I posted a question about reeds a while back and got some great
answers. Anthony Robb
suggested that "perhaps we should start a free bank of working reeds
that
"aren't really there" for enthusiastic, would-be makers to mess
around
with?".
Does anyone out there have any such reeds available? I'd like to try my
hand at reed making in the not too distant future and would be grateful
for any "wonky" reeds that anyone could send me to have a go scraping,
trimming etc.
I'm in Australia - Neil
--- On Fri, 19/3/10, Anthony Robb <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Anthony Robb <[email protected]>
Subject: [NSP] Reeds
To: "Dartmouth NPS" <[email protected]>
Received: Friday, 19 March, 2010, 7:02 AM
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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