To tweak, or not to tweak.

[Robbykfunk]

Hello all,

After reading through a couple of pages worth of topics in the forum, I've noticed the brand-name Generation. And half the time one sees the term "tweaked" accociated with it. Now, my question is twofold:

1. Is it really worth it to get a tweaked whistle?

2. In the process of tweaking, one would think they would have to test the instrument after every adjustment; do they test by mouth-blow, or some sort of bellows-type thing? If the former, do they do anything to sterilize the instrument before shipping? The reason I ask is I'm a little bit of a hypochondriac.

Thanks.

[Cayden]

2. I am sure they all do unspeakable things with them before they send them off, that will teach the customers!

1. Whether or not tweaked whistles are worth the price increase is entirely a personal matter, both Cillian O Briain's improved Faedogs and Generations and Jerry Freeman's tweaked Generations are nice whistles though each of the two gentleman has a different angle on improving. If you like them you will probably think them worth it, especially if you have problems with the untweaked versions of the whistles.

[glauber]

I think the main point of buying a tweaked whistle is to take away the uncertainty or the luck factor in buying a cheap whistle. This may be a good thing especially for beginners, because you don't have to wonder if the problem is with the whistle or with you (it's you!).

[Cori]

I'd reckon that dipping plastic, metal or wood mouthpieces in alcohol (or preferably having at them with a medical wipe) wouldn't do any harm and would sterilise any lurgy the maker/tweaker might pass on. But a better bet might be to ask when you consider ordering.

Self-tweaking ... (taking a hammer to my Clarke Original, nothing perverted!) ... was the best thing I ever did - it did make the sound nicer to my ear, but more than that, gave me a great sense of ownership that I'm only going to be able to equal by making my own whistles from scratch, which takes far more in the way of tools than I currently can lay hands on. I've never played a whistle tweaked by someone else, but they do seem to be thoroughly recommended all over this board, by a lot of folk whose opinions I respect.

[fancypiper]

2. In the process of tweaking, one would think they would have to test the instrument after every adjustment; do they test by mouth-blow, or some sort of bellows-type thing? If the former, do they do anything to sterilize the instrument before shipping? The reason I ask is I'm a little bit of a hypochondriac.

Thanks.

Bottle of rubbing alcohol, approx $1.29 / pint might calm your fears.

I prefer Jameson with the number at $36.85 / fifth as a sterilizing dip, myself. Now that calms my fears.

Hm.. I wonder what a soak of my Generation red top in a mixture of bleach and hydrogen peroxide would do. Maybe I could have a counterfiet Whitecap....

[TinwhistleJulian]

I prefer the tweaked tinwhistles for normal playing,at normally I play a shaw and a Chieftrain D .
Its hard to find good but cheap whistles,but if you want to play in sessions or concerts,you need a better ot tweaked whistle,cause the problems of the shopwhistles start with not fine tuning,and also you cant play them to high D safety without overblowing or scratchingsounds.
at moment i tweak my old whistles :
Generation D with the head of my old feadog
feadog with corrected and lil enlarged holes
generation f with sweettone head

that are just test trys for fun and practise,and i´ll show them here when theyre ready

Julian Kelly

[Rando7]

Hello all,

After reading through a couple of pages worth of topics in the forum, I've noticed the brand-name Generation. And half the time one sees the term "tweaked" accociated with it. Now, my question is twofold:

1. Is it really worth it to get a tweaked whistle?

2. In the process of tweaking, one would think they would have to test the instrument after every adjustment; do they test by mouth-blow, or some sort of bellows-type thing? If the former, do they do anything to sterilize the instrument before shipping? The reason I ask is I'm a little bit of a hypochondriac.

Thanks.

I can only speak for myself, but as a fellow beginner it was well worth it for me to get Jerry Freeman-tweaked whistles. As glauber said, the factory whistles are hit-and-miss.

As far as sterilizing the whistles, this is from one of Jerry's EBay ads:

(Right before mailing to you, the mouthpiece is treated with antiseptic solution and rinsed with filtered water. After that, no one touches the mouthpiece or plays the whistle until you unpack it and play it yourself.)

This should be adequate, though I've noticed since buying one of Jerry's whistles I've had an inexplicable urge to grow a beard and vote Democrat.