The bridle on my chanter reed seems to keep slipping down. It is a brass
wrap-around with a split in it. Made by our good-man B.K. Do I have to
twist the fingers of the bridle so they dig in on the lower side?
any ideas?
- tw
Try a rubber band underneath the bridle. Not too tight , just enough to keep the bridle in place. You could also try some blue tac or some kind of similar putty at the sides of the reed, not on the face.
Tomy
Another thing to try is plumber’s tape.
Or, a tiny blob of beeswax behind it to impede its down ward slippage.
It would be simpler to lightly mark on the reed where the bridle fits best, and then remove the bridle. Straighten the bridle out a bit and rewrap it around the the reed to fit more tightly at your pencil mark. Do this GENTLY!
Reeds can shrink and expand a bit with large swings in humidity over time, so you may find yourself having to rewrap the bridle occasionally. Its not a big deal if you go slow and easy.
As to your question, no, do not dig the ends of the bridle into the reed. That would weaken the reed at that point and may lead to it eventually splitting.
djm
Beeswax…
I had the same problem with one of my reeds from Benedict, so I did the unthinkable - I actually asked him about it! He recommended a light rubber band overlapping the bridle and the cane immediately below, just tight enough to stop the slip. It has worked perfectly for years now with no ill effects.
It would be simpler to lightly mark on the reed where the bridle fits best, and then remove the bridle. Straighten the bridle out a bit and rewrap it around the the reed to fit more tightly at your pencil mark. Do this GENTLY!
Simpler - maybe, but I’d think if the guy asking ‘what to do now’ is asking to begin with, the suggestion above might be not be a good idea…having no experience does not qualify one to take it appart and rebend it back into place. The reed in question might not be the one to learn on - even if gently.
I’ve ruined enough reeds in the making trying to get the briddle ‘just right’ to know that it is sometimes a trick, especially if you haven’t the “feel” for it. I can’t say that I do right now. I’ve fatigued enough brass & copper briddles to the point of uselessness to know that it sometimes cannot be reset more than a few times.
I’d try the rubber band.
Great tips. I am having the same problem with a reed for my B set. I’ve tried the plumbers tape and hemp, but they seem to dull the tone of the reed quite a bit. I’ll try beeswax and/or rubberband.
From my experience, the small black rubberbands used to tie braided hair get gummy and break within a few months. They WILL become part of the reed and need to be cleaned with solvent.
I have never had any problems taking the bridle off and repositioning it to be a bit tighter. I have had it come so loose that it is rattling around the top of the staple. The purpose of the bridle is to shape the reed. If yours is so loose that it takes rubber bands and chewing gum to hold it in place, what control, if any, is it having on the reed? Just curiious.
djm
>> If yours is so loose that it takes rubber bands and chewing gum to hold it in place, what control, if any, is it having on the reed? Just curiious.
djm<<<
I have seen very few B.K. reeds where the bridle needed to do much of anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if the reed is playing just fine with a loose bridle.
Henry
It’s made of brass? I haven’t ever had good luck with brass as a metal for the bridle. It’s always been to springy and never held it’s shape well. Copper has been what’s worked best for me, as a thin band. Never been much a fan of the wire types either. Some will aneal the copper to soften it - some don’t. But experimentation is the key to find what works the best for you. Do you make your own reeds yet? I’d suggest throwing together one or two as sacrificial test subjects to start to get a feel for what a reed can take before it fails. Don’t worry about how they play as such - just get a feel for working the cane, and getting it to do what you want it to do.
I’d suggest throwing together one or two as sacrificial test subjects to start to get a feel for what a reed can take before it fails. Don’t worry about how they play as such - just get a feel for working the cane, and getting it to do what you want it to do.
So we’re all in agreement then…end of discussion.