Hi all.
This subject has probably been talked about
but I couldn’t find it over the forum, so sorry in advance.
Although I have switched reeds (By Alan, the reed Shaman, what an amazing guy)
I haven’t been able to resolve this issue.
My low B and C are in tune, but as soon as I hit
the high notes.. all hell breaks loose.
I can’t even spot if it’s too flat or too sharp.
Does anyone has any solution that doesn’t require
messing with the reed too much or selling my chanter?
Thanks!
Check both sides of the reed…airtigth?
Yes, it’s a new reed, I have two more from the same maker
and also the original one, and they all produce the same problem,
so I have a feeling it’s a chanter issue.
And for those of you who are brave enough to hear this:
http://onearmfrog.com/mp3/wayoff.mp3
Both notes sound sharp to me.
You could experiment with putting a rush (thin piece of wire) into the reed staple. However, this might have the effect of flattening the entire 2nd octave.
What fingering are you using to play the high C#? If you’re not already doing it, open the (lower hand) D# and E holes.
I open the G finger for B and C#.
I think I tried your method once, didn’t do the trick.
I’ll have a go with the rush, hope it won’t make the 2nd octave too flat 
Thanks PJ
Relatively few chanters have an in-tune high B. Even fewer have a reasonable high C#, played the usual way. But the high C# is rarely used. High (third octave) d is typically very sharp too.
One solution to the C# and d3 problem used by a few makers is a “high d” key (actually a C#/d key), which can, if placed felicitously, give a decent C# (along with the fingering usually used for B), or d3 (lifting all the top hand fingers).
You may find that a more closed fingering for second octave B will work - provided the octave doesn’t drop.
Hello Billh, thank you for the answer.
First of all, you’re right, there seems to be no real need of using the C# and
certainly not the third D.
Second, unfortunately, closed fingering usually drops the note back to the first
octave, and any other fingering doesn’t really change the pitch.
Hello all , and heres my take on the problem . The reed sounds a little bit too stiff and can be scraped around its mid section with a utility knife with a new blade , and done over a day or two in small increments as too much too fast , and the reed will just develope new problems .
On any given reed If you draw an oval shape beginning at the lips and ending where the u shape ends , then bisect that oval , the line where it bisects the oval will give you a rough Idea as to where to scrape it in order to bring in the high b , and loosen up the reed a bit .
I tend to make flat chanter reeds a bit longer and use the bridle up a litttle bit higher , though the reed will be flat overall it can be moved into the chanter to correct this and the over long reed will make sure it plays in tune in both octaves , though the bottom "hard " d may become too floppy that is less of a playing problem than having shrill and way off upper notes . If you hold the reed up in front of a strong light you can see where any shaded , or un scraped areas might be , then mark those with a pensil , but stay below the lips edge of the reed.
tom .
Thank you for the detailed answer tomk -
Unfortunately I have already destroyed two reeds
from wrong cutting/scraping and therefor for now
I do not dare destroying another one 
I have read that if I do need to insert a rush into
the reed, I can use a .10 high e acoustic guitar string.
Can anyone agree/disagree?
A 0.010 E string is likely an electric guitar light gauge, or acoustic guitar extra light. I don’t know if that’s the right thing to use, though …
A 10 e string is very thin. I use 22 gauge wire and adjust the length to control the volume of the staple.
An AWG 22 gauge wire would be the equivalent of a 0.025 guitar string - which would be available (or something close to it) as an unwound G string in some guitar sets.
I have just one word to say in response to that: https://listserv.heanet.ie/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0408&L=IRTRAD-L&P=6753
This tune is so much fun to play, and it’s ALL ABOUT the high C# and third D. (I point to the notes in IRTRAD-L, but learned it from our very own Tom Kleen.) Definitely a fair-weather tune, if you’re to have a hope of making it there, but don’t give up on top D so quickly.
-Frank
Hello Ofer. Hope you destroyed the lesser ones!!
This is a difficult one, as the individual note is so way off, that anything you do to flatten it either by rushing the bore or the reed, is going to have an adverse effect on the rest of the 8ve. In hindsight, maybe a small roll of card to constrict the bore below the B notehole will help? shrug It may of course make other things go wonky…
I think, this is perhaps a matter where pipemakers can shed some light? But whatever you do, it will be a learning experience, so try any technique that is reversible.
Queen of the rushes…
Thanks for the tips, I’m currently trying different sizes and lengths
of rushes and so far they all produced slightly different results.
I’m trying a few electric guitar strings, paperclip,
and the wire they use to seal bread.
I haven’t tried the card (as soon as I get to destroy a poker set, I’ll let you know!)