Cane practice chanter reed help

[Army Piper 101]

I have searched for hours on the web looking for a cane practice chanter reed. I have several brands of synthetic, plastic, practice chanter reeds that I have been experimenting with.

My bagpipe instructor and several other pipers in the band have cane practice chanter reeds and have given me some potential websites where they think I could buy some, but after hours of searching, (even searching the more common and popular bagpipe web sites) I cannot find anyone that sells cane practice chanter reeds. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

[Iain Sherwood]

I've been carrying them for years.

[fatbob piper]

How is it possible to play a cane PC reed? My plastic reeds are soaked all the time. I can't imagine a cane reed and all the trouble that has to be. I suspect they sound pretty good for a little while though.

[maitland]

One method is to have several practice chanters on the go, never playing one long enough to soak the reed. And a goose.

[Roger Huth]

I found my cane practice reeds played better with moisture. They soaked up what they needed and the rest just rolled off.

Then 5 months ago I came across plastic reeds that actually sound better than cane while taking less air; so they are in all my practice chanters now, including my practice goose.

Roger

[Bill Urquhart]

Roger, care to share where you got those plastic reeds?

[John S. Foley]

I'm with Roger. I use a Dunbar long PC, and it generally soaks my plastic reeds to the point that the bindings get mushy and the reed won't play any more(until it dries out). And I have to shake out the excess quite often. Sponges work sort of...butI've finally started wrapping teflon tape around the bindings to keep them drier. (Not too tight...it'll change the sound.) My cane practice chanter reeds are another story...They seem to thrive on the moisture. Like chanter reeds, they need to get used to making a musical sound, rather than being a piece of plant growing in the stream, but unlike chanter reeds they definitely get better with age. I love 'em. I think my last ones came from the Tartan Thistle, but I've always been able to find them from every vendor I've ever asked.

Forgot to mention...you DO have to be sure and let the air get to them to dry. They get will get filthy black with mold very quickly if you don't.

[Blackadder]

Originally Posted by Bill Urquhart

Roger, care to share where you got those plastic reeds?

Hear, hear!

[Roger Huth]

Originally Posted by Blackadder

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bill Urquhart</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Roger, care to share where you got those plastic reeds?

Hear, hear! </div></div>

I'd better not. All I can say is that I wouldn't look beyond cane until I tried these ones. Then I instantly converted all my own practice chanters, Glens, Lawrie, Naill, Roberston, Inveran, Henderson etc., and those of my pipers to these new plastic ones. Up 'till then I couldn't stand plastic while the cane ones were and still are available. But these particular plastic ones take little air, have perfect tone, smooth timbre, refuse to squeak and squeal, need no breaking in, inexpensive. They are just perfect for me and for my pipers.

Going back to cane though, I'm pretty sure that I bought my last batch from Kintail. It was easy as they have an on line set up for purchasing, and I just placed my order accordingly. No problems.

Roger

[fatbob piper]

Originally Posted by Roger Huth

Then 5 months ago I came across plastic reeds that actually sound better than cane while taking less air; so they are in all my practice chanters now, including my practice goose.

Roger

Indeed. I don't think I will waste my money on cane for such a thing.