Chiff and Fipple Forums

I have a Kirk Lynch half set that I'm forced to sell due to not having time to play it, and realistically not seeing that changing in the future. So, it's with a heavy heart that I put it up for sale. Here are the specifics: -in ebony and nickle plated brass -chanter has C natural and F natural keys...

Eric, I had the same thing happen to me the third or fourth time I practiced. Things were going swimmingly, so I kept going for an hour and a half. Big mistake. The next day my whole upper back and shoulder area was sore and tight as can be, and it took a few days for things to feel somewhat back to...

Many thanks, Goldy-- this was exactly the type of information I was hoping for.


Baen

How much can you affect the loudness of a particular set of pipes (both chanter and drones) through changing the reeds? Knowing very little about the fine art of reeds and reedmaking, I don't know if this is possible or not. Some guides to reedmaking on the internet seem to launch right into the mak...

Hi Marc, thanks for the suggestions. Perhaps you're right, and I'm just used to hearing the drones when I'm listening to someone play the pipes (in person or on a CD). I don't have a local piper handy on short notice, but would it work if I recorded myself playing? If so, how far should the mic be f...

I have a half set, and want to start easing into using the drones. The only thing is, the drones are quite loud, and tend to overwhelm the chanter. Are there any ways I can adjust the drone reeds so that they aren't quite so loud? The reeds are composite brass and plastic. Thanks for any suggestions...

Are there general guidelines as to when to use a wire rush in the chanter?

In terms of the sound it's making, it's not so much of a gurgle, but rather more as though I was adding vibrato to the note (I'm thinking of the vibrato I use at times when I play the whistle). This was the reed that was in the chanter when I was bringing the humidity way down (to 24% for 4 days) in...

It sounds a bit flat to me, though not overly bad. Mostly it's the vibrato effect that I never had before. It comes in near the end of the bottom D; not with every bottom D, but at least 50% of the time.

The bottom D on my chanter is out of tune----it's sounding with a bit of (unintentional) vibrato. Not much, but definitely noticeable. Any hints at how to adjust the reed for this? Also, are there any broad generalizations regarding reed adjustments that anyone could offer? I'm a beginning piper, so...

I'm a new piper with a half set, and am wondering what one should do to take care of one's set, as well as how often? Some things I've heard of are oiling the wood--my set has ebony for the wood, as well as cherry for the bellows sides and mainstock (not sure what type of oil to use). It also has ni...

I finally was able to free up the stuck wooden reed cap on my chanter, and wanted to post how I did it. I put the chanter in what is essentially an oversized plastic ziploc bag, which I had from my trip to Ireland earlier this year. The brand is "Pack Mate", available through the Rick Stev...

I heard back from the maker, and he said to put the chanter in front of a dehumidifier for a day. Would this be the type sold to dry out cigars? He also said that it's cork at the joint underneath the reed cap, rather than waxed thread. Haven't done anything yet, but am reading all the posts here an...

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions--it's greatly appreciated. I haven't done anything yet, and still mulling over what the best solution is. One suggestion that I heard (off the board) was to use a blow dryer on very low heat, and apply it to the outside of the reed cap. I'm adding that to the ...

Hello all, I have a wooden reed cap that is stuck on the chanter, and I've had no luck trying to gently wriggle it loose. Are there any tricks I can use to try and free it? If need be I'll take it to a shop, but it would be nice to be able to take care of it myself. thanks for any suggestions, Baen