Hello
I’m a uilleann piper living in JAPAN.
Today I met a lady who owns a set of cabrette in G and asked to make a cane chanter reed for the set.
I know how to make reeds for uilleann pipes but know nothing about this bagpipe.I learned how to play the scale,but only that.
I found some information about reedmaking in the following site http://www.cabrette.com/
but I cannot read French at all
I would be glad if someone could give me some basic tips for reeding this instrument. I have various size of spanish cane from 22mm ti 26mm and can roll the staple if required.
There is a section on making chanter reeds on Cabrette.com if you select Fabrication from the side menu then Les anches. If you scan through you should be able to pick out measurements.
Monsieur Rutan (ChasR) is our resident player of continental pipes and Yuri too(?). I can translate most of the French but they would have the practical knowledge.
The flute maker Casey Burns knows quite a bit about French bagpipes and making reeds. He could give you an idea too.
The lady is obsessed with the old french musset music,especially in the Occitania region. She got the set from an artist called Michel Esbelin and the set seems to be a lovely set,which she told me that is a very old set and the set was mounted in Ivory(She was lucky to have the pipes come through the custom,no certification,just luck )
She had both cane and plastic(yogurt countainer)reed but told me that she don’t like the tone of the plastic one.The cane reed sounded quite mellow overall but don’t know if it is because of the material.
I examined that reed, the staple had the inside diameter of about 3.7mm at the bottom and the length is about 45mm. Handrolled from about 0.3mm copper sheet. I couldn’t take the reed apart so looked in from the end of the staple and the staple seems to have quite a steep taper with a small width aperature.
The plastic one was much more big reed compared to the cane one had a tubing staple.
I have the Quinn book so will have a look at it. Also will ask Casey for further information. Its a pitty that I have never learned French in my life!
But Yuri, do you have another way to get ulcers, grey hair, partially controllable fits of rage, brooding fustration, disconnect from society, spousal neglect, civic citations from overgrown foliage around your property, an impending sense of futility, and general depressive lethargy?
I’d hate to think you were missing out on all the reedmaking fun!
innerhand: Please, let us know how you get on with the task! Bon Chance!
I do make single reeds.
Also the thingies they go into.
As well as the windways/edges, whatever you call it of flue instruments. (colloquially called the “fipple”, except no-one seems to know just what “fipple” is.
All these give me that particular "ROOOAAARRRRGGGGHHHHMMMMKHHKHHKHH11111sort of feeling.
And I haven’t got a spouse. (Don’t know if a girlfriend counts)
And I mow the lawn like a good citizen. .. … [/b] ROOOOAAARRRRGGGGHHHHMMMMKHKHKHKH1111****
Not bad. The overall meaning is there. One can’t really expect an online translator to know the particulars of bagpipe and reed terminology. Hence the staple is called a ‘gun,’ the bridle the ‘binding’ and the flat of the binding the ‘dish.’
I can only recommend listening to Michel Esbelin who is one of the best “cabrettaïres” in France, along with Dominique Paris and François Lazarevitch.
There’s also a list of Cabrette reedmakers in france on Cabrette.com, just in case…
the problem with the makers is .often they want the instrument to make the right reed ,
for example i just received a chabrette in g . from france , called chabrette a miroir ,(mirror chabrette ), from claude girard . i the girl who sold me made a bad wrapping .. even stupid ( chanter reed without protection instaled on chanter louses in the box… , result the reed was split and half !, the maker want the chanter to make another reed , i am not hot to re-send the chanter in france . but i know it coud be the good reed for my instrument ,
soo for now i have here a very rare and nice instrument who have very nice sound on drones .. but a chanter who do not work .. those reeds are 50 euro each , the best way .will be to oprder 3 rreds from him and take a chance one of those will work perfect … salut sylvain, quebec canada
or do you know a place where i can find material to made plastic reed it is very dry plastic , it was told me belgian yougourt container is good for this , but i dont want to try to find and import yougourt containers for this lollll…
)
