Hi all,
What’s the general opinion on the tonal differences between Lignum and African blackwood in particular on concert ‘D’ chanters? I did a blindfold test and although I was convinced I could tell the differences; I got it wrong more times than not.
Opinions please
God bless, Mike
If you can’t tell the difference after these experiments then, unless you think your hearing isn’t good, perhaps you shouldn’t worry too much. After all you don’t have to sign up for a lifetime of piping with one type of chanter or another.
This is an ongoing debate among wind instrument players, but the answer is pretty clear to discerning people. The production of sound, or most of it, anyway, comes from reed and column of air. As such, the differences between similar materials (hardwoods, some plastics, etc) have little impact on the sound. You would have to radically change material type for there to be a significant tonal difference. I wouldn’t worry about such slight differences unless you are a really picky person.
The reed, on the other hand…