Wooden Thoughts + Dillon/ O'Kaine soundfile

Uilleann Pipes
1

I have recieved many inquiries re: the type of wood I’ve used and the “will it hold up” question. So far, here’s what I’ve experienced:

My most recent test, was to sit outside underneath the edge of my roof when it was raining. the grass just beyond the porch was saturated with water, and I was literally getting wet from splashing of the water on my bouncing off the porch itself It. In addition, it was also very warm. I was able to play in these conditions for 20-25 minutes before noticing a significant change. The back d was starting to break and the reed was dulling up. If I was performing (in the rain?) I would’ve easily been able to finish. i.e. it wasn’t a “reed is failing now situation.”

When I was last in Miltown, I was invited by Finbar McLaughlin to show in my handiwork. He wanted to see me play… outside! The weather outside was very cool with the humidity level at about 60-75%. I was certain the reed would start to die, However, there was no noticeable difference in the reed..

At this juncture, the place I really want to test the reed in is in California during a time when they have 5% humidity. Wooden reeds seem to thrive in dry climates too (spruce has already been tested so). Aside from that, I have not discovered anything out of the ordinary. In addition, these reeds seem to hold up very well and do not collapse after tying them on. I’ve been playing my own curly maple in B chanter (the eldest of them all) and there have been simply no aberrations. I will be sending the reed and the chanter to the UK, so that ought to prove interesting, though, I’m expecting the reed to change.

I have many reeds from this piece of wood. All of them have come out very well. As far as the actual tone quality of the chanter which seems to attract many comments, the best recommendation I have for you, is to go to Killington and hear it for yourself. My feeling is that if “you” didn’t know that it was made out of wood, you might just think this to be another good sounding instrument.


Finally, Eamonn and I just recorded a bit more for the fun of it yesterday (myself on concertina). The room in which we recovered in using my portable Olympus recorder, recording a 16-bit PCM, yields the same very bright recording accentuating the highs.

If we recorded a carpeted room etc. it would be a different thing altogether.

Oh well… if just for the craic

http://www.box.net/shared/ps4thjhmb9

http://www.box.net/shared/0ql0cu2eup

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Played in a very hot sessiun last night. Eamonn Dillon was there as well. Both of our maple reeds did NOT appear to change at all. The flute? emmmmm that’s another story altogether!

(thanx for the help there:-)

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I presume you mean “did NOT change at all”?

Nice recordings, breezy with a fun loping bounce. Yeah, it sounds a bit bright, but I like the balance and separation.

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jayzussssssssss… if only i could proofread.

5

At Killington Eamon switched to a Benedict Koehler reed. (Always nice to have the pipemaker on hand for these things.) The chanter was singing and he played a great set of tunes.

6

Interesting! 1 Post!?

Eamonn doesn’t touch his reeds at all. He is not a reed tweaker. I’ll be finding out from him just how badly south the reed went.

We do know that curly maple travels well providing the temp. goes downwards. In Vermont it was in the upper 80’s (F) and Humidity was nearly 70%. That is a dramatic increase in both from where Eamonn and I had recorded.

OK, Wooden reeds do indeed absorb moisture. I just tested mine in similar heat/humidity. I was able to adjust it and continue. I was able to play nearly an hour (this was outdoors) before there was any indication of an issue. I find that amazing, as when one tries to play a reed in adverse conditions, it dies..QUICKLY! BTW-What Eamonn did was use a BK chanter and reed.

Wood seems to act opposite of cane in the above scenario. Cane opens up in high humidity and wood closes. Eric Reigler has recently reported (confirmed) this, too. While touring in Colorado etc., he’ll use a wooden yoke, and in wet places, a cane reed.

There’s much to question here: Are we looking for a bullet proof material? A substitute/comprable material? I believe “we” have indeed found a very good substitute/ comparable material. It is capable of a great tone, and the ability to play as in tune as any piece of cane.

Bulletproof? It just might not exist, or NEED to exist. If playability anywhere is what you need, why not adopt the old adage of using the right tool for the right job (like Eric does?).

My next experiment is to incorporate lacquer to my wooden reed building process. Tim Britton has recently been lacquering his reeds and tells me he played his cane reed successfully in 5% humidity, recently. THAT is incredible!

More info as it arrives

7

This is also my first post to the forum, and I am a new convert to the Dark Side to boot, so you may filter my comments appropriately! I was at the Pipers’ Gathering with Eamonn and Benedict as my teachers. The two of them made a great set of instructors as their styles are so different and their playing both amazing in their own ways. Eamonn gave an impressive recital on Saturday afternoon at which he played his chanter with the curly maple reed. The reed sounded great and gave no hints of any problems. After relistening to the recital recording the chanter reed sounds great throughout.

I had a class with Eamonn on Monday after his Sunday night concert, and I can confirm that he used Benedict’s chanter at the concert, although I don’t know the story for how that happened. I can tell you that he still had the BK chanter in class and was trying to find a way to keep it! The O’Kaine curly maple reed is quite striking in appearance and with a coat of poly would make a nice piece of wall art when it’s music is finally faded.

Don

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LOL! Wall art!??? Lets hope not!

I spoke to Eamonn t’day and by the weekend, I hope to have a better idea of what happened. In the interim, he said the back d was pressure sensitive etc. Again, it sounds like it collapsed a bit. HE also said that he felt Vermont was brutally hot and that it felt hotter than here in Miami!. It very well could’ve been. Heat + high humidity … well…need I say any more?

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For what it’s worth, the Killington Resort is at about 2200 feet above sea level. I don’t know if this sort of altitude would affect how a reed would perform but when I went to the Pipers Gathering in 2006, my chanter reed started to close up. When I returned home after the Gathering the reed seemed to recover.

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that’s about 2,194 ft. above where the reed was made!!! that might affect a reed substantially!

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btw- where did you travel from?

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Could you give some tips on making reeds with wood instead of cane? I would like to try it. I often play for long periods and in summer adverse reed conditions keep my reed anxiety high.

Is it maple I could grab from my wood pile? (I’m in the Adirondack mountains in northern NY - plenty of wood of all sorts)

Thanks

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The Snowshed Lodge looks to be about 2220’ above sea level. I’m sure that extra 20’ made all the difference :wink:
Seriously, the weather in Vermont was very unusual with temps in the 90’s and stifling humidity. The hard part was they seemed to have forgotten to install AC in the ski lodge. Was the reed made in an AC’d room?
Don

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Quebec city, about 500 ft above sea level.

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Indeed, the reed was made in the A/C. About 40% humidity.

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I spoke to Eamonn Dillon at length & heard the recording of his master class. He reiterated the extreme heat conditions and said that “…any cane reed coming from here to there would’ve died instantly.” He was surprised at how good the recording sounded, but noted he was indeed working hard to make it play. I’ll never know exactly which way the reed went; open, closed, leaky, etc. He has yet to play it for more than a minute back in Miami, but said that it’s back to normal.


Reeds… can’t live w/ 'em, can’t live with-em!