Hi all.
I ordered an extra reed for my chanter, that appeared to be OK when it first arrived, but not more.
After a few days and some slight bridle and seating adjustments, I found it good enough :-]
Some weeks after, and not being played for little over a week, it was almost unplayable.
I can’t say that the weather change had been that radical, but it seem to have adjusted to something.
The problem appeared as the reed being too weak; and the bridle suddenly seemed to be too loose.
I could try and move it towards the tip, but when getting the chanter back into playing position;
the bridle slides back down and closes the reed again. Has the reed shrunk that much? I dont know.
It has been stored indoors, in a wooden case.
I recorded a sound clip, right after adjusting the bridle and putting the chanter top back on.
One could hear how the sound went weak, 2nd octave squealed in, reed almost
closes eventually, and then the bridle actually vibrates and makes a weird buzzing sound.
Now, that happens even sooner. I installed a humidifier in the room where I keep the pipes, with no improvement on this issue.
Like I said, I have not tampered the reed/bridle (I would not dare), except for slightly moving the bridle up/down.
The bridle edges seem sharp so I am afraid they’ll dig into the reed if I push it too far.
See attached picture. I am not sure this bridle is very well made.
Also, it is fitted to a position on the reed where the edges are not entirely parallel,
rather have started to taper towards the staple. So it will easier slip down the reed.
What do you think; is this a typical thing to expect, or is the reed a little poorly made?
Considering the price one pays for extra reeds; should I ask for a replacement?
Who ever made that reed for you should either replace or repair it for you too.
When you receive a new reed from an area climatically different from yours, letting the reed sit for a week or two to get used to your clime is not an uncommon thing. These little squeakers need time to adjust to their new environment.
The bridle does look a bit rough-and-ready to me, but nobody can warrant a reed in a new climate. Frankly warranting reeds at all is tricky, unless you want to pay big bucks for them - maybe an 80 euro reed is warrantable, but a 40 euro reed?
If your maker is remote, and you don’t send the reed back to be ogled, you might find an experienced reedmaker near you to put a new bridle on it or adjust the existing bridle. It does sound to me as though the bridle is too loose, and the only fix is to tighten it a tiny bit (probably from the edges). But you really want know what you are doing when attempting that, it’s not risk-free.
I had a similar problem with my S. Gallagher reed, that is that the bridle slid down as soon as I started playing. It was tight but not tight enough so I tied a bit of the hemp around the bottom of the reed bridle. Works brilliantly…
Rob
There are a gazillion ways to remedy slipping bridles non-invasively. Hemp is one (and the best IMHO) but some also use a bit of bessway applied just below the bridle (same area as the hemp).
