I have run into dispaire… I have a well tuned low octave but the high octave is going 20 cent sharp as we get above high G. I am so happy with the lower tuning that I dare not touch anything. Is this something that we pipers just live with or should I be more fussy?
On another note . I know this issue has been covered before but when I do a search I have to sift through mundacity. I hereby accept Dales delegation to delegate someone to please sift, cut, …paste…index and catologue all the wonderful information and add it to the FAQs. It would all be there at you fingertips if ya know what I mean. Thank to that someone in advance…I’d do it myself but I still have about 20 more years of Piping to catch up on in a short span of time.
Until the experts weigh in, here’s the way I understand a sharp upper octave.
There’s too much internal volume of air space in the reed/staple combination. This air volume could be reduced by a number of methods in making the reed, or by a quick fix after the reed is made. In making the reed, the staple may be too large diameter, or it may not be inserted into the blades far enough. The blades may be too long or too wide…but width has more of an effect on the D note if I remember correctly.
Best quick fix is to insert a thin wire (or something) into the staple to displace the volume of air. Not sure how these are attached, but I’ve read about it. Perhaps bent at the bottom into a U shape and held in place by this spring action…don’t know. I’ve heard of gluing, but that seems more difficult and irreversible.
I’ve had some chanters with chronically sharp A n Bs in the 2nd 8ve, and the best cure seemes to be to make a narrower staple (something for a C chanter? about 3.7mm i.d?) this sorts out the tuning “spread” in the 2nd, but puts it way flat of the 1st. Rushing is then introduced to flatten 1st 8ve and hey presto!! An improvement at least. But I’m talking about pretty bad chanters. If it’s not too bad, I find that extending and flattening the flare of the staple (not the staple length) helps (in effect reducing the staples volume). Obviously you may not want to mess with the reed by deconstructing it etc., so, as Lorenzo says, a small rush up the staple will hopefully help. One way is using a roll of paper that fixes it self when you stick it up the staple, and all you need do is tear some of if it’s too much, or simply cut another piece…It still makes me boggle that there should be these problems when buying pipes.
Just for the record I am confident the chanter, a new Gallagher, is fine as I had it in good tune with this reed on purchase one month ago. Its just that well ya know …the weather changes and I futs the reed this way..that way and voala I have landed out of the tune box. This is common with me and I hate myslef for even touching the reed…but I can’t help myself…such is the learning process. :roll:
The first thing I check if something goes radically wacky is leaks on the side of the reed head and/or wrapping.
I cover the reed lips with a finger, wet my thumb and forefinger on the other hand (to better feel leaks), then give a quick puff into the staple.
If I feel air on my wet fingers, I use a wood glue (that Elmer’s white stuff) and put a drop on my finger and draw it from the bridle up to almost the the end of the reed tip to seal the leak. This leaves a rubbery seal along the edges.
Make sure you have no leaks in the wrapping. Scrub it with beeswax and polish it with a round pencil or scrap of cane until it melts into the thread.
It’s just a matter of learning how to adjust the tuning of the chanter/reed. The normal adjustments to a good chanter/reed are:
Opening/closing the lips
Raising/lowering the reed in the reed seat.
Rushing the staple, rushing/taping/puttying chanter.
Dry weather will tend to “unscrape” your reed (more playing pressure when properly adjusted) and close the lips (which lowers playing pressure, sharpening overall and throwing lots of notes off), damp weather tends to soften your playing pressure (when adjusted properly) and opening the lips (increasing playing pressure and flattening the reed overall, also making the back D less pressure sensitive).
Basically, first open or close the reed lips to get close to the playing pressure you want/need.
Generally, this is the area where the “autocran” of a too closed reed disappears, the hard D comes in easily and the back D gets stable and the reed “sings” properly.
Now, move the reed up/down until the hard D and back D are in tune or slightly sharp against the drones. Tape/putty/rush these into tune. Now, check the other notes against the drones. A, G and F# should harmonize very with the drones and the (lower octave, of course) C natural should have that haunting resonant sound, . Rush/putty until these are as perfect as you can get them in both octaves.
It takes considerable fiddling around the first few times until you find the magic spot. I know some pipers that have a few years under their belt that still have trouble getting the beast tamed.
Order a couple of staples from Seth and some reed tools and make a few chanter reeds yourself. That will teach you how to adjust them and you won’t be timid about adjusting them.
You may need a cold weather reed and a warm weather reed. Some people do.
Thank to that someone in advance…I’d do it myself but I still have about 20 more years of Piping to catch up on in a short span of time. 
Just for the record I am confident the chanter, a new Gallagher, is fine as I had it in good tune with this reed on purchase one month ago. Its just that well ya know …the weather changes and I futs the reed this way..that way and voala I have landed out of the tune box. This is common with me and I hate myslef for even touching the reed…but I can’t help myself…such is the learning process. :roll: