I really like your honest reviews and I agree that Clarke is much better for a first whistle than a Generation. I just ordered some whistles from Hobgoblin (A Generation NIckel in Bb which isn't too horrible, much better than the Brass or Nickel in D) they are amazing for folk instruments. I live in Canada and it was very quick shipping from them, I would definitely order again.
Thinks I really appreciate your kind words . I highly rate Hobgoblin (and Canada) I cannot think of anyone who can beat them. I have a b flat Generation as well and that I'd definitely say is my best one it's in tune and do have to say it's my favourite key to listen to out of all the Irish whistle keys especially when playing the song from Titanic. If you ever want any help with anything and if you want to ask me any questions give me a shout
Cheers I'll fix it! Thanks for the feedback I appreciate your advice! Could you tell me again what the software you use for your videos are again? I was thinking more about applying animation for future videos and if possible adding social media icons to appear in my future videos.
Wish I'd watched your video before purchasing the nickel one......the one that I received in the post is terrible. I play the recorder, and thought I'd try a whistle for a change. No music stores near me, hence the reason why I purchased online. Will now be looking into the other brands that you mentioned.
If you want a decent quality Generation I recommend a tweaked one there is a professional tweaker called Jerry Freeman he sells his tweaked generations on ebay and they are considered to be of good quality
I recently bought a full set of nickel generations that also includes a brass high D one. Got them off a friend for a pittance, they used to belong to his now deceased dad. Turns out they're all pre-80s, with that characteristic oval on the mouthpiece and a sligtly narrower airway than a new generation. I just learned that this pre-80s stuff is a thing. I am new to the tin whistle and I am really enjoying the set, especially the brass one - but does anybody have an idea what stuff like that is worth? The nickels are pretty mint but the brass which is my favourite of the bunch is rather tarnished well banged up. I feel like that only adds to the charm ...
@@DavidCartmellDJCartmell Thanks man I was not aware of this website - will check it out. I also found the Chifff and Fipple forum which appears to be helpful. But I have been wondering where one could acquire used instruments - so this is very helpful. Have a great one : )
I totally agree with you on the Potter whistle also on the James Becker (Becker whistles). Both of which I got based on your review and recommendation. Extremely good values for the money. Especially the Becker. Although that may be negated a little bit if you're overseas and there's shipping or import duty to consider. But I think those are two great whistles to have in ones collection. And mega great values if you live in the states or maybe Canada. Maybe you could do a video on what you consider to be the top three or four relatively inexpensive whistles for busking. Or as inexpensive as one can go and still maintain some sort of quality for that purpose. Though here, David, I'm a little confused. The video shows you trying the nickel Generations in the store with a thumbs-up, but then you gave it a poor rating in the video. But yeah in the store you really have to go through the Generations, so everyone keeps saying. And hopefully you get there early, just when they got the new shipment in, otherwise if they've been sitting around for awhile others will have been there before you and pulled all of the good ones out of the bunch. But I think if you're going to do it that way a beginner really needs to take somebody with them that knows better what they're doing to test out the sound quality. However, the Generation reputation certainly has taken a nosedive in the last 20 years. Even Jerry Freeman, a renowned whistle tweaker (people can Google Freeman tweaked whistles) has given up on tweaking their D whistles, because he never knew what problem he was going to find from one to the next that he was going to have to correct... which usually involves making painstaking adjustments down to less than the millimeter level But he still does there B flats. living in Orange County California there's not really many places you can pop into and buy a whistle (read none) so I rely heavily on David here as well as Stephanie (cutie pie on UA-cam) and the lady who has the channel to call flute of the world. I'll put the link of that channel below because it's kind of hard to find amongst all the other channels of the same and she reviews flutes and recorders and whistles. Well, actually, she showcases them more than reviews them, but still good reference. And a lot of what Stephanie/CutiePie does is sponsored, so there is that to consider. But between the three channels you can really get a good idea about the whistle you might be interested in purchasing. Especially if you have to rely on mail order as I do. The Flutes of the World lady has been dong more flutes and recorders lately so you have to scroll down a little bit to find her whistles. But here's the link for reference. ua-cam.com/video/2JQ4sCs0Auw/v-deo.html
Those are good ideas for videos I'll seriously think of doing them many thanks as always bro! My number one fan from the OC! I'll definitely take a look at flutes of the world it sounds really interesting! LOL! All is not as it seems. The thumbs up bit of me in the store was me actually asking the store assistant if she successfully recorded me this time which she answered yes. We had a few problems beforehand. I played two different nickel Whistles the one at the store and the one I already own at my house was the one that I reviewed. I'll have to take a look at Jerry freeman sometime as well come to think of it!
I have four whistles from Mr. Becker, a D, C, Bb and low D. They are each very enjoyable to play. A very exceptional value for the modest price James charges.
New to the world of whistles... I've been practicing on a Generation Boho... it looks pretty but the sound is not quite there. Wish I'd watched your review first. I find that it's ok on the lower octave, its ropey on the high octave, and the c natural is off so I avoid playing it... after this review, I've decided the boho is great aesthetically but its form over function. I am now looking to get a better starter instrument, probably a classic Clarke. Thanks again for this review
Hi, David! Just learned that Generation whistles actually did have their own website and has released a new line of whistles: the Aurora Fageolets! They look nice and from what I could tell sounded pretty similar to Sweetones. Maybe you can do a review on them after they start shipping their products again? Here's the Generation website: generationmusic.co.uk/
Sorry to say, I think you do Generation a disservice. Yes, the company has legendarily poor quality control. At the same time, though, when they get a whistle right, it's a thing of true beauty. Many of the best pro whistlers play Gens. It's kind of a cliche that a whistler will go to a music store and play every Gen they have in stock, and find, after one or two hundred attempts, a "good one". In fact, this may be an exaggeration, as it's been estimated by a couple of people (independently of one another) that maybe 6% of Generation's output ranges from "good" to "sublime"; an equal proportion is generally unplayable, and the rest (that's about 88%) are simply mediocre. So, in other words, if you're going to rate Generation based on their average output, yes, their whistles won't compare well against the likes of Feadóg or Oak.* If you're thinking of buying a Gen without trying it out first, you're probably better off not. But if you can find a "good one", you'll have an instrument that will compete favourably against almost any other whistle. Another thing to note is that even mediocre Gens can be tweaked into good instruments. Tweaking a pennywhistle takes patience and skill, and if not done right will easily ruin the whistle, but there are quite a few people out there who will tweak a whistle for you for only a modest fee. So, in theory, you could get a mediocre Gen, get it tweaked, and have a whistle that'll hold its own pretty well. That being said, you could also get a Feadóg or an Oak for less than the Gen plus tweaking, and have a pennywhistle largely comparable to one of the better Gens. (I'm lucky enough to have a "good" Gen, though, and while I'm very fond of my Feadóg and my Oak, the Gen is easily a level above either -- and it's not been tweaked.) Opinions will vary as to which option is preferable (look for a "good Gen", get an ordinary Gen and have it tweaked well, or go for a different company with better QC). But regardless, again, Gens deserve respect, even if only conditionally. * I exclude Clarke intentionally here: I figure it's fairest to compare one brass-pipe-plus-plastic-mouthpiece-type pennywhistle against another. For the record, I'm a big fan of Clarkes; they're just (to my mind at least) very different beasts.
As for Clarke, I like the D original but, to me, I don't enjoy either the tone or the feeling of playing the Sweetone. I've tried, I keep putting it away for a while, practicing on other whistles then picking it up thinking I'll suddenly like it this time But I never do. Not sure why
In the early days of Top Whistle there were a few extreme malicious trolls who targeted my videos on a daily basis. Some quite xenophobic by nature because of me being English and reviewing Irish Whistles. As someone of Irish descent through my grandmother I didn't like waking up to it appearing on my phone every morning.
@@soslothful I concede to some degree it was a little short sighted on my part. The things that you mentioned are valid. When I made the decision on some of the videos it was also around the time my grandad passed away and I was really going through a lot of personal distress at the time . I was saddened by the loss and didn't need the abuse from a minority of viewers. .
@@DavidCartmellDJCartmell ah, thanks for the clarification--I was also wondering about that. I did notice a mistake in your "Shaw"-review but couldn't comment, since comments were disabled. The "Shaw" is not made of tin but nickel silver. Unlike the Clarke "original". So it will not rust. Thanks for all the good work!
I prefer the brass I have tried Waltons and Clarke fipple it's hard to get lir and other pro fipple in the outback. City is 6hours away
Thank you!!
I really like your honest reviews and I agree that Clarke is much better for a first whistle than a Generation. I just ordered some whistles from Hobgoblin (A Generation NIckel in Bb which isn't too horrible, much better than the Brass or Nickel in D) they are amazing for folk instruments. I live in Canada and it was very quick shipping from them, I would definitely order again.
Thinks I really appreciate your kind words . I highly rate Hobgoblin (and Canada) I cannot think of anyone who can beat them. I have a b flat Generation as well and that I'd definitely say is my best one it's in tune and do have to say it's my favourite key to listen to out of all the Irish whistle keys especially when playing the song from Titanic. If you ever want any help with anything and if you want to ask me any questions give me a shout
Great video David... you know that your instagram link does not work... it's missing the '986' off the end...
Cheers I'll fix it! Thanks for the feedback I appreciate your advice! Could you tell me again what the software you use for your videos are again? I was thinking more about applying animation for future videos and if possible adding social media icons to appear in my future videos.
Wish I'd watched your video before purchasing the nickel one......the one that I received in the post is terrible. I play the recorder, and thought I'd try a whistle for a change. No music stores near me, hence the reason why I purchased online. Will now be looking into the other brands that you mentioned.
If you want a decent quality Generation I recommend a tweaked one there is a professional tweaker called Jerry Freeman he sells his tweaked generations on ebay and they are considered to be of good quality
I recently bought a full set of nickel generations that also includes a brass high D one. Got them off a friend for a pittance, they used to belong to his now deceased dad. Turns out they're all pre-80s, with that characteristic oval on the mouthpiece and a sligtly narrower airway than a new generation. I just learned that this pre-80s stuff is a thing. I am new to the tin whistle and I am really enjoying the set, especially the brass one - but does anybody have an idea what stuff like that is worth? The nickels are pretty mint but the brass which is my favourite of the bunch is rather tarnished well banged up. I feel like that only adds to the charm ...
Try contacting the Irish flute store website. They sell second hand Whistles. They're better qualified to make an evaluation of the Whistles value
@@DavidCartmellDJCartmell Thanks man I was not aware of this website - will check it out. I also found the Chifff and Fipple forum which appears to be helpful. But I have been wondering where one could acquire used instruments - so this is very helpful. Have a great one : )
I totally agree with you on the Potter whistle also on the James Becker (Becker whistles). Both of which I got based on your review and recommendation.
Extremely good values for the money. Especially the Becker. Although that may be negated a little bit if you're overseas and there's shipping or import duty to consider. But I think those are two great whistles to have in ones collection. And mega great values if you live in the states or maybe Canada.
Maybe you could do a video on what you consider to be the top three or four relatively inexpensive whistles for busking.
Or as inexpensive as one can go and still maintain some sort of quality for that purpose.
Though here, David, I'm a little confused. The video shows you trying the nickel Generations in the store with a thumbs-up, but then you gave it a poor rating in the video.
But yeah in the store you really have to go through the Generations, so everyone keeps saying.
And hopefully you get there early, just when they got the new shipment in, otherwise if they've been sitting around for awhile others will have been there before you and pulled all of the good ones out of the bunch. But I think if you're going to do it that way a beginner really needs to take somebody with them that knows better what they're doing to test out the sound quality.
However, the Generation reputation certainly has taken a nosedive in the last 20 years.
Even Jerry Freeman, a renowned whistle tweaker (people can Google Freeman tweaked whistles) has given up on tweaking their D whistles, because he never knew what problem he was going to find from one to the next that he was going to have to correct... which usually involves making painstaking adjustments down to less than the millimeter level But he still does there B flats.
living in Orange County California there's not really many places you can pop into and buy a whistle (read none) so I rely heavily on David here as well as Stephanie (cutie pie on UA-cam) and the lady who has the channel to call flute of the world. I'll put the link of that channel below because it's kind of hard to find amongst all the other channels of the same and she reviews flutes and recorders and whistles. Well, actually, she showcases them more than reviews them, but still good reference. And a lot of what Stephanie/CutiePie does is sponsored, so there is that to consider. But between the three channels you can really get a good idea about the whistle you might be interested in purchasing. Especially if you have to rely on mail order as I do.
The Flutes of the World lady has been dong more flutes and recorders lately so you have to scroll down a little bit to find her whistles. But here's the link for reference.
ua-cam.com/video/2JQ4sCs0Auw/v-deo.html
Those are good ideas for videos I'll seriously think of doing them many thanks as always bro! My number one fan from the OC!
I'll definitely take a look at flutes of the world it sounds really interesting!
LOL! All is not as it seems. The thumbs up bit of me in the store was me actually asking the store assistant if she successfully recorded me this time which she answered yes. We had a few problems beforehand.
I played two different nickel Whistles the one at the store and the one I already own at my house was the one that I reviewed.
I'll have to take a look at Jerry freeman sometime as well come to think of it!
I have four whistles from Mr. Becker, a D, C, Bb and low D. They are each very enjoyable to play. A very exceptional value for the modest price James charges.
Thank you, helped a lot!
New to the world of whistles... I've been practicing on a Generation Boho... it looks pretty but the sound is not quite there. Wish I'd watched your review first. I find that it's ok on the lower octave, its ropey on the high octave, and the c natural is off so I avoid playing it... after this review, I've decided the boho is great aesthetically but its form over function. I am now looking to get a better starter instrument, probably a classic Clarke. Thanks again for this review
Hi, David! Just learned that Generation whistles actually did have their own website and has released a new line of whistles: the Aurora Fageolets! They look nice and from what I could tell sounded pretty similar to Sweetones. Maybe you can do a review on them after they start shipping their products again? Here's the Generation website: generationmusic.co.uk/
Cheers I'll look into it when things get back to normal
Sorry to say, I think you do Generation a disservice.
Yes, the company has legendarily poor quality control. At the same time, though, when they get a whistle right, it's a thing of true beauty. Many of the best pro whistlers play Gens. It's kind of a cliche that a whistler will go to a music store and play every Gen they have in stock, and find, after one or two hundred attempts, a "good one". In fact, this may be an exaggeration, as it's been estimated by a couple of people (independently of one another) that maybe 6% of Generation's output ranges from "good" to "sublime"; an equal proportion is generally unplayable, and the rest (that's about 88%) are simply mediocre.
So, in other words, if you're going to rate Generation based on their average output, yes, their whistles won't compare well against the likes of Feadóg or Oak.* If you're thinking of buying a Gen without trying it out first, you're probably better off not. But if you can find a "good one", you'll have an instrument that will compete favourably against almost any other whistle.
Another thing to note is that even mediocre Gens can be tweaked into good instruments. Tweaking a pennywhistle takes patience and skill, and if not done right will easily ruin the whistle, but there are quite a few people out there who will tweak a whistle for you for only a modest fee. So, in theory, you could get a mediocre Gen, get it tweaked, and have a whistle that'll hold its own pretty well.
That being said, you could also get a Feadóg or an Oak for less than the Gen plus tweaking, and have a pennywhistle largely comparable to one of the better Gens. (I'm lucky enough to have a "good" Gen, though, and while I'm very fond of my Feadóg and my Oak, the Gen is easily a level above either -- and it's not been tweaked.)
Opinions will vary as to which option is preferable (look for a "good Gen", get an ordinary Gen and have it tweaked well, or go for a different company with better QC). But regardless, again, Gens deserve respect, even if only conditionally.
* I exclude Clarke intentionally here: I figure it's fairest to compare one brass-pipe-plus-plastic-mouthpiece-type pennywhistle against another. For the record, I'm a big fan of Clarkes; they're just (to my mind at least) very different beasts.
As for Clarke, I like the D original but, to me, I don't enjoy either the tone or the feeling of playing the Sweetone. I've tried, I keep putting it away for a while, practicing on other whistles then picking it up thinking I'll suddenly like it this time But I never do. Not sure why
Video starts at 1:28
I have a blue Generation
I have a red Generation
Hi David - I have watched some of your reviews of high end whistles and was very surprised to find the Comments section disabled. Why is this?
In the early days of Top Whistle there were a few extreme malicious trolls who targeted my videos on a daily basis. Some quite xenophobic by nature because of me being English and reviewing Irish Whistles. As someone of Irish descent through my grandmother I didn't like waking up to it appearing on my phone every morning.
@@DavidCartmellDJCartmell
This is disheartening. It certainly stops viewer from engaging in discussion and exchange which may benefit everyone.
@@soslothful I concede to some degree it was a little short sighted on my part. The things that you mentioned are valid. When I made the decision on some of the videos it was also around the time my grandad passed away and I was really going through a lot of personal distress at the time . I was saddened by the loss and didn't need the abuse from a minority of viewers. .
@@DavidCartmellDJCartmell ah, thanks for the clarification--I was also wondering about that. I did notice a mistake in your "Shaw"-review but couldn't comment, since comments were disabled. The "Shaw" is not made of tin but nickel silver. Unlike the Clarke "original". So it will not rust.
Thanks for all the good work!
@@DavidCartmellDJCartmell The funny thing is the modern tin whistle was created by an Englishmen.... Mr. Clarke lol
You shouldn't review musical instruments with effects for fucks sake
Waltons and generations plastic heads crack easily
They are consistently rubbish, but can be tweaked to be better, Clark is the cheapest but not that good really .