Where to get Border pipe chanter reeds

[Jimbaab]

Hi all,
Can I pick the brains of any Border pipers out there?
I'm playing a set of border pipes just now which (I swear) has a chanter which at best is unforgiving. Choking if the pressure is not Absolutely precise.
At worst, after 5 minutes the choking gets worse and playing becomes littered with squeals.
It's not my experience with the GHB. Or the SSP played with the same bellows. Only the Borders.
It's highly frustrating.
So I hope to pick all the brains out there of those who know of such things.
Is it in the nature of Border pipes to be changeable? And unforgiving?
Where can a chap find Border chanter reeds? Can you recommend anyone?
They feel unknown to me tho I've been playing pipes for 30 years. Anything else you can tell me about these beasts?
I'm prepared to take on board that a consistently precise presure is required and that there may be some slight fingering difference on the Border chanter that I've yet to perceive and allow for. But most of me reckons that a Border chanter ought to behave like others and it's possible to achieve as playable a Border pipe as a GHB or SSP.
I've gone on and on and on a bit.
Cheers
James

[Borderpiper]

Hello James,

They can be quite pressure sensitive sometimes and you need to pinch the reed sometimes if the pressure isn't right. Is it choking as in stopping playing or are the notes breaking up? Try, with your fingers not pliers, to open the reed up a bit by pressing at the sides to see if that will stop the choking, also try and ease right off on the pressure and practice just the unstable notes, high A is a good one as it tends to the most unstable.

As for reeds you usually need to get them from the maker as you can't buy blanks to set up yourself. Pipe dreams sell reeds a bit cheaper that might be worth a try but I haven't tried them yet.

http://www.pipedreamsreeds.com/shop/Bor ... c-259.html

Hope that helps. I'm up in Inverness today and next week sometime if you want someone to give them a try, might be in Clachnaharry tonight for a tune.

David

[Celtpastor]

I would still suggest trying McLaren...