Chiff and Fipple Forums

I'm interested in the idea of a plastic chanter reed with regard to its potential for stability and dependability no matter the atmospheric conditions.

Should anyone wish to pm me with their positive experiences of synthetic chanter reeds and details of same they would be very welcome to do so.

I can offer complete confidentiality along with the categoric assurance that I will never 'out' anyone nor ever refer to their shameful secret in public forum.

This is merely an idle enquiry of a philosophical nature, naturally.

j.i.

Just to add:

I find it most frustrating that we (pipers) are all at the mercy of primitive cane reeds when the technology surely exists to do a better job! Trouble is, I'm a new piper and I don't necessarily know what I'm talking about!!!

I'd like to think that we could be set free from the vagaries of weather and changes in humidity. I play a 'plumbing-pipe' flute by Doug Tipple which the cognoscenti would be sniffy about but, truth be told, if blindfold they couldn't tell from a quality timber flute so I could be persuaded the same might be true of a well-constructed plastic reed.

Am I chasing 'Scotch Mist'? (I'm well known for chasing Irish Mist but that's a whole 'nother tipple altogether ).

j.i.

Jay-eye wrote:Just to add:


Am I chasing 'Scotch Mist'?
j.i.

Yep... :roll:
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam

Uilliam wrote:

Jay-eye wrote:Just to add:


Am I chasing 'Scotch Mist'?
j.i.

Yep... :roll:
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam

As I wrote my post I just knew you wouldn't be able to resist, Uilliam. Keep the faith, bro.

j.i.

Jay-eye wrote:

"The great leaders of the world should learn to play the uilleann pipes and have a session together. And the world would be a happier place." (Slightly adapted from a comment by Paddy Moloney)
j.i.

If its anything like the feckin session I went to in Glasgow last night it won't be
.........................
Slán Agat
Uilliam

Uilliam tell me the truth, were bottles broken or was beer spilt.
Any how have you heard about some beers coming in plastic bottles would make for a good bar fight....Bonk...Bonk...Bonk......(Hours later)...Bonk....Bonk..

irishduffy wrote: Any how have you heard about some beers coming in plastic bottles

Hey, empty plastic bottles..... any good for reedmaking?

j.i.

Stop that. These are the thoughts that lead to madness!

PD.

Uilliam wrote:

Jay-eye wrote:

"The great leaders of the world should learn to play the uilleann pipes and have a session together. And the world would be a happier place." (Slightly adapted from a comment by Paddy Moloney)
j.i.

If its anything like the feckin session I went to in Glasgow last night it won't be
.........................
Slán Agat
Uilliam

To be fair, Paddy did say "whistles" and "party". I guess he knows how thran and carnaptious we pipers can be!

j.i.

Cane is way supiror in tone regardless of what instrument it is the only thing that is better in Plastic is drone reeds. Here is a list of things that sound better in cane: GHBs (except the Drones), Galician/Asturian Pipes, most other types of bagpipes, Bassoon, Oboe (modern and other types), English Horn (Alto Oboe), and all single reed instruments. Cane may be harder to use but the effort is well worth it. The fact is for tone cane wins.

Cane sounds better, but for some of us in climates that run the gamut from cold and dry to hot and humid, the idea of at least practicing with a plastic or composite reed is a tempting one. My biggest problem with playing is that I have to spend have my practice time messing with the reed during the winter.

-Patrick

Hi Unseen122

My first chanter (by Jim Daily) had a plastic reed (made from a drinking straw I beleive) and sounded very nice with that reed. It was a bit heavy for me as a beginner and I had difficulties with getting the second octave due to my bag and bellows technique. My best chanter a blackwood one, also by Jim, has a cane reed and sounds lovely - this may be due to the chanter as well as the reed. I also have Chris Dixon and Pakistani chanters that have plastic reeds, that also sound very nice to my ear.

While my cane reeded chanter is the best sounding, it is in tune up to G in the third octave (I have never managed to get it any higher) it is also the most tempremental. Plastic reeds, once set up, play straight out of the bag in any conditions and give the beginner one less thing to worry about when learning to play.

When reading the posts on reedmaking in the forum, it seems to me that getting a consistant man made replacement for cane would cure a lot of the problems that are highlighted.

David

'The Mark of Cane'


If your Abel you can't beat Caine.


Alan

Cane vs. plastic.

OK, we can all see the potential advantages of a humidity and temperature stable material.

HOWEVER...

There aer some glaring ommissions here that I feel need to be pointed out. All the difficulties one might have with cane reeds and their construction would NOT be limited to cane alone. You'll still need to find the perfect staple design (out of synthetic brass I imagine), sand the inner radius correctly, tie it properly to said staple, and figure out how on earth to control a scrape with a slippery material.

And in the end, any quality plastic or poly will likely cost more due to it's involved manufacture. I'd rather go hack down some good ol' arundo and spare the neighbors around having to look at this "weed" - while at the same time making some great reeds.

I wonder what sort of color you'll find in the tone of a plastic reed?

Of course, a good followup would be "where can I find out how to make one of these plastic reeds?". I recently got some cane and tools and messing around with plastic might be an entertaining waste of time and keep me from messing up my new cane until I know what I am doing.

-Patrick