emtor wrote:
What on earth did Generation think of when they decided go down the plastic fipple path???
Increasing profits by replacing skilled craftspersons with an injection-moulding machine, perhaps increasing production at the same time, i.e. more profit through cheaper mass production, i.e. the usual story.....emtor wrote:What on earth did Generation think of when they decided go down the plastic fipple path???
Most likely they didn't care. Lead was considered unharmful by the industry,-a natural substance.Perhaps they thought plastic was safer than lead.
After messing about with bakelite I too can see why plastics became popular.pancelticpiper wrote:Thing is, injection-moulded plastic was all the rage in the 1950s; it was viewed as an exciting new technology, sort of 'hip'.
A whole new industry, plastic model kits, was born, and was quite popular in the 1960s.
I can see Generation, back then, thinking that they needed to stay modern, current, and relevant. Plus, they probably discovered that using plastic heads was cheaper to mass produce.
Well Emtor that is a very interesting whistle to have in a collection.emtor wrote:Mind your saliva folks,-here's something to really drool over.
Forget Copeland whistles, or any other brand for that matter.
This gem is rare and hard to come by, and not only that,-it has a sound that most whistles could envy.
Allow me to present a Generation D-whistle made before the plastic fipple era.
The sound? -No raspiness . . . at all.
Smooth and pleasant second octave.
Responsive.
Perfectly in tune with itself through both octaves.
Not prone to clogging.
Somebody at Generation saw "The Graduate"?emtor wrote: What on earth did Generation think of when they decided go down the plastic fipple path???
That might be just a little over the top -- some of the best sounding whistles I've ever heard were plastic-headed generations, and I've heard and played whistles made out of wood, aluminum, delrin, etc. (but admittedly not a true tin Generation) that couldn't hold a candle to some of my plastic-headed generations, tweaked or otherwise. And much of the recorded whistling prior to the nineties (and much of it since) was made using those plastic-headed whistles. I don't even think it's necessarily accurate to say that Generations switched to plastic to make more money -- certainly it lowered costs, but I'm guessing plastic-injected molding was more predictable and consistent re quality of sound in the 50s - 80s than lead molding. I love my custom, hand-crafted whistles, but I also love the plastic Generations, and generations of us have found cheap plastic-headed Generations whistles to be great sounding, affordable instruments. My two bits.But musically it was a disaster for Generation, but then they're not around for making great whistles,-just money.
Exactly. Another indicator of the improvement the plastic heads brought is the uptake they enjoyed, with the exception of Willie Clancy's little F whistle, who stayed with the all metal ones? Had they been superior, they would have been cherished and stayed in service. But they weren't.. Regardless, generations of us have found cheap plastic-headed Generations whistles to be great sounding, affordable instruments
