Need Tweeking help with an Oak ASAP!

[ladysolo]

Hello all.

I have been playing the PW for a while now but have never found one I really like, as far as ease of playing upper registers plus tone plus playing in tune. I had an Oak recommended to me, which finally came in the mail today. Here's my problem - I need to play it on SUNDAY and the whistle is sharp and sounds terrible with the accompanying instruments. HELP! What's a good, relatively easy way to tune a whistle for someone who is scared to ruin a new instrument?

P.S. I don't really have any other C whistle options - I've been practicing on a Clarke but that thing requires so much air that my phrasing really suffers. So I really want to make this Oak work.

[MTGuru]

Simple ... Just pull the head out until the whistle is in tune. I don't think the Oak head is glued, so it should move just by twisting and pulling. If you can't get a good grip, try wearing a pair of latex gloves. If it still won't move, see this post and follow Jerry's instructions for loosening the head with boiling water:

viewtopic.php?p=919610#p919610

[straycat82]

Oak whistles usually have a bit of a bell or ridge at the top of their tubes that sometimes makes them a bear to get off. I had the most success by freezing them and then dipping directly into hot water before pulling off.

[Jerry Freeman]

The plastic in Oak whistleheads softens at a somewhat lower temperature than Generations or Feadogs. I've twisted off an Oak whistlehead only to find that I was left with a perfectly playable, but slightly spiral shaped head. The hot water method for removing the whistlehead still applies, but don't get the water up to the boil and make sure you grip around the socket part when you twist to remove it from the tube.

Best wishes,
Jerry

[FJohnSharp]

I love the Oaks and removing the head is usually a bear. The above recommendations are good but I'd add that I usually wrap several rubber bands around the body and head--all in a row--to give me a better grip and more torque when twisting off the head. I'm not sure how sharp yours is but there isn't a lot of room for adjustment.

[PeteyWhistle]

I've tried the boiling water 'trick' a few times...I always end up with an unintended crack in the plastic. It's not the worst thing in the world as the fipple is still usable, but it's just not what I was hoping for.

Petey

[MTGuru]

I've tried the boiling water 'trick' a few times...I always end up with an unintended crack in the plastic. It's not the worst thing in the world as the fipple is still usable, but it's just not what I was hoping for.

Are you referring specifically to the Oak? Or some other whistle? I've done Gens without a problem. Water very hot, but not boiling.

[Dain]

Unless it's a stubborn C.

[hoopy mike]

If all else fails, and you need something in tune in C, you could switch to r*cord*r....

Of course, if you had filled in your location, there might be someone local who could help by loaning you a whistle.

[ladysolo]

I'm in the Salt Lake City area. I think I will try the freezer/hot water method tonight.

Did I just get a bad Oak? We actually ordered 4 (2 in C and 2 in D) and both of the Cs, at least, are sharp by nearly a half tone. We haven't checked the Ds yet. Frustrating.

I'm actually playing the PW with an alto and tenor recorder - we wanted a different sound for the melody.

[MTGuru]

Did I just get a bad Oak?

Bad? No, it's a tunable instrument, so you have to, you know ... tune it.

(Yes, the historical reasons that some Gen-type whistles are not more easily tunable is a larger, weirder issue.)

Again, I'd try careful brute force before subjecting it to water torture. Rubber gloves, rubber bands, your friendly neighborhood body-builder. It's possible you just don't have enough personal strength to move the head. Once off, a bit of cork grease on the end of the tube should make things easier. Hot/cold treatment always runs some risk of cracking or deforming the head, so it should be your second choice.

[FJohnSharp]

Also, once you get it off, if you know someone who can burnish the end of the tube a little it will help get it back on and keep it moveable.

[ladysolo]

Hello everyone! Thanks for the suggestions.

Yes it's true, I have ropey little arms and a very weak grip. I did pass it to my husband, who wasn't able to budge it either, although I'm sure there wasn't enough rubber involved. So I tried the freezer/hot water method tonight and it worked PERFECTLY. The head slid right off with hardly any effort at all. I was considering greasing it or something but it was so easy to get off that I'll just do it that way again if it ever needs retuning.

Thanks everyone, for the quick and varied responses!!

[MTGuru]

Good luck with your gig.