Making reeds for a different climate

[PJ]

Here's one for the reedmakers:

I'll be travelling to from Canada Ireland with my pipes in May/June. In the event that my reeds react badly to the flight and change of climate, I'm preparing to make a few new reeds. When I make reeds, I usually leave a week between tying on the reed and starting the scrape.

Here's my question: Am I wasting my time preparing and tying a reed in Canada and doing the scrape in Ireland? If so, I'm going to have to make the reed from scratch in Ireland and (i) wait a week during which time I may not have a playable reed or (ii) not allow the reed time to settle after tying on and go directly to the scrape.

[billh]

Sounds reasonable to me (tying on in Canada and scraping in Ireland). You might even start the scrape in Canada, to where the reed just begins to crow, then finish here.

Then again, it's fairly popular to "tie one on" while in Ireland as well...

Bill

[djones]

I was in Ireland last summer and my North American reed played all right. I'm not too awfully far from Montréal.

DJones

[giggleswicksam]

I'd agree with Bill. I (nearly) always do. Also, if your method of making reeds allows you to re-tie the head then you're on to a winner, as in my experience reeds tend to close right down to unplayability when moved to a dryer, hotter environment (from my old swamp-workshop, now thankfully damp-proofed, de-humidified and heated). So untying and re-tying would probably cure that problem.

As Ireland is generally cold and wet you are unlikely to run into "dead reed" territory, your reeds may even go better (ha!) although it is really better to make a reed in the climate it will be played in. Just don't be tempted to make any whilst "in-flight" as Bill seems to suggest* (tying on in Canada (whilst taking off) and scraping in Ireland (whilst landing) - they'd never allow my cut-throat razor-scraper on board . . .)

Also - while I'd agree that it's better to let a reed settle for a while, there's really no reason why you can't make an "instant gratification" reed that plays well straight away, and still does so months afterwards. So don't wait a week, and remember the kettle boils faster unwatched . . .

* I know you're not suggesting that Bill, I'm just being daft.

PS (warning off-topic) if one was to leave a glass of whisky out for 2 days, at around 15 degrees, would all the alcohol evaporate, leaving a dodgy tasting residue? Or has the dog peed in it?

[Joseph E. Smith]

PS (warning off-topic) if one was to leave a glass of whisky out for 2 days, at around 15 degrees, would all the alcohol evaporate, leaving a dodgy tasting residue? Or has the dog peed in it?

... great, just great, yet another question to befuddle my mind with...

[giggleswicksam]

Right - it's official (I've asked Heather) and that's what happened to the whisky - evapohol. Quite a nice single malt too. Try it yourself, it tastes quite vile. Do you have Kaliber in the US? ie beer with the alcohol taken out? As I don't wish to cause this topic to be moved to the pub I should like to ask

How long leaveth ye the head tied on before giving it a blast? How long before calling it done with? I'd say that giving the reed a good play, take it to the park etc, is also important before chewing those final hundredths of a mm off. Or not if it doesn't want it.

Alan B told me that he fusses / has fussed with his reed even after playing with it for months. Good philosophy - if wrecked (the reed not the reedmaker) can always make another, probably be a better one!

[Joseph E. Smith]

Alan B told me that he fusses / has fussed with his reed even after playing with it for months. Good philosophy - if wrecked (the reed not the reedmaker) can always make another, probably be a better one!

I suffer from fiddlewithititis as well, and there is comfort in the knowledge that I can always whittle a new one.

[giggleswicksam]

agreed - I wrecked my lovely C# reed the other night (night being the operative problem) trying to make it leap like a gazelle into the second octave - it was only leaping like a mountain goat. Turned it into an ex-reed. What the hell - new one tomorrow. I'd advise all to learn to make the things, even if you don't do it, just so you can fiddle, and not stuff it up too badly. I'm also convinced that making reeds makes me a better piper.

Didn't Paddy Moloney once cancel a tour due to a dead reed? Before you all start, I'm not knocking him at all

[Patrick D'Arcy]

Didn't Paddy Moloney once cancel a tour due to a dead reed? Before you all start, I'm not knocking him at all

I doubt that is 100% Paddy being Paddy he'd just have someone make him a new one. He also plays whistle instead if his pipes aren't manageable... atleast that's what I've seen him do out here in the barren western deserts of the U.S.A.hhhh.

Pat.

[brianc]

PS (warning off-topic) if one was to leave a glass of whisky out for 2 days, at around 15 degrees, would all the alcohol evaporate, leaving a dodgy tasting residue? Or has the dog peed in it?

It's a trick question. No one in their right mind would ever leave a glass of whiskey out for 2 days. Drink it up, already.

Oh, wait... you said, WHISKY. Nevermind.

[brianc]

Didn't Paddy Moloney once cancel a tour due to a dead reed? Before you all start, I'm not knocking him at all

I doubt that is 100% Paddy being Paddy he'd just have someone make him a new one. He also plays whistle instead if his pipes aren't manageable... atleast that's what I've seen him do out here in the barren western deserts of the U.S.A.hhhh.

Pat.

Cancel a tour? Doubtful. These days he's getting reedmakers to make reeds for him locally. One such occurrence of this was in Colorado, this past January. Also, a year ago, IIRC, a reedmaker in Utah outfitted him with a 'high altitude' reed.