Good afternoon, Gerry.
Just a short note to thank you for the set of Kinnaird's you persuaded me to get. Your professional wisdom and understanding knowledge were,yet again, spot on.!!
When I recollect the years that I have wrestled with my old (original) "Ross" set I could just cringe .... although they WERE great fun!!!
I used to try to squeeze in an hour or so playing each evening .... but now I don't even want to go home!!! This is a new "lease on life" for me Gerry, and I thank you again. Donald Gow Bahamas
Kinnaird Evolution Drone Reeds - "Easy or Standard Strength - (In Stock)
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$105.00Shipping Weight:
0.50 poundsKinnaird Evolution Drone Reeds
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Kinnaird Evolution Drone Reeds
NOW AVAILABLE!
The Kinnaird Carbon Fibre Drone reed was redesigned in 2013 to improve the brightness and brilliance of the tenor reeds. The Kinnaird Evolution Drone Reeds are bright but not buzzy. The very popular Kinnaird Bass reed is largely the same as the previous design with slightly more power. Similar to the Kinnaird Carbon Fibre Reed, a metal set screw and allen key allows for easy adjustment of tuning height. The reed body and seats are glass fibre and stronger than other reeds. Pitch adjustment is with the tuning screw in the nose cone. The o-ring bridle is used to control air flow. These reeds are extremely air efficient. They are easy to set-up and offer excellent moisture resistance. The reeds have a curved carbon fibre molded tongue.
How do I the set-up Kinnaird Evolution Drone Reeds?
1. A Drone Reed must take
only enough air to make it sound while the pipe chanter is being played.
Put corks in the middle tenor, and the bass drone. Move the bridle of
the outside tenor drone reed down to shorten the tongue enough so that when you
sound the chanter the drone stops. Now move the bridle up to lengthen the tongue
(move it just a hair) and sound the chanter again. Have patience; continue this
process of moving the bridle in infinitesimal steps until you can sound the
chanter and play the scale without the drone shutting off. (Do not try to play a
tune at this point). Now cork the outside tenor and open the middle tenor and
repeat the process until the middle tenor sounds as you play the scale. Finally,
repeat the process with the bass drone reed . The next step is to make
sure that all three of the drone reeds are taking the same amount of air.
2. All three Drone Reeds must take the same amount of air pressure.
Remove the pipe chanter and put a cork in the chanter stock.
Inflate the pipe bag and do the best you can to tune the drones. Now increase
the air pressure in the bag. If all three drone reeds are taking an equal amount
of air, all three drones will stop (shut off) at the exact same time. If one
drone stops, then another then another, the drone reeds are all taking different
amounts of air to sound. You won't be able to tune a bagpipe properly if all the
drones take different amounts of air. The Drone that shut off first is the one
using the least amount of air, so shorten the bridle on the others until you can
increase the pressure on the pipe bag and all three of the drones shut off
together. Your Drone Reeds are now taking the correct amount of air in order to
sound.
Question: Gerry, I followed all the steps in setting up
the Drone Reeds and I can play up and down the scale no problem, but when I play
a tune the drones stop; should I open up the drone reed bridles some more?
Answer: No! Don't touch those bridles; you are suffering from
unsteady blowingor the clinical term "operator malfunction", now you must
lean to blow steady or as it's called in piping blowing tone.
Testimonials:
"I have been playing a full set of the new Kinnaird Evolution Drone Reeds and am absolutely delighted with the entire combination. In my Naill pipe they are producing a full tonal quality without being overpowering. The tenors are tuning around the hemp line, resulting in a bright and warm effect. They balance perfectly with the bass. The harmonics resulting from the entire combination are quite impressive. All three reeds are extremely air efficient, and probably require about the same amount of air as a good going set of cane reeds. They produce a depth and warmth without the undesirable buzz associated with many synthetic reeds. I am also pleased with their ease of "strike in" and how easy it is to manage an efficient cutoff at the end of a performance. The efficiency of the reeds allows for amazing tuning stability while performing. In short, I'm loving these reeds!" - Bob Worrall
"I have played Rob Kinnaird’s drone reeds for years in both my sets of Henderson pipes. I thought I had the perfect reed for the perfect instrument. It is hard to improve on perfection, but Rob has done it. Using his engineering background, he has taken a great product and made it a superlative product. By harmonically analyzing the tenor sound, he has been able to enhance the timbre. Not one of us can single out a specific harmonic, but it is obvious that the higher end harmonics are present in the current model. Immediately on inserting the tenor reeds I hear an impressive “new” brightness to the tone quality – something I have never experienced before. They are stable and easily pitched using his unique nosecone screw to set the tenors well up on the hemp line for superior resonance and tuning stability. I experienced a slight increase in volume as well, part due to their perfect match. The bass has been altered slightly to produce a harmonious blend with the tenors. Air efficiency is superb. In fact, these reeds strike in with ease, a feature every piper will enjoy… no fear of early introductions. Cut offs are precise with little need for stoppage plugs.
I have played these reeds for many hours of enjoyment. Count on me to order another set for my pipes and encourage all my students to do likewise. Well done, Rob…. much appreciated." - Ken Eller
Rob Kinnaird has been making superb drone reeds for many years now, and much to my surprise he has just made them better! The tenors are now richer and steadier than ever, more air efficient and less likely to double-tone. Combine these with what I've always felt was one of the best bass drone reeds there is, and I have no hesitation in ranking Kinnaird among the leading drone reed makers on the planet today." - Jim McGillivray,