drone reeds

wolvy · Post by **wolvy** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:35 pm

What kind of drone reeds do you use?

Bill Reeder · Post by **Bill Reeder** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:43 pm

The Childress full set is using BC's standard styrene tongue and brass tubing, all of which are working fine.

The Thomas half set has one Daye styrene and cane reed in the bass, one Childress styrene and brass in the baritone, and one all cane reed in the tenor which I think I made. All 3 reeds are going fine as well.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:44 pm

Sugar pine tongue on maple dowel barrel on some. Sugar pine tongue on brass tube for others.

djm

Ailin · Post by **Ailin** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:46 pm

I have all cane reeds.
The bass is Nick Whitmer's and the other 2 are Seth Gallagher's.

Ailin

No E · Post by **No E** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 12:47 pm

All cane in the Hunter B set and Gallagher D set, styrene tongues on brass bodies in the Childress C set (tenor drone might be cane--can't remember).

No E

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 1:30 pm

Elder, and maple, the best there is.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:03 pm

Kevin, could you please clarify - elder tongues on a maple dowel?

Thx,

djm

vanfleet · Post by **vanfleet** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:20 pm

Looks like the poll needs another option. I'm also using hardwood dowels with wood (Spruce?) tongues, Tim Britton's deluxe model drone reeds.

eric · Post by **eric** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:28 pm

Was using all cane because they sounded better than the composites I had. However, one night with all the weather changes, the middle drone kept closing up and the small drone started growling at playing pressure. Switched them out with the metal/wood composites.

Now, this is not inherit with the composite design per se, but those two composites needed much less air to drive than the cane reeds I have-- it made playing *that* *much* easier. It was like night and day. Since they sound "good enough," they're staying in.

The bass drone still has cane because it blows easier than the composite bass drone reed I have.

eric · Post by **eric** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:30 pm

P.S. hadn't heard of using maple for guills.

DJM, You probably already know, but elder was the old material for drone reeds. You can hollow out the pith and cut a tongue in it.

Anyone ever use Lilac? Wouldnt mind doing that just for sentimental reasons.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 2:49 pm

All cane right now, but I've successfully tried brass tubing and a brass tongue as well as a balsa wood tongue. Yeah, balsa.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 3:01 pm

eric wrote:
Anyone ever use Lilac? Wouldnt mind doing that just for sentimental reasons.

I have heard it mentioned, in fact Alain Froment once mentioned he thought the drone reeds in Seamus Ennis' pipes were made from lilac, he wasn't sure though.

Fergmaun · Post by **Fergmaun** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 3:34 pm

My Andreas Rogge C Snakewood drone reeds made by Rogge is:

1) Tenor all cane,
2) Baritone cane with plastic tongue,
3) Bass cane with plastic tongue

stew · Post by **stew** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 3:46 pm

Peter, I use Buddleia, or the other name is the "butterfly bush" its in flower at the moment in my garden, but come November I harvest the thin branches,I get enough to make about three hundred bass reeds, thats when there ready to use the following year, there simular to elder but the sound a bit cleaner or crisper in tone, I like them. all the best.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Aug 09, 2004 5:48 pm

Eric, I have heard elder drones, but never used them. They are very mellow sounding compared to the buzziness of cane. But like cane, they are sensitive to humidity changes, and have to be changed out every so often. The trouble with finding the right kind of elder, the right size, and at the right time of year pretty much discouraged me from pursuing it as an option.

This topic has come up before (elder) if you want to do a Search on it - lots of ideas and input. I know Kevin Rietman is strongly in favour of elder, but he is in the Pacific Northwest, so his climate is more favourable to natural reed materials.

djm