I’ve been playing a great reed made by Dave Williams for about 6 or 7 months.
It mellowed out nicely over that time but became a bit dull, needed more pressure and was less happy about jumping to second octave Gs and As.
Last week we went walking up in the Derbyshire hills and we were heading on for a few tunes at someone house after. I didn’t want to leave my pipes locked in the car but weight was an issue so I took the chanter in my rucksack on a 3 hour walk, some of it in the snow.
Setting my pipes up in the warm house afterwards I anticipated some problems and they did take 20 minutes of so to settle down.
The suprising thing is they are now playing so much easier than before with great tone and tuning.
What I am wondering is:
What has happened here?
Can it be reproduced on demand when my reed needs it again?
I may have been lucky and could have destroyed my reed.
David,
My guess would be a combination of temperature and humidity changes over that 6-7 month period, and quite possible exacerbated by the changes in that day trip (snow, hiking, followed by a warm cottage).
I’ve seen the same thing happen over seasonal changes, and the least intrusive fix has been to adjust the bridle slightly… tighter (or down) to close the lips when necessary, and more open (upward) to open them if/when the reed lips have closed down.
Some folks will recommend sanding or shaving the reed some, but if it’s worked well in general over that 6-7 month period, understand that sanding & scraping are permanent changes to the reed. Seasonal weather, in the meantime, can always be expected to fluctuate.
I’d try a very slight change in the bridle position, as required.
Time Lord Reed… with the properties of regeneration.
I had one just like that Dave.
Started to play dull and back D went very flat. Took it to scotland and played outside in cold damp atmosphere. sounded even worse.
Took the chanter back home (was temted to throw it in the Loch)
Played like a new reed back in tune and ready for action.
Time Lords! … cant’ live with em…
Yes it’s true. My house is built on lay lines. My home has mystical and curative properties that can heal even the crappiest reed!
That is why I have no need to make reeds yeah right!
I put up a post and go out for a few hours and look what happens!!
Bring on Christopher Eccleston, it’s about time the role got someone else of Tom Baker’s stature.
And I’ve alway thought Davros would make a mean piper.
By the way, does anyone think putting a reed in the fridge, for say 30mins, may reproduce the regenerative effects of the Derbyshire hills or Scotland.
Or am I seriously heading for Blake’s 7 territory.
Reeds do very weird things when away from their own comfort zone.
Perhaps it realised it wasn’t such a bad place to be and started to behave like it should do… After all it has a fine home snugly fitted into your Williams chanter
Fridges are not only cold but dry; not what you’re after I would guess. By the description it sounds like the reed colapsed a bit at the edges from the inherent pressure on the edges and perhaps from drying out. Tweeking the arch of the lips by squeezing them open with lefthand thumb and forefinger while pushing on the middle with left pinky finger nail might do it pouring a teaspoon of water in the bellows and shaking if humidity is the culprit.
I was hoping to understand what had brought about this change and I will give Tim’s suggestions a try.
Not knowing much about reed making the concept of the reed edges collapsing seems an important bit of knowledge to be aware of.
I was once shown how filling your bag with air from your mouth could help a drying reed and the teaspoon of water in the bellows seems a good extension of that.
I also seem to recall a reed that would only play properly after being licked on both side (or was that the piper)!!
The reed massage technique is new to me and definitely seems to make sense. I will be trying it out soon.
Actually, it could prove helpful if your reed has ‘maladjusted’ to the weather changes, and gently rubbing a bit of bee’s wax along the sides of the reed into the crease where they meet.
I’ve recently recalled (delay due to failing memory) that Dave Williams had a shaped piece of wood that he used to insert between the lips of a reed. The wood was similar in shape to the opening between the lips but with a slightly stronger curve. It would separate the lips but not open the sides.
Is this another means of “tweeking the arch” and putting some life back into a reed?
"I’ve recently recalled (delay due to failing memory) that Dave Williams had a shaped piece of wood that he used to insert between the lips of a reed. The wood was similar in shape to the opening between the lips but with a slightly stronger curve. It would separate the lips but not open the sides. " David.
I didn’t know that - but I had an ailing reed in 2003 and here in Sweden I did something simular, I inserted another reed, that is, the lips, into the lips of the ailing reed. The ailing had one blade that had collapsed, so instead of an “eye” shape I had a smile shape when looking down onto the reed lips. Leaving the lips of the good reed inside the not so good reed for a couple of days was enough to get the ailing reed’s lips to form an “eye” opening once again. Worked for a while anyway.
Pete Hunter used the reed plug thing too, I never really worked out whether it was for the lips or the whole reedhead from staple (there’s a lot to be said about keeping the sides clear as much as possible, which all this arching and plugging seems to do). Did Dave use this on a scraped reed? Pete used it whilst tying up the reed.. I’ve rebound and narrowed the tails of reeds to reset it’s ‘twang’ before, this is always a good one for saggy old baggy old cloth back d’s tooI think Froment is one who binds and rebinds.
