Just wanted to let you know the McCallum P4’s with the Clanrye reed worked amazingly! After sitting in a campsite parking lot for 3 days, I played on the Mormon Trail in the high plains of Wyoming with 95 degree heat for just under an hour. Sound was great, no squeaking, no cutting out! Looked and sounded better than I ever imagined given the circumstances! And my 81-year-old ABW Hardies stayed safe in an air-conditioned home.
So glad I made this purchase!
Thank you so much for your help! Cheers! Brian
Clanrye Synthetic - Pipe Chanter Reed (IN STOCK)
Quantity in Basket:
NonePrice:
$35.00Shipping Weight:
0.05 poundsBagpipe Chanters Strength and Handling
The Clanrye Bagpipe Chanter Reeds are fixed strength reeds, which cannot be modified in any way. Because of this, the synthetic reed must simulate a "played in" cane reed. A new cane reed is harder to blow at first, (if it stayed the same strength, the player would have problems keeping up the blowing pressure). We have measured the airflow and pressure from a constant sourse to test and gauge the strengths equated to "played in" cane reeds, and therefore offer three strengths.
Color Code Strengths Airflow (C.F.P.H) Press (P.S.I)
Clanrye rates this synthetic reed as Blue Hard/Strong 26-30 however similar Cane reed would be rated at 28-37 Medium so this Clanrye would be like a Medium cane chanter reed.
Selecting a Pipe Chanter
Reed
You never see a professional player
struggling to play the bagpipe; they always seem relaxed and comfortable. The
pipe
bag is the correct size, is 100% airtight, stocks are tied in correctly
and have no cracks, the blowpipe
is the correct fit, the valve
is functioning properly and all the joints are hemped
correctly (see the past 3 articles). If you have corrected these problems and
the pipe is still difficult to play the next thing to address is the pipe
chanter reed . Many pipers get into the bad habit of trying to blow
reeds that are much too strong for them. Nothing can hamper your technique and
expression more than trying to play a bagpipe reed that is too hard for you.
Pipe bands are one of the biggest contributors to this problem by insisting that
reeds must be stiff and difficult to blow in order to contribute to the sound of
the band, don't get suckered into this myth. It is not the goal of this article
to teach pipe chanter reed adjustment, (that will come later) but rather to help
in your selection of a reed that is within your playing comfort level. The
question I am asked the most is "What strength reed should I play easy, medium,
strong or something in between"? The answer is none of the above, you have to
play a reed that is within your own personal comfort level. What may be a strong
reed for one person might be a medium reed for another person.
How do I choose a pipe chanter reed
Visual Test:
1. The reed
should have a nice clean look with no splits down the length of the cane and no
chipped corners.
2. Both reed blades should be the same thickness and must
fit tight together with no gaps.
3. The blades at the open end should have a
nice elliptical shape.
Airtight Test:
Hold the reed in one
hand and place a finger over the cane tip's end of the reed to seal it and blow
through the reed from the staple end, run a finger of your other hand down both
sides of the reed to ensure that no air is leaking from the blades. If the reed
is leaking air discard it.
Chanter Test:
Now place the reed
of your choice into the reed seat of the pipe chanter and take a deep breath.
Form a tight seal with your lips around the lacquered hemp on the pipe chanter
reed (not over the hemped end of the pipe chanter) and play the scale from Low A
to High A and then back down to Low A. If you can't do this in one breath - the
reed is too strong for you to play comfortably, select another reed. When you
find a reed that will pass this test, that is the correct strength reed for you
in your present playing condition. By following these three steps you should be
able to select a reed that will give you many hours of comfortable playing.