Shawn Husk
05-17-2008, 09:53 PM
Well I used to like to use a fairly dry set up.
For the longest time I was using a Ross canister for my MCS and a nice easy reed that liked it dry. It was an okay sound but it just lacked that crack and the vibrancy. This was an excellent gig set up though. Just tune once and you're good for an hour.
Well recently I've changed my set up to try and get some more life back in my tone. I decided to go back to a wet set up. IE. use a good sturdy stiff reed that likes moisture and sounds it's best after a good 15 minute soaking.
I'm currently using a Bannatyne hybrid bag with a simple tube watertrap. What a nice change this is! No canister, no hoses to deal with, the pipe goes right back into it's case with no wrestling; it's really quite liberating.
I'm using a medium/hard Higgins reed in my ABW McC2 and it's just great. Two small slivers of tape, hiG and E, and the chanter is just singing at 475. The C and D are still coming in, just a scosh flat yet but really I'm being extremely picky here, not enough to tell really.
But I think this time of year is really a great time for a wet type set up. Here in NE Ohio it's been cool and wet for a while now and this really seems to liven up my pipes. I'm using cane drone reeds now as well, not cane cane but cane tongued reeds. Spitfires, maple body with natural untreated cane tongues with the hard outer skin left on. What a nice tone.
Anyway, just wanted to share.
Shawn
For the longest time I was using a Ross canister for my MCS and a nice easy reed that liked it dry. It was an okay sound but it just lacked that crack and the vibrancy. This was an excellent gig set up though. Just tune once and you're good for an hour.
Well recently I've changed my set up to try and get some more life back in my tone. I decided to go back to a wet set up. IE. use a good sturdy stiff reed that likes moisture and sounds it's best after a good 15 minute soaking.
I'm currently using a Bannatyne hybrid bag with a simple tube watertrap. What a nice change this is! No canister, no hoses to deal with, the pipe goes right back into it's case with no wrestling; it's really quite liberating.
I'm using a medium/hard Higgins reed in my ABW McC2 and it's just great. Two small slivers of tape, hiG and E, and the chanter is just singing at 475. The C and D are still coming in, just a scosh flat yet but really I'm being extremely picky here, not enough to tell really.
But I think this time of year is really a great time for a wet type set up. Here in NE Ohio it's been cool and wet for a while now and this really seems to liven up my pipes. I'm using cane drone reeds now as well, not cane cane but cane tongued reeds. Spitfires, maple body with natural untreated cane tongues with the hard outer skin left on. What a nice tone.
Anyway, just wanted to share.
Shawn