Chiff and Fipple Forums

Cloud Nine is one particular variety of panicum virgatum, a.k.a. switchgrass. Do you know that your samples are that variety? Is it likely that any switchgrass will give the same results? Pretty sure. If you looked at the video in the OP, and read the description, you can see the clump these reeds ...

Images of arundo donax variegated seem to follow this leaf pattern: http://www.joycreek.com/Arundo-donax-Variegata-328-002.htm Cloud Nine seems to prefer drier climates and poor alkaline soil, but some sites describe it as tolerant of a variety of conditions, even wet. http://plants.chaletnursery.co...

Bob, I was watching a video yesterday and a potted plant appeared in the background window that reminds me of the variegated leaves you had. What do you think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=218tAJx ... mwN0HtnhN9

Small wonder Cloud Nine seeds look like regular grass seed. I shall have a nice clump of bunchgrass growing tall by next summer. Will experiment indoors this winter to see how it sprouts, and how much it takes to make a nice bunch. That way I'll know how much to plant outdoors, and save the rest for...

...someone gave me some variegated arundo to grow at home. I see now that there is some mention of a test plot up Quincy way, which makes more sense for cold weather testing. How did your variegated arundo do? Indoors or out? I go up to Quincy once in a while. The soil is sandy and loamy...good far...

You sound like you know more than you're letting on, Bob! Google arundo donax + Boardman + Coal Plant. Also, Google Prosser + arundo donax + PGE, or even the Port of Morrow County Minutes. Of the 2 people I know that should know where these farms are located, neither has heard about them. There's ev...

There are grasses we've probably never dreamed of trying. Millet, for example...

It's really interesting what's happening in the world of cane-related grasses nowadays. Growing miscanthus as a bio-mass for fuel production is gradually taking over farms with low soil quality, that use to grow tobacco, corn, soybeans, and more. I've made reeds from the miscanthus plant. It's not q...

I cut some Wild Ryegrass today. I've known it was there, for years, but never thought it big enough to do anything with. Some of it is HUGE! The stems look like Cloud Nine, hollow and jointed, but I haven't tried making any reeds from it yet. The biggest here are the size of a pencil... http://i285....

(Decided this one deserves its own thread) Last winter, when I first got into drone reed making, and collecting alternative species, I didn't have a set of pipes to actually try them out in. Lots of guessing went on. So, this last year, I bought three different sets of B pipes--all from different ma...

I had around 25-30 old (non-working) cane reeds that I've saved over the years. This last year, after understanding drone reeds better, I tried rehabilitating them. I think all but one came back to life and worked great (both in and out of the drone).

very grateful for any help with tunning to Just Intonation; was hoping to use the clear tune app standard just intonation setting 430hertz key of C (don't need any more keys) do I understand correctly that I can not rely on this app to give me the correct setting. I am not good with numbers so was ...

The root of a chord is the note or pitch that is dominate. Usually it's thought of as the lowest note of a chord, like C in the C-E-G triad...ascending up in scale. But, C could also be the root if E and G were lower. Tonic is more related to scales. Even though C is like a root in the C scale, it r...

Ted is right. Cane drone reeds (that are made right and have been used for a while) just don't go bad sitting there unless they've been pulled out and left in the sun, or moisture has accidently been applied. What he's saying is that these reeds usually go bad for other reasons--like mishandling. Wi...

It seems soil is the main ingredient in producing soft cane. This may be one of those "donax don't tell" moments, but I'm curious if the cane is extra soft for lack of minerals and nutrients...or too much, acid/alkaline balance in soil, too much sunlight or not enough, high/low water avai...