Francis wood wrote: Unwelcome squeaking can arise from many causes (including mice in the bag, though I'm not qualified to advise on a solution to that one) and it takes a good amount of experience to determine what is really wrong. What should an isolated beginner do in such circumstances? Hello Francis, I know the feeling. 6 months after getting my set from Bill Hedworth I found myself alone in the Birmingham area (Sutton Coldfield) and stuck for any adivice on reeds. There were no professional makers whatsoever in those days but I'd made contact with Bob Reid who posted me 6 chanter reeds (I think about a quid each) and I set to work wrecking them and getting to know what not to do! At that time Finbar Furey lived in Coventry and we got together a few times and he made me a copy of one of Bob's reeds but the Irish seem to go for softer cane which didn't really have the tone I wanted. No amount of watching or getting advice can match first-hand tweaking and after getting through about -L-120 worth of reeds at today's money I had learned a lot and was reasonably proficient and setting reeds (thank you Colin Ross!) to suit my pipes. When I came to make my own first reed (used in her F set by Carole on Cut & Dry Dolly) I didn't have a gouge so made the slip by patiently sanding from the flat cane on sandpaper drawing-pinned to a bit of broom-shank (not recommended but showed tenacity)! These days I snap lifeless reeds to stop me wasting time on them. Perhaps we should start a free bank of working reeds that "aren't really there" for enthusiastic, would-be makers to mess around with? As aye Anthony
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