Anyone have any feedback on the Moller and Concannon NPU Reedmaking video? Worth it? Can’t hurt to have it?
Thanks for any input,
This is an excellent introduction to reed making if you are not familiar with the process. Even if you have only seen the procedure once at a tionol, you can’t replay the experience, so I think having this video is great for having the ability to replay each step. The process is layed out step by step. A few topics are mentioned about what can go wrong, but most of the time it is about doing it right. In other words, this is not a trouble shooting guide, but a straight forward how-to documentary.
I should mention that Allan’s measurements and methods don’t work for me as far as specifics, but for general methodology I think this is a great introduction. For trouble shooting issues you would still want to avail yourself of the several reed making books. For measurements for your own reeds you should still refer back to your pipemaker if possible. No one source seems to contain all information. Everyone seems to forget or hold back some snippet of hard-won information. Then there’s all the experts on this forum … 
djm
I think there is a NPU-driven reed-making video/dvd in the pipelines soon.
[Filming Sept/Oct time I think]
I thought Alan Moeller’s video was an independant project.
Boyd
Boyd, I believe you are correct, but NPU is the only outlet for the Moller video that I am aware of.
djm
Does anyone know who the reedmaker featured on this new NPU reedmaking video will be?
Patrick.
Well, its mostly rumour at this point, but the trade magazines are pretty sure it will be Royce. 
djm
Yes, C O’B is one, though I don’t know if it’s meant to be secret . I’m not sure if there is to be more than one maker on it?
Alan
I thought Alan Moeller’s video was an independant project.
Boyd, I believe you are correct, but NPU is the only outlet
Thanks for the clarification; that’s my own ignorance suggesting it’s an NPU produced video.
DJM, thx for the input… it’s a little expensive, but i figure worth something just to “see” the steps rather than read the steps with drawings or still photos.
Rumor is the greatest reedmaker in the world may be featured on the video/DVD but 'm not sure that is confirmed.
Probably would be a good idea to have several reedmakers involved given the diffferences in approach and the fact that some techniques and measures will work for some pipes and not others.
The aim of the project should be to provide a practical general approach that would be modified according to tastes and particualr needs of a chanter and set. We need to be instructed on many various and sundry points that can be applied to the construction of a reeds. Time should be given to reeding the flat pitched chanter and, when appropriate, comparison made with the process of reeding concert pitch instruments. Also, segments on drones, including composite reeds, and reg reeds would be important. Perhaps there can be mini-segments by the top 5 or 10 pipemakers discussing the particular approach to reeding their instruments. As it is, considering all of the different steps and decision nodes involved there are about as many different ways to construct reeds as there are pipemakers. One or two guys or girls on a project would be very useful if those made your pipes but not at all useful to the rest of us with some experience working cane into reeds.
Agreed. It would be useful to have the program’s reedmaker/instructor reeding pipes not of their own manufacture, combined with a couple of totally clued-out dorks (hey! that’s me! 
) as students to ask all the really improbable questions. I doubt you’d ever get any reedmaker to accept the role, though. Too much opportunity for embarassment by an overly critical audience.
djm
Now that’s a splendid idea. I love rumours where people may do something.
:roll:
Alan
More like too many asshole questions, detracting from the job in hand. I will tell you, that there is nothing worse than the piper who wants the reed on the day, turns up with the chanter, then breaths down your neck and makes stupid comments, when your checking octave tuning, he says ‘what’s the hard d like’ ’ can you play the bucks’ etc., etc.,
It’s about how to make a reed, it should, first and foremost, show how to make reeds.
Alan
Ahh - so Dave Williams will be doing it… 
Anyway, I would like to see the emphasis on adjusting and fine tuning the reed, not the basic construction, which has been covered in detail allready…
Morten
I don’t think you can get enough of showing the basic reedmaking process. As was rightly pointed out above, everyone seems to have their own methods and little tricks. The point is to not stop there, but to carry on and point out what can go wrong, why, and how to fix it. That’s where the embarassing bits come in. If the reedmaker is in a position where they must try every trick they know to get a reed working with a particular chanter, then that is exactly what needs to be documented.
New reedmakers need to know what the tricks of the trade are in order to know what steps they can take to correct their own problems. This is where Moller’s video falls short IMHO. All his reeds in the video work straight off, even odd little unconventional things he likes to try. At no time is he faced with a poser, nor demonstrate a method of steps to follow to solve problems with different chanters. I believe this kind of demonstration of strategies is what will best server the most users of the video in the long run.
djm