A guy I know found out that I’ve been making uilleann chanter reeds,and asked me to try to make one for his highland pipe practice chanter.The current reed is weak,and plays the bottom three notes two octaves higher than it’s supposed to.
I know nothing about this kind of reed,but it looks a lot like the uilleann ones.It’s smaller,and made of some kind of plastic.
Does anyone know what kind of plastic I can use? Or any links about making these reeds?
Thanks!
-Kelly
Lucky you. You can buy the plastic ones premade: http://www.scottshighland.com/pipe/pipereed.htm
(if you like plastic reeds).
djm
Hmmm…if your friend is in such a position that he doesn’t know where to buy himself a new reed, his chanter could be equally to blame.
John Walsh PC reeds are generally the best for plugging and playing in any random chanter. And his long practice chanters are pretty cheap and sound pretty good.
I doubt it’s worth the pain trying to make up your own. If you’re feeling inventive, try making some in cane - if you make a good one, you could make some money selling them, lots of folk are looking for them.
Cheers,
Calum
Make sure to use the staple from his reed if it worked in the chanter when the reed was good. If it’s always been a problem, it may be the chanter it self. Some are best used as backscratchers or firewood.
Marc
Those practice chanter reeds are so cheap. If you need one quick you could retie the old one and see if that works.
Douglas:I retied it,and it worked!Thank you!I don’t know if I would have thought of that on my own.Now I don’t have to deal with making a new one.Whew!
Wow that is great. I’m glad I could help.
A long time ago, when I played the GHP’s alot. I remember I used to soak those plastic reeds in hot hot when they were bad. I made a little wood form to tie them into. Some times it help, usually they really worped, but if they were already messed up, it was worth a try.