I was wondering (as I try to get my high A and B in tune) if there are any subtleties involves in putting a wire rush in the staple.
Is it standard practice to run it the length of the staple?
Does the rush have a different effect if only present in the lower half, upper half, middle half of the staple?
Would there be any benefits in allowing it to extend from the staple, at either end?
Thanks
David
Hi David:
What works for one chanter, reed, or staple may not work for another, so it’s hard to give a specific instruction. I take it that your high A and B are somewhat sharp? Rushing the whole length of the staple is usual for sorting out octave-mismatch problems, but it’s likely to flatten the rest of the second octave as well. If instead of a gently curved wire that runs the length of the staple, you use a “j-shaped” piece of wire and put the curved end at the top of the staple, it may simulate the effect of “tapering” the staple more towards the top, In some situations this can flatten the B and A. Experimenting is your best bet.
I haven’t found it useful to extend the rush above the top of the staple, but a thin wire that extends down from the bottom of the staple to the chanter throat can occasionally help with things like a gurgling bottom D. Of course the resulting effective narrowing of the throat has other side-effects as well, which may be welcome or unwelcome, depending.
Bill
Thanks Bill,
Spent an hour or so experimenting with different rushes.
To exagerate any effects I tried an “M-shaped” rush with one piece the full length of the staple and the other three 1/3 the length. I was using 16 thou guitar wire.
By the end my ears were a bit fried trying to discern what was sounding the best but I ended up with the bulk of the wire at the bottom end of the staple. (There was a discussion of reverse taper staples a while back.)
I’ll check the results and try further adjustments today. I’ll also try and find my tuner which may help.
David