Q/K Concert Chanter (1999) Curly Maple Reed:Eamonn Dillon

[Brazenkane]

A chanter that I recently reeded.

I thought the collective "you" would enjoy the playing of this highly skilled, unique, and creative piper.

http://www.box.net/shared/1mbq5susd0

best,

O'Kaine

[Joseph]

sickening...... I am now officially in despair.

[Joseph E. Smith]

sickening...... I am now officially in despair.

It's OK Joe, have a pint and keep havesting that golden crop.

[Brazenkane]

I just wanted to clarify that the reason for making a reed of this material was not necessarily to find an alternative to cane. The initial reason was to find a material that would travel better then cane e.g. not be dramatically affected by the weather.

I don't know if Joe is "officially sick," because of the functionality both curly maple, or the creative playing that Eamonn Dillon seems to pull off effortlessly?

By the way, for those of you interested... Eamonn Dillon will be teaching and performing at the tionol in Killington Vermont in two weeks!

[Paul Reid]

Sounds a little "crispy" to me - could be the recording though, the drones sounds tinny too. Sounds like a well behaved reed otherwise!

[Joseph]

sorry all, didn't want to seem like a drama queen. I am in "despair" not because I'm afraid of loosing business (as far as I know, there are only 3-4 people in the world making wooden chanter reeds), but because as K stated "the functionality the curly maple, and the creative playing that Eamonn Dillon seems to pull off effortlessly". The chanter is unbelievable and yes the effortlessness at which Eamonn plays is incredible. So I'm in despair because I don't think I'll ever sound or play that well.
BTW, I didn't think it sounded "Crispy". It sounded like it had the "nyyaa" that is wonderful.

all the best,

[Brazenkane]

Sounds a little "crispy" to me - could be the recording though, the drones sounds tinny too. Sounds like a well behaved reed otherwise!

Recorded in a large room fully equipped with 1 couch, loads of sliding glass doors, tall ceilings, floors of tile, and a wall of mirrors

How's that for a crispy, reflection-laden environ fer ye?

[Brazenkane]

sorry all, didn't want to seem like a drama queen. I am in "despair" not because I'm afraid of loosing business (as far as I know, there are only 3-4 people in the world making wooden chanter reeds), but because as Kynch Padraig "the functionality the curly maple, and the creative playing that Eamonn Dillon seems to pull off effortlessly". The chanter is unbelievable and yes the effortlessness at which Eamonn plays is incredible. So I'm in despair because I don't think I'll ever sound or play that well.
BTW, I didn't think it sounded "Crispy". It sounded like it had the "nyyaa" that is wonderful.

all the best,

Joe...the chanter is only as good as the good reed it amplifies. In the past, I've made an avg. cane reed for that chanter too (w/cane, not yours btw, that wasn't that good), and guess what....the chanter was avg. sounding at best. (Needless to say, that reed went straight to the bin)

[PJ]

Great playing. The reed sounds like it's nicely in tune.

What does curly maple look like before you make it into a reed? Do you buy it in blocks, rolls, zig-zags?

the drones sounds tinny too.

I could only hear a tenor drone.

[Joseph]

KP- sorry needed to clarify. The chanter only sounds amazing because of the reed. The reed is wicked awesome!

[MikeyLikesIt]

What kind of maple was used (ie big leaf, european)?

[Brazenkane]

What kind of maple was used (ie big leaf, european)?

Curly Maple (as per the thread header). A guitar builder friend of mine supplied me what was to be the back of a guitar. So, I reckon you could say a cut from the sheet, but 100% unfinished slip of it would look like a rectangle about 3.9 mm thick x something long enough to make a reed out of. Magnified, it'd look like an ice cream sandwich, but it wouldn't much taste like one!

[MikeyLikesIt]

okay. I just thought the "curly" referred to the figure of the wood and not the species.

[Jumper]

okay. I just thought the "curly" referred to the figure of the wood and not the species.

It does. Several species of maple exhibit this figure:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple#Timber

So Kynch, what species of maple is it? Your guitar-building friend may know. Different species of maple can be very different in hardness, springiness and density.

[Brazenkane]

I can't answer that question and unfortunately, he can't either! Turns out he doesn't know where he got it from!

hardness is really only an issue if the entire composition is hard i.e. braz. rosewood, ebony, etc.

I thought CM was going to be very hard, and it's hard alright, but when one makes wood thin (w/ the exception of the obvious "it ain't gonna work-wood) , all bets are off....WAYYYYYY OFFFFFF!


caveat -all "it ain't gonna work" untested conclusions, should be dumped until tested. Some substances that don't work are Ebony, Koa, Braz. & Rosewood, def. do not work.