Bagpipe Chanter Reeds

Bagpipers are constantly searching for the perfect bagpipe chanter reeds. From the numerous chanter reeds that are made each year, a lot seem to disappoint as they live a short life. Some people have claimed that only solo pipers and top bands have access to quality chanter reeds while the rest have to make-do with the “left-overs”. This begs the question that the so-called ‘left-overs’ are simply no good? Well, guess what? This is not the case. Most reeds, when worked upon, can reach their full potential.

Firstly, you need to understand that not all cane is created equally. The quality of cane is graded and the one which is best-suited for reed-making is chosen to go into that industry. Further, within a specific category of reed cane, there are more levels of quality that you can choose from. As soon as a reed-maker begins to work with a fresh batch of cane, he can tell you about its qualities almost instantaneously. Enriched by experience, the reed-maker knows which cane produces the best reed, so, finding a consistent source of good cane becomes his first priority.

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Next is the manufacturing process. We might be of the belief that it is an exact science but we cannot disregard the fact that there is a certain amount of ‘art’ involved in the process. The acceptance tolerance in typical manufacturing is about 0.005. Though it may be hard to believe, this small variance can hugely impact the quality of a reed. If a typical gross of reeds (144) is taken from any given maker, there would be a percentage that would be ‘excellent’ right out-of-the-box. A modest amount of adjustment would be required for a certain percentage in order for them to sound and behave to a particular standard. Another percentage would present a greater challenge and then there would be a select few that might not be suitable at all. The quality of sound as produced by the reeds depends a lot on the ability of the piper. If the piper has a good hand at the instrument, he/she can easily adjust the reed to a particular standard. However, if the bagpiper is a novice or someone who is not known for his/her excellent piping skills, then he/she may not be able to adjust the reeds to produce a melodious harmony.

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