Synthetic regulator reeds

[PJ]

Does anyone have experience with synthetic regulator reeds?

[rorybbellows]

Yes.

RORY

[PJ]

Thank you Rory. Would you like to share your experiences with synthetic regulator reeds?

[Ceann Cromtha]

Hi PJ,

I have experience with Bruce Childress's "Arundo Dasani" regulator reeds and love them. They are very stable in all conditions and he now has a brass tuning slide for them. Unfortunately at the NE tionol I wasn't able to attend it, but he gave a class on making them (out of 1 liter Dasani water bottles). He occasionally posts here -- contact him and see what he says.

Best,
Dan

[Patrick D'Arcy]

Yes. But I must extrapolate..... don't even go there.

Patrick.

[boyd]

A friend of mine in Belfast had synthetic reg reeds in his 3/4 Rogge D set.
They worked ok.
Like any reeds, they had their moments.

B

[PJ]

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of synthetic reg reeds. I understand that stability is an advantage but what are the disadvantages? Sound quality?

Yes. But I must extrapolate..... don't even go there.

Care to extrapolate further?

[hpinson]

PJ, see the Summer 09 issue of The Pipers Review. Bruce Childress presented a very detailed written exploration of just that topic.

[Patrick D'Arcy]

I'm weighing up the pros and cons of synthetic reg reeds. I understand that stability is an advantage but what are the disadvantages? Sound quality?

Yes. But I must extrapolate..... don't even go there.

Care to extrapolate further?

I've just never come across synthetic reeds that were more stable than cane reeds thus eliminating the point of making them in the first place. I am talking about yogurt carton and phospher bronze reeds, wooden reeds are another thing altogether however and they actually are worth seriously considering.

Of course with all these non-cane reeds there is a loss of harmonic range that only cane can deliver. I find it worthwhile in my concert pitched set though to have spruce regulator reeds. They are stable like nothing I've ever experienced.

Patrick.

[magroibin]

I have some of BC's reg reeds in my C set. On the whole they're not bad, however they do seem a bit pressure sensitive, a tad loud and do over-blow fairly easily.

Then again I'm not sure how to adjust them, only having ever made cane reeds.

[Piobairi Uilleann Inis Fa]

Seth Gallagher uses bronze for his reg reeds. Hard to adjust to get back in tune when they are out though.