Dixon oddness (has this happened to anyone else?)

tkelly · Post by **tkelly** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 3:53 pm

I've had my Dixon high D for just a couple of days now, and it's been seriously growing on me. But I was playing it just now, and suddenly pow -- there was no sound. It wasn't acting like it was clogging (my other whistles let me know when they're on the way, but none of them have completely cut out on me). I tried blowing and shaking, like you do with a clogged whistle, but it did no good. There was also wind where there shouldn't be -- my fingers felt like a windstorm was hitting them.

I tried adjusting the head and basically fooling with it (nothing damaging -- shaking, blowing, taking the head completely off and putting it back on). I eventually got sounds out of it, but it doesn't sound as pretty as it did before. The high notes now suck. And I still feel that wind. It feels like the air isn't going into the whistle, but is going into the fipple then out the fipple window and straight down the outside of the whistle.

What the heck?

Tery

Kar · Post by **Kar** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 5:18 pm

My Dixon A also started clogging after a few days of playing it, and yes they do just sort of cut out, don't they? It still doesn't clog excessively, just a normal amount but it did seem to take a while to start doing so.

I know this may sound gross, but instead of blowing, I suck. Just keep your mouth on the fipple and suck in. All the spittle (which was mine anyway) comes out, and voila! Of course, it goes into your mouth, but you can spit it out. This method works really well, the whistle plays clear after.

Another advantage is you don't have to stop and cover the windway and blow--you can suck up the spit in a quick sharp intake while you are playing. Again, I know it's gross, but it might save you if you're in the middle of a performance and your Dix clogs.

Danny Boy · Post by **Danny Boy** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 9:30 am

I've never had a whistle clog, including my Dixon high D. Am I doing something wrong? Is a clogged whistle like suffering for your art? Does it have anything to do with which nostril you use (I'm a lefty)?

tkelly · Post by **tkelly** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 9:41 am

The only whistle I've had clog, other than the Dixon, if that's what happened (I haven't played it since), is my Hoover -- that doesn't surprise me since it's a narrow bore and I'm not even patient enough to warm it sufficiently before playing. The chapstik worked really well with that, though -- I can play a lot longer before it clogs. The Dixon doesn't exactly have a narrow mouthpiece, which is why I didn't think that was the problem -- that, and that my usual rememedies for clogging didn't work.

I'll see what it does today.

And if you've never had a whistle clog, count yr blessings! One less thing to worry about when playing

.

Tery

OutOfBreath · Post by **OutOfBreath** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 10:26 am

On 2002-09-19 17:53, tkelly wrote:
But I was playing it just now, and suddenly pow -- there was no sound.

What the heck?

Hmmm, you weren't perhaps eating oreos just before you began playing...

John

tkelly · Post by **tkelly** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 11:20 am

You know, I stopped to think about that after Kar said it sounded like the Dix was clogging. What did I have for lunch and when . . . was there any chance . . . but no. I decided that wasn't it . . . too bad, in a way -- that would have been easy to solve.

Tery

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 12:57 pm

Try giving the whole whistle a good rinse out in soapy water.
My Dixon had quite a lot of machining debris in the bore when I got it and this will certainly cause all sorts of problems.

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 1:07 pm

Tery,
First, Drop tony a line to see if he recommends anything.

It doesn't sound like its clogging. I'm assuming it a tunable model, and it sound to me like the tuning mechanism is leaking. You might want take a piece of electrical tape and give it a quick rap around the tuning slide and see if you get an improvement. I'm not sure what Tony uses as a lubricant for the slide, if anything. If you left it out in the sun it could have expanded a little and losened the slide. As I mentioned above, drop a note to Tony or if you bought it from the Whistle Shop, Thom may be able to help.

I have never had your problem on any of the dixons I've had (6 regular-d so far). However, I have had a simular problem on another brand of tunable, composite, I had to send it back to the maker to have him fix the seal, it's played great ever since.

Hope this help so you can be just sit back and ...

_________________

Enjoy Your Music, Lee Marsh 

[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-09-20 15:09 ]

wizzywig · Post by **wizzywig** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 1:47 pm

I have this trouble all the time ,but is is usually a piece of potato clogging the windway.

goesto11 · Post by **goesto11** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 1:56 pm

I have this trouble all the time ,but is is usually a piece of potato clogging the windway.

Maybe your Overton is getting lodged in your Dixon.

tkelly · Post by **tkelly** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 2:04 pm

Thanks for the suggestion, Lee. I just e-mailed Tony Dixon. I think you're on to something with the idea about the tuning slide. I played the whistle again today. After fiddling with the head more, I got okay lows -- but not enchanting, like they were before. Getting highs nearly made me faint -- needed much more air than my Water Whistle and were way out of kilter with the lows. That's definitely different from before!

Let's see what Tony has to say. I might also try the electrical tape, since that won't hurt the whistle in any way.

Tery

garycrosby · Post by **garycrosby** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 2:12 pm

On 2002-09-20 16:04, tkelly wrote:
I might also try the electrical tape, since that won't hurt the whistle in any way.

I wouldn't use electrical tape -- its too thick, its leaves a sticky residue, and its surface friction is high. Try teflon tape instead -- its thinner, it doesn't leave a residue, and it has a lower surface friction.

LeeMarsh · Post by **LeeMarsh** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 2:50 pm

On 2002-09-20 16:12, garycrosby wrote:
On 2002-09-20 16:04, tkelly wrote:
I might also try the electrical tape, since that won't hurt the whistle in any way.
I wouldn't use electrical tape -- its too thick, its leaves a sticky residue, and its surface friction is high. Try teflon tape instead -- its thinner, it doesn't leave a residue, and it has a lower surface friction.

To make sure I was being clear:
The plastic electrical tape was just to wrap on the outside giving you an air tight seal. I wouldn't leave it on as a permanent solution but more as a quick trouble shooting test to see were the problem was.

Teflon tape is generally more for inbetween surfaces. I've seen it used to tighten joints in flutes/whistles, but not on tuning slides.

_________________

Enjoy Your Music, Lee Marsh 

[ This Message was edited by: LeeMarsh on 2002-09-20 16:53 ]

garycrosby · Post by **garycrosby** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 3:02 pm

LeeMarsh, I did misunderstand you. I thought you were advocating electrical tape in a tuning slide -- not such a good idea. But electrical tape around a tuning slide would work for sure

tkelly · Post by **tkelly** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 3:28 pm

I understood -- so I haven't gone and made the poor thing overly sticky

.

Tery