Clicking Sound of Drone Reeds in Main Stock

[Ceann Cromtha]

I'm trying out a new set of reeds in my D set and sometimes there's this clicking sound coming from various reeds inside the main stock. I have confirmed that it is not that the tongues are beating against the insides of the main stock. Any idea what this may be? Thanks!

[geoff wooff]

This is quite normal, if especially noticable in a hollow mainstock, and is just the sound of the tongue of one or more of the reeds tapping cleanly on the body of the reed. Probably showing that you have good reeds that seal well when they shut.

I do notice that this effect can vary with the cane reeds , which I think is due to using the whole stick of cane , thus every reed is individual and different.

This sound is probably coming from the bass or middle reed if you can identify it as clicking as I think this effect from the tennor reed is more like hissing which can sound like air pissing out of a leak. I recall Declan Affley borrowing my pipes to play at a concert and looking most perplexed by the sound of what he though could have been escaping air.

I like this effect as it adds to the drone sound in a steriophonic sense and puts a tiny piquance on the drone tone, allowing the player to sit in a buzzing sound bubble.

[Ceann Cromtha]

Thank you so much. You are correct -- this is a hollow stock. What I find interesting is that sometimes the clicking is pronounced and other times it isn't (I prefer the latter response). I cannot determine what the variable(s) is regarding causing this to happen.

Have you found that as the reeds are played in, the clicking settles down?

Thanks again!

[geoff wooff]

This clicking can vary depending on several factors, even assuming that you have changed nothing with the instrument. Where you are sitting, what clothes you are wearing and exactly how in-tune your drones are to each other, could all have an effect.

With a Hollow Stock it is advisable to 'face' all the reeds towards the centre of the stock, so that the beating tongues are working in free space and not interfering with anything solid or each other. As the pressure pulses resulting from the reed action cause waves of air to move away from each reed and perhaps not in the straight line /radial sense that we would expect with sound waves but these pressure waves might cause a change or disturbance to a neighbouring reed's action... anything is possible.

It is very easy to determine which reed(s) are causing the noise by stopping each drone in turn and playing them in varying combinations. Yes this ticking can be annoying if it is too loud. The Wall thickness of the hollow stock, the material it is made of, the type of drone reeds being used and the size of the drone bores and the use, or not ,of Bass drone sound box can all have an effect.

If you are using composite drone reeds that contain a very hard substance ( metal body or tongue for instance) and combine that with a very thin walled hollow stock made out of a non sound deadening material... you could have a Swarm of Hornets instead of a Hive of Honey. A stock with Bass regulator attached will not transmit the clickings as heartily as on a half or three quarter set, try playing the drones and place your hand on the mainstock to deaden the vibrations, it should, if this does not quieten things considerably then you have some noisy reed indeed!
Tell us more.

[Ceann Cromtha]

You could have a Swarm of Hornets instead of a Hive of Honey... Tell us more.

Exactly! Right now it's just the tenor drone reed that is doing this and it sounds rather angry!

To tell you more (and this is really weird), if I stop off the tenor drone while it's making this clicking sound with my finger, the drone sound will stop, obviously (no sound will come out the end of the drone), but the clicking sound continues inside the main stock.

One other piece of information: there is no leak at the drone reed seat. I have added a tad of black cobbler's wax to ensure this.

[geoff wooff]

That sounds weird.

Are you sure it is the Tennor that is making the clicking ? Is there a leak in the drone slider ? Have you tried all combinations of drones ? Have you stopped all drones at their outlets but left the stop key open ?

The Tennor should give a very high speed ticking, almost a hiss.

Have you got your pacemaker switched off during these experiments ?

You have an old house... that has Death Watch Beetle infestation ?


Advice ; if all else fails change the reeds one at a time untill the bothersome noise abates.

[Ceann Cromtha]

Hah! I was thinking about a possible unclean spirit possessing that set! I'm checking for a possible leak (perhaps in the drone switch) and asking the reed maker as well. It really makes no sense to me how this can happen if air is not passing through the reed and exiting somewhere else. I'll keep you posted. Thanks again!

[Ceann Cromtha]

I found out what the problem was: the resonator ("puck") on the bass drone was leaking. It was the bass drone reed that was making this clicking sound. I had the puck corked off, but there was still enough air coming through to make the bass drone reed click and clack.

[An Draighean]

Hah! I was thinking about a possible unclean spirit possessing that set!

"You know, reed making is not an exact science, but we are learning all the time. Why, just fifty years ago, they thought a sound like your's was caused by demonic possession or witchcraft. But nowadays we know your pipes are suffering from an imbalance of bodily humors, perhaps caused by a toad or a small dwarf living in the bag."

- Theodoric of Youghal, medieval reed maker

[Ceann Cromtha]

Heh!

It occurred to me that I should have logged in my fix for this problem. After consulting with a knowledgeable pipe maker, I used Super Glue (a.k.a., Krazy Glue, etc.) by squirting a bit through the resonator hole, then turning the unit around so that the glue could move towards the leaky area. I located the leaky area by using soapy water and blowing through the unit till I found the bubbles coming out. It appears to be fixed.

I am wondering if there is another substance that could be put into it to fortify all the edges inside (e.g., liquid acrylic?). The "can" is made of silver and the lids (both top and bottom of the puck) are imitation ivory. The two pieces of imitation ivory are epoxied to the "can".

I think that this is yet another example of how this instrument can find interesting ways to confound you... I guess that's one reason we love it so much.

[billh]

I take it that was a hollow metal puck...

[Ceann Cromtha]

Yes, that's correct. The ring is metal and the face and back are artificial ivory.

[billh]

Ok. For that design, yours was probably a reasonable repair method. I hate to encourage people to go pouring super glue into things. Can be very bad indeed.