Apps Cane Practice Reed

[Roger Huth]

APPS PRACTICE CHANTER REED

Would you like to;

1) Play your practice chanter for as long as you like without having to continually stop to dry the reed

2) Have a reed in your practice chanter that plays at its peak when it is soaking wet

3) Have a practice chanter reed that is very easy to adjust

4) Enjoy a bright clear and almost small pipe sound from your practice chanter

Two days ago (11th July 2012) the small pipe maestro, Callum Armstrong, phoned me to ask about borrowing a lower pitch B flat Highland Pipe chanter for a concert, and we arranged for him to come round my house to make his choice.

After the call, I immediately went to my pipe box and took out a brand new Apps practice reed and left it to soak in water as per the instructions.

I also put my current Apps reed in to soak as well.

After about twenty minutes I removed them, blew the residue water out from the inner chambers and put them in my long wooden Naill chanters (one being a goose)

The new reed was an instant success and I played a number of tunes with it.

My older one, in the goose, was as excellent as it always has been.

Callum duly arrived and sorted out a couple of my pipe chanters against an online tuner; skilfully adjusting each note to the scale with tape.

Then I asked him to try the long Naill practice chanter.

I asked what he thought of it and he replied ‘It’s alright’

When I then told him it contained a brand new Apps cane reed Callum asked ‘to have a look at it’

He did so and said ‘It looks like a small pipe reed: may I?’

Callum, who understands reeds (he often makes reeds himself), made some infinitesimal adjustments to the metal bridle and the chanter reed magically reached its 100% ceiling of sound, wind resistance and resonance.

He then played more tunes on the practice goose, before repeating the above to my older Apps reed

Another thing.

The next day I went round to Callum's where we were playing the Highland pipes in his circa 1/2 acre of land.

Callum played ‘The Viscount’ and MacDougall’s Gathering’ and then I played ‘Patrick Og’ and a couple of other Grounds and tunes: while afterwards eating tea and cake and discussing why the head was missing from a mouse caught in a trap in his garden.

When I eventually returned to the car, I found that my practice chanter, with the brand new Apps reed in it, was red hot from being in the sun.

There isn’t a piper reading this that doesn’t know what I thought and said.

I blew the chanter and found, to my relief, that the reed was not affected and played away; denoting its toughness and resilience, as well as the beauty of its small pipe type sound.

I thoroughly recommend them

Roger Huth

[Andrewman]

I will second that recomendation! I just purchased an Apps cane practice chanter reed from Roddy MacLellan at his recomendation. All I can say is WOW! Superb tone, a very in-tune scale, and a pleasure to listen to.

This reed works particularly well in my Gibson Long chanter. It is also very nice in a MacLellan pratice chanter with a very warm, almost clarinet - like tone.

Yes, the Apps Cane practice chanter reed is a bit more expensive than your standard practice chanter reed from company XYZ. However, the reed is exceptionally well made, and the tone really adds to my enjoyment of practicing.

Very highly recommended!

[Masterspark]

I also recommend the Apps PC cane reed. I AM IN LOVE.WITH IT! Great tone and it loves to be wet. Sounds great in my Naill ABW PC.
Masterspark

[Another Henderson]

I am pleased to hear that it works well in the Gibson. I was wondering if anyone had tried that yet. I am very intrigued by that fact that it like to be wet, but at the price, I'd like to be affirmed of the longevity.

Either way, with these recommendations, I think I'll keep it on my birthday/Christmas list this year.

[Rojellio]

Originally Posted by Andrewman

Yes, the Apps Cane practice chanter reed is a bit more expensive than your standard practice chanter reed from company XYZ. However, the reed is exceptionally well made, and the tone really adds to my enjoyment of practicing.

The expense is not what it might seem. In my experience one cane reed is less expensive. IF you were to buy a couple of brand X, a brand Y, a couple brand Z, and maybe a new to market Brand W... (Which I have done more than once...) That handful of reeds costs more than the ONE Cane reed.In my experience, I never quite like any of the reeds in that handful of plastic ones. They are all OK and all, some better than others.. but not a winner in the pile. So.. having spent more for a pile of plastical reeds I didnt like.. IMHO buying just one Cane Reed is cheaper, and chances are good I will like it.