So what’s your experience with pipes and different levels of humidity. In my limited experience i’ve played in hot-dry conditions, cool and dry, hot and humid, cool and humid. From my findings I’ve found that my pipes play best between 25-29’c with an air humidity reading of 75% if the weather is around this i find my pipes play with a nice deep sound. Where as if I play in dry hot conditions, I find that the pipes sound scratchy. If its cool and humid I find that they don’t play at all. When I was in New Zealand it was cool-dry. Although they were playing sweetly, very little air was required in comparison to the warm humid climats. It would be interesting to find out how different pipes behave in different climates. Could the pipes be affected by wheather depending on a) where the were made b) where the read was made c) maybe both have an affect.
What have you more experienced pipers found? If somebody could set a up pool (I have no idea how). The information could be very usefull for everyone.
I dunno, I’ve always found that a sufficient amount of high explosives can always be handy, however, a hand gun (especially the really, REALLY big ones) is usually easier to set up… erm… and use… whoops (heh)… wrong thread.
L42B, if that is your real name (yeah, like mine is ), have you been having issues with boredom lately? I am asking this in comlete sincerity.
I really do not know… the above response of mine was from the “how to get free stuff from pipemakers” topic. How it ended up on this page is a mystery to me.
But to respond to L42B’s topic, a relative humidity or higher (but not too high) than 60-65%, is a good place to be for piping… although, I do not own a pocket barometer (walk-arometer ), I have toyed with idea of getting one. But, I feel it is safe to say that one can generally feel when the humidity (or lack of it) is not good for piping.
The Hurricane didn’t produce much of an issue in my neck of the woods… although a very swift and multi-votex passed nearly overhead last Saturday… very cool, verry scary.
I have been having some serious medical issues as of late, which might explain the disorientation you are talking about.
I don’t think I want to know how humid it is in my pockets.
Seriously, though, it’ll be interesting to see what effect the changing seasons will bring to my current reed, as I made it during a particularly muggy summer for a chanter received during the same conditions. Any predictions or advice?
Yes, very very very much so. Ideally, in a perfect world, the reeds for your pipes ought to be made within the climate in which you live. Cane and wood swell or shrink depending on the humidity they are (or not) experiencing, most natural porous materials will.
What’s really got me scratching my head is that my drones have gone quite sharp the past few days. Mid 70s to low 80s averaging 45%-70% humidity (until today, down to 38% at last check); in other words, great weather. The drone reeds are all composite (brass tubing and styrene tongues), so I would expect them to be affected only slightly if at all by weather conditions, right? Well, the weather’s grand, and the drones are extended now to lengths they haven’t seen in my memory. Very counterintuitive.
The chanter reed works pretty well in all but the hottest and most humid conditions combined, when it more or less turns to jelly. Otherwise I just have to adjust the bridle a little if it gets moderately to really dry. I noticed today that the chanter sounded more nasal than in the past few days, but it wasn’t an irritant.
And it was a pleasure to hear you; I thought I could hear the set smiling. Quite a stretch between the right ring and pinkie fingers for small hands such as mine. The e/f#/g (d/e/f, actually) triplet remains a work in progress so far.
As for condensation, that makes sense, but I would have assumed that with no sudden changes in ambient temperature --going from the living room to air conditioning, for example-- condensation wouldn’t be a factor. Or would it?
I can’t say, honestly. I do know that playing out of doors down here during the winter, when temps are 40-50(f), my other brass and styrene drone reeds would have trouble remaining steady and would occasionally shut down.
), have you been having issues with boredom lately? I am asking this in comlete sincerity.