Hi, everybody. My favorite reed maker Joseph told me he’s out of commission for the time being. Is there anyone local in the Florida area where I can get a reed or two made? My pipe maker refuses to do it and charges $160 per reed to discourage people because according to him it’s not worth his time. I won’t post the make of the pipes except by email from a reed maker.
I will learn reed making eventually. For now I used the superglue method to try to repair the crack so we’ll see what happens.
Does Ford or Toyota supply their cars but refuse to provide spare parts? Imaine the reaction if those makers told consumers to make their own parts when they need replacing.
I know reed making is an almost-essential skill for pipers, but it takes time to learn and I think a pipe maker should have some level of responsibility to support their products.
Thoughts?
If it’s the pipemaker I think it is, he tends to do a large batch of reeds and it might just be a question of timing.
I think that Peter Hunter has an “approved” independent reedmaker for his pipes. That’s a good idea for a busy pipemaker who prefers to concentrate on filling orders for pipes.
My pipe maker refuses to do it and charges $160 per reed to discourage people because according to him it’s not worth his time.
Man, one of those a day and I could retire now on a modest income - $41,600 per year and still refused to do the work? Is this person a member of the US Congress?
This doesn’t seem to be a good way to keep business. It would cost a lot to get a full set reeded.
But it is kind of what Ford, Toyota, and the other auto dealers do. They charge a ridiculous amount for parts, and that was not always the case for auto parts.
Pipemaking is done on a scale which is smaller and infinately more personal than almost any other manufacturing processes today.
Regarding the marketing of the pipes, there are no regional distributors, sales representatives, commission agents or intermediaries of any sort. You’re buying straight from the maker. He/she decides the price (well, as far as competition with other makers allows). The internet has probably been the biggest change in terms of marketing.
Concerning their manufacture, with the exception of electrical tools, I suspect that very little has changed in their process in 250 years
In other words, in many ways, the pipemaking business model more closely resembles that of the pre-Industrial Revolution era.
I know you’ve asked for a recommendation for a “local” reedmaker, but I’d go with Pat Sky. He reeded up my Preshaw chanter a while back (accordng to Pat it was his first attempt at a Preshaw) and it sounds fantastic.
I ended up with 2 reeds from him for WAY less than what your maker would charge for one. Plus, he’s a wealth of knowledge and was more than happy to discuss reeds at length via phone.
I don’t have the bucks right now to get a reed as I was layed off from my job. Pat Skye was very nice and said he will make one or two for me when I’m ready. In the mean time I superglued the crack in my reed and sanded it a bit. It plays well in both octaves but the high D and C# are flat and practically the same pitch. I noticed that when I squeeze the bag harder the pitch goes up to almost normal. I can’t push the reed into the chanter any further so now I’m asking, what else can I do to this reed to get it right?
I usually do a spider leg trim chop with a razor blade after a glue job and sometimes an insertion of 400 grit Emery cloth into the lips and gently squeeze between thumb and fore finger to smooth the inside of the reeds opening. do it on both of the inside of the lips.
Only if you feel confident with these procedures though.
