Saturday, April 11, 2009

Post on Practice Chanter reeds

I like the Gibson reed.

Some say it is a bit loud, but I like it. It's just loud enough to be heard and quiet enough to be pleasant inside.

I have made several PC reeds modeled on the Gibson and have found them to work well (they don't last as long as the original however).

The reed I'm using now is an original and I've had it in the chanter for over a year. I have two spares and parts to make some knock offs if I need to.

My daughter bought a chanter with a long slender reed. It had a much more mellow sound to it, but it was too quiet for my taste and if I blew even a little too hard it cut out - too light and it squawked - very tempermental.

The Gibson reed was easy to adjust the balance on as well - just a bit of sandpaper in the right place and it balanced out quite well.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jessierose View Post
I don't expect a lot from a PC reed because I'm a piper not a practice chanterer. So many people get hung up searching for the perfect practice chanter and reed but, at the end of the day, if it's decent it's good enough.


I don't necessarily look at the PC as an means to an end. My gibson pc is a great little instrument and I love to play it just for the enjoyment of something different. It's no fun to play if it doesn't sound good.

I think there are a lot of pipers who feel that the pc is a throw away piece of equipment, and perhaps a lot of them are. I decided to look at my chanter differently and purchased it as an instrument rather than a practice tool. I'm very happy with what I bought and I enjoy playing it.

I play the great highland bagpipes, the small pipes, the guitar ... and the chanter - and have also played the piano and trumpet in my youth. Would I perform with the chanter? Sure ... and I have. I guess I'm a piper, chanterer, guitarist, and at one point pianist and trumpeter. Be all that you can be!

1 comment:

Mike (AKA Pops) said...

"Do what you do for the joy of doing it." There is the wisdom of a grandfather in those words.

Pops