Hi all. So, I am taking Benedict K’s advice and starting with just the Bari reg. I am having trouble tuning it however. I find the A and the bottom note D to be in tune with a tuner. The G and F# however, are very flat. Suggestions on how to remedy this? Thanks in advance for your responses.
Arbo
Make the F# and G in tune and then flatten the D and A with blue tack. Be careful that the F# is really flat, and not just in tune with the chanter (ie don’t check against a tuner necessarily).
If it turns out just the G is flat, you could try pulling out the metal tubing at the end a bit (complete with the end plug) so that you have a small gap at the end of the wood before it meets the plug (still sealed of course by the metal ferrule). This sometimes will bring the G up.
Hello ImNotIrish,
what I usually do, works for me and may be different on your set. But you can try my method which is a bit also Andreas Rogge’s method.
When the high A and low D are fine: That’s really great, good approach!
1rst - I tune the high A by sliding the reed in our out.
2nd - I open or close the reed by shifting the bridle until these both are right - upper and lower end. Hope it turns not too loud or too quite.
3rd - I raise then the f# via closing the f#-hole by putting wax into, worth trying. My pipe maker Andreas Rogge has installed a headless screw. If you turn the screw to close the hole f# get’s up!
4th - To raise the G you have to twiddle a bit more. You can put a ball of wax on the rush below the position of the G-hole which usually raises the tone. Shift the ball on the metall wire rush to adjust. Bigger ball has more effect, smaller ball less effect. Mine have diameters about 4 - 5 mm.
Thanks guys. I shall give it a try. Need get some blu tack, or maybe just try some beeswax as I have that handy. I had tried using some teflon tape on the wire for the A and the G, but I was putting the tape above the holes. Which way do I go to sharpen a note? Is it the same for all of the notes? Please advise further. Thanks, Arbo
p.s. in the meantime, I am going to try and make a cane reed. I have a plastic one, and one of elder, and I don’t really care for the sound of either.
…be careful with the blue tac: N. American versions can be too tacky and may adhere to the inside of the bore. Then you are in for a world of hurt.
t
In my experience, regulators behave differently depending… on what? who knows.
But roughly:
- stuff above flattens
- stuff below may sharpen (or do nothing)
- the smaller the hole, the sharper the note (mostly, sometimes, and this sometimes depends on whether you put stuff at the top or bottom of the hole)
- Creating gaps between the end of the regulator wood and the plug, beneath the metal, can raise the G, F# and A (maybe, in that order) or make them slightly more stable.
- anything in the bore can make all the notes unstable (and sometimes more stable)
And no, it’s not the same for all the notes… Or the same note on different days. Good luck!
Well, I made a reed this evening and at this point in time the following is happening: The G and D are very close in tune with the tuner. The A is sharp, and the F# is flat, substantially so, residing half way between an F# and Fnat. What gives?
Arbo
yah… going back to your original post, you will just have to diddle with it back & forth…cause;
what works for me in that situation is to
*push the reed IN,
*pull the reg out of the stock a hair,
*pull the ferrule out a squinch (at the end that s closets to the D vent)
*wrap tef tape heavily on the tuning pin below the D vent,
*adjust the tuning pin accordingly while warming up.
- & as a last resort apply a wee bit more bag pressure when Im playing G on that reg.
roads to Rome, & all that. 
RE your most recent post..have you tried popping a bit of cotton or something into the bore down by the tuning pin end?
“..*pull the reg out of the stock a hair,…”
I am curious just how that changes anything, since the reed and the regulator are integral for the bari and tenor regs. Does the reed behave differently when residing centrally in the mainstock?
yah. i can dig it. it makes no sense whatsoever. but there it is.