Hello everyone,
I am a, well let’s say proud, owner of a Lauriebeck D chanter. Now I am in need of a new chanter but alas I am not very handy in making my own reeds. Could anyone please point me to a location where I can find a fitting chanter reed? It seems Lauriebeck only offers reeds for Smallpipe Chanters as pointed out on their website. Would such one work too?
Any help appreciated.
Location is a point - whereabouts are you located (just to give us a chance to maybe help you)?
You don’t usually find fitting chanter reeds off the shelf.
A Smallpipe reed will most probably not work properly in an Uilleann pipe chanter.
I am quite sure Lauriebeck will be able and willing to make a reed for your chanter, if it was made by them.
Depending on whereabouts in the world you are located, it might be a good idea to ask Lauriebeck for the measurements and having the reed made by someone living near to you - the best reedmaker (and the best pipemaker, too) is the one living nearest to you; reeds are in a big way subject to climatic changes.
Lauriebeck smallpipes are made by Alec Smith on the Isle of Wright, I believe. I am not sure that he even makes uilleann pipe chanters. You may want to contact him to determine if he made the chanter. I have seen a few chanters floating around on e-bay and e-bay UK that are supposed to have been made by “Lauriebeck” 
Thank you very much. I am located in Germany … poor me lol
I already contacted lauriebeck but as for now they have not answered if they really made that chanter. I bought it from ebay and they told me it is a Lauriebeck but there is nothing on the chanter to know who made it (pipemakers don’t usually write their logos on the chanters, do they? I come from a piano background and a piano without logo is very seldom)
There are various plastic chanters available but I am generally not into anything artificial.
Btw. What makes a reed unique for the use in a specific chanter? If one looks into the reedmaking books they all have the same dimensions.