Sound of the Chanter Top

[Christian Tietje]

Hello Uilleann Pipers,
has anybody made any expierence with the influence of the material of the chanter top on the sound of the chanter?

Christian

[Tony]

If I remember correctly, around 8 or 9 years ago, pipemaker Bruce Childress came through a nearby city (on his way to vacation) and we tested a brass top against a wooden top (on the same chanter) and I found no discernible difference in sound.

Is this the type of response you are looking for?

[Christian Tietje]

Hello Tony,

as everything has an influence on the others involved I expect an influence as a reaction on the movement of the reed - like the moon has an influence on the earth and revers.

Once I had a brass chanter top. For many years now I use a wooden one. Since I got the wooden top I have lost a bit of the sound that I loved in times before. Regardless the different reeds I made and tested, I can't get back the former soft sound. By watching (or better listening to) several other pipes with wooden, brass or silver top I assume, that the sound might be more soft, dense and not so "hollow, woody" with a metal joint.

Also I have heard about discussions how the connection to the bag is made, straight or rectangular. There may also exist an influence how the air oscillates backwards and forward. If nobody has a really sure opinion I have to buy one and to test. I will come back to report.

[Mr.Gumby]

You're probably better off looking at shape, size of the head and diameter and placement of the air inlet. Ronan Browne claims to have the upper hand over other pipers since he had the reedcap tied straight into the bag for example.

[glasba]

I was told that wooden top makes the sound warmer and with a bit stronger timbre. Anyway, I prefer the richer look of wooden tops always. But it is interesting to hear that metal top would be able to make sound softer (hard to believe) and dense!? Mybe it depends on the wood used for top. But if it's true, then I gues Silver top would make it even softer then brass?
Best, AA

[oleorezinator]

You're probably better off looking at shape, size of the head and diameter and placement of the air inlet. Ronan Browne claims to have the upper hand over other pipers since he had the reedcap tied straight into the bag for example.

sometime ago, cillian o' briain wrote an article in an piobaire or the ipc pipers review
about that arrangement of windcap as sounding better in combination
with a hollow mainstock. the harmonics blending and supporting one another.

[bensdad]

I has a chanter top made from concrete. The weight made all the notes flat.
It was so heavy I had to play standing on my head to avoid dislocated fingers.