Glenarley Synthetic and Cane Chanter Reed Comparison

[@haimcampbell]

Cheers Glen, a very clear and thoughtful way of explaining yourself, reminds me of my Dad :) I've moved on to smallpipes these days, but have a MacClaren synthetic in the Highland Pipes for the when they need to come out of the box. If I get back to playing them a bit more, I'll be looking you up.

[@r.g.8416]

Excellent video Glen , Thanks for posting 👍

[@aikidragonpiper71]

When I play my pipes using a cane reed and have to stop then start again later I always have to pull my chanter out to keep my reed from getting soggy and weak since I’m a ver wet Piper . I have used a synthetic chanter reed before and loved it. When it wore out I have trouble finding synthetic chanter reeds.

[@timothyaldrich4926]

was wondering where i can get maybe 2 to try out and where do i order them?

[@janinelee3058]

Brilliant reed.

[@glenharley9955]

Hillbilly First off, there are no wet or dry blowers as all people have the same amount of moisture in their breath. The air you breath out is saturated, 100% RH when measured. I feel this misconception was derived to promote the sale of moisture control systems or some Black Arts stuff. The excess moisture on the chanter reed can come from condensation in very cold climate piping if you trail your pipes during breaks as the condensation that may be in the chanter can run back to the reed. The most common cause is saliva that you blow into your bag. This can vary depending on the piper and to put some numbers to it, after 30 min of playing, I have measure from 4 grams to over 12 grams of saliva depending on the piper. This is why pipers use a spit tube on the blowpipe that extends to the far end of the bag. The saliva it captures it can be tipped out during pauses and there is little chanse for the saliva to run into the goose-neck. If you don't have a spit tube, saliva can run down the inside of the bag and into the goose-neck, eventually getting to the reed. The other situation is when the back of the bag is lifted higher than the front of the bag at breaks so saliva collected in the bag can run past the goose-neck and to the reed. In my day, the PM would position the blowpipe in your mouth so the end was back behind your teeth so the saliva collecting in your mouth did not go straight down the pipe. He also made the blowpipe long enough so your head was not tipping forward for the same reason. When all else failed, he would get you to play your blowpipe from the corner of your mouth and while this is seen as poor technique, it kept the blowpipe end further back in the mouth so the saliva was not so easily sent down the pipe. Because cane reeds must be moist to perform properly, the absorbent nature of the cane does allow excess moisture to stick to it. The synthetic reed is impervious to moisture so excess moisture tends to slide off the reed. The synthetic reed has no need for moisture to perform so this gives the reed greater longevity (years) and stability as well as not needing to be warmed up for more than a few seconds. I can make a reed for you but you will need to email me with some piper settings. Some chanters need some special attention, (McLeod, Kyo and some Naill chanters come to mind) so this needs to be considered. Cheers

[@brunodarkoporrezacha371]

Good job, what is the material of chanter reed synthetic?

[@glenharley9955]

Most commonly I use acetate. A plastic made from wood pulp.

[@brunodarkoporrezacha371]

Thanks !!!! @@glenharley9955

[@glenharley9955]

If you are going to have a go at making reeds it is important when you shape the curve in the acetate you do not use too much heat! I do not exceed 75 deg C because the plastic can give a different result. If you use too much heat you will notice the acetate will loose clarity and it seems to get a little more rigid. Hope this helps.

[@brunodarkoporrezacha371]

​@@glenharley9955 Thank you very much for the advice, I won't forget. One question more please, are you using a brase tube???

[@glenharley9955]

Yes, I use a brass tube 4mm dia x .25mm wall thickness.

[@BrettARadcliff]

Are these available for purchase in the States?

[@glenharley9955]

Send me an email with your requirements and we can chat about it. [e-mail]

[@ashgall8118]

What the H.ell are you saying.

[@glenharley9955]

Is it my English or is it a technical issue you don't understand? Thanks