOVE the version as it's played here. One thing about it though: it's too short......

[bud]

I've ordered a set of Generation blues from Jerry, and the waiting is getting excruciating. I'm supposing that the high praise he has been receiving on this forum and elsewhere has backed up his orders, and he doesn't want to ship anything he isn't proud of.

Assuming that you really love your Bb, how can you use it in a jam? Fiddlers are going to insist on the only four keys extant: D, G, A, and C.

[jking]

yes it is me...thanks for the compliment. Will try to post some longer one's

[fancypiper]

Assuming that you really love your Bb, how can you use it in a jam? Fiddlers are going to insist on the only four keys extant: D, G, A, and C.

True about most fiddlers. I can't ever remember using it in a jam except maybe in a bluegrass jam.

I use my Bb for playing solo and just playing to please myself. I do have a few uilleann bagpipe recordings in Bb and I use the whistle to play along.

[rustman]

Jerrys Whistles arrived today! Mellow Dog C is awesome and the brass Generation Bb sounds good, too. Now I can choose between breathy nickel Bb G and pure brass Bb G. Nice! The lower the darker, the darker the better Already made me a low D, and I will make a low C after I've done D's to my children.
I'll probably end up using these on some alt country studio sessions to come. Not irish style with my humble skills, but to add something extra to the soundscape.

[dehavik]

I recently acquired a brass Generation Bb, thanks in part to all the approving comments on board. This is my first non-soprano D whistle and I love the lower, calmer sound of it. My only problem is it feels like over half the air I blow into it is coming out the window, and I can't seem to catch up to it. Is this a normal thing for lower whistles? On my Feadog and Sweetones, it seems that the air goes mostly through the whistle body. I'm having trouble finding enough breath to play the Gen for more than a couple bars. I've cleaned it well, rid it of mold-y bits, and did the sticky-tack deal, but it hasn't made a difference with the air leak. Would lengthening the labium ramp help? And if so...how EXACTLY is that done?

Thanks for any advice. My Gen Bb makes me a bit lightheaded.

[eganglion]

Very nice man! And I love the grace notes you toss in here and there.

just picked one up today at the local music store. Seemed fine right of the shelf. I played 5 diff ones and they did vary though but all were somewhat decent. Posted a link..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpIUc8Gsj80

[sbfluter]

I recently acquired a Generation Bb, thanks in part to all the approving comments on board. This is my first non-soprano D whistle and I love the lower, calmer sound of it. My only problem is it feels like over half the air I blow into it is coming out the window, and I can't seem to catch up to it. Is this a normal thing for lower whistles? On my Feadog and Sweetones, it seems that the air goes mostly through the whistle body. I'm having trouble finding enough breath to play the Gen for more than a couple bars. I've cleaned it well, rid it of mold-y bits, and did the sticky-tack deal, but it hasn't made a difference with the air leak. Would lengthening the labium ramp help? And if so...how EXACTLY is that done?

Thanks for any advice. My Gen Bb makes me a bit lightheaded.

I feel that way about my low D. It might be the size, but I'll defer to the experts.

[eganglion]

My wife bought a Nickel Gen Bb with a green mouthpiece for me. At first, the whistle was a bit raspy and not totally pleasant to play.

I scraped out the mold marks and a little plastic skin that had curled up when the bell was pushed into the mouthpiece, added some earthquake putty (easier to get out here in California than poster putty) in the hollow behind the airway as discussed elsewhere, and the sound was amazingly better.

I can still see some mold-marks on the airway, I haven't built up the courage to sand those yet. And the guitar-pick and/or copper tape mods mentioned elsewhere seem like a bit much for me to do myself.

Better to have a better sounding Gen than one that doesn't work at all.

BTW this whistle takes a lot less air to play than my Walton, and a lot less than the Burke Low D.

[Deathtrap]

Got my gen Bb brass and nickel last week finally, after heavy tweaking they both sound great, at least imo.

I didnt know there is a green top gen Bb
I would totally like the green one better than blue or red... I hated and avoided the red and blue gen Hi Ds. Now I bought a green top because its no longer red or blue!

My mom even said, just one look at the red one you know it mustnt be expensive. lol

they are my first gens...precious.....

[pao]

My wife bought a Nickel Gen Bb with a green mouthpiece for me. At first, the whistle was a bit raspy and not totally pleasant to play.

I scraped out the mold marks and a little plastic skin that had curled up when the bell was pushed into the mouthpiece, added some earthquake putty (easier to get out here in California than poster putty) in the hollow behind the airway as discussed elsewhere, and the sound was amazingly better.

I can still see some mold-marks on the airway, I haven't built up the courage to sand those yet. And the guitar-pick and/or copper tape mods mentioned elsewhere seem like a bit much for me to do myself.

Better to have a better sounding Gen than one that doesn't work at all.

BTW this whistle takes a lot less air to play than my Walton, and a lot less than the Burke Low D.

yeah, like Deathtrap, I also didn't know that there's a Generation green mouthpiece for other keys (you said yours is a Bb) other than their Folk whistle D. I am drooling right now, can you post a pic here? and where did your wife bought it? hehe sorry, whoa kicking in again....