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!

Response on BPF about the "best" innovations

Drone Valves: I've read the "Worst" posts and I have to say I love my drone valves - guess I'm just one of those lazy pipers, but I haven't noticed any difference in tone. Perhaps at a higher level of play I might think differently, but for me they have been a huge help. My bag is nearly full when I strike in and cut offs are a piece of cake. I use the hyland drone valves with my cannister system - had to fiddle with them a bit to get them working right, but I've not had any problems with them.

Synthetic Bags: I was handed a set of pipes with a hide bag by my instructor back when I started on pipes. I absolutely hated it. When I had the cash to get my own pipes I got a Ross Cannister zipper bag with all the guts. My instructor tried very hard to discourage me from going with a zipper, but I ignored his advice and interestingly enough he now plays a zipper bag.

The cloth bag felt pretty flimsy at first, but once I got used to it - wow. I'd never go back to the hide bag. There is a hybrid bag made by Gannaway which combines hide and synthetic. I've seen them, but haven't tried one - might be a nice compromise.

Not the best yet: I've read the posts about the synthetic chanter reed as well. I have heard one of those being played and I have to agree that it didn't sound as good as cane, but I wouldn't be too quick to pass them off as a bad innovation. I think it is only a matter of time before a material or method of production is found that will match the quality of cane and overcome some of the downsides of a cane reed.

Final note: At a certain level there is perhaps enough of a difference to embrace the sheep skin bag and cane reeds (drone and chanter) but I'm not there and at my age doubt that I will be. I love playing my pipes and that's what matters to me. If something makes that easier for me and I can't notice a change in the quality of the sound, then it's all good as far as I'm concerned.