The chanter reed is the single most important piece of your instrument. It produces the melody, most of the volume, and it sets the pressure you blow at. A bright, clear, stable, efficient reed is the foundation of a great bagpipe sound.
Stabilize the moisture before you judge any reed. Reeds arrive dried out from shipping, and dry reeds test badly. A week in a humidified reed case at 84 percent turns apparent rejects into great reeds — no licking, spitting, or pinching required.
Adjust with the elastic bridle, light sandpaper, and the poker — never pinching or scraping. A doubled dental elastic makes a hard reed easier, one light pass of 320-grit across the blade tips clears a muffled tone, and the poker firms up a reed that has gone too easy.
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Pipe Chanter Reeds: Everything You Need to Know
1h 10m · Full class available to Inner Circle members
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