Simply accepting wet blowing?

[iunderwood]

My view of "wet blowing".. your chanter reed is to hard. Rationale: natural reaction to anything in your mouth is to salivate. For some reason, it has been my experience that even when I've been playing consistently for a while, thus "in shape", if I put a harder reed in the chanter, I am spitting, sputtering, and slobbering fairly quickly. If I put an easy one in, I can play and play and play, and sometimes my mouth even gets dry. Thus, easier reed - less "wet", harder reed - wetter. Please test this out for yourself. It has been my limited experience, a great many people play reeds that are much harder than necessary, and to their detriment on many levels.

Whoa, I haven't checked this forum in a while! So regarding reed strength, I do not play difficult reeds. I stopped chasing gut busters after I played my PM's set when I was briefly with the Stuarts G2. His tone was awesome, and his setup was so absurdly easy to play, it was a real eye-opener. I always look for reeds with a nicely settled high G, and work with them from there. I try to select reeds that require no squeezing to ease them in. Just naturally comfortable reeds. Although I may look for another chanter soon. The MacLellan that I have now seems to trend a little sharper than I would like, and almost every reed needs a little too much tape.

Also in response to Mr. McGillivray, this is exactly what I've had to adjust my thinking to. With so many people saying that sheepskin is great to a point, and that point is equal or lesser playing time than I was shooting for, I've decided to keep going with the hybrid. It's so rare to play gigs where I need to play for an hour anyway, so it's good enough for me. If I really want to go crazy I'll get a second set of pipes (which I really should have anyway) and just start those up once my Robertsons shut down.

[LeoCDN]

I have a Canmore Hybrid bag, split stock blow pipe fitted with a tube trap and in the blow pipe stock I have a Moose Valve. There's nothing "In Line". Sorry my original posting confused you.

It works great for me...if I turned up the temperature in my house I bet my upper drone moisture issues would go away too.

Jenni

im ordering a split stock to transition to a sheepskin bag… can you share a photo of you moose valve integrated with your split stock/tube? I’m currently using the Bannatyne MCS, but would like to transition the moose valve to the new set up… thanks for the help!

[burp birl]

If you’ve a moose valve inline with a tube trap there’s
no way to pour off the condensation collected in the tube. How do you?

I have a Canmore Hybrid bag, split stock blow pipe fitted with a tube trap and in the blow pipe stock I have a Moose Valve. There's nothing "In Line". Sorry my original posting confused you.

It works great for me...if I turned up the temperature in my house I bet my upper drone moisture issues would go away too.

Jenni

[el gaitero]

I use a tube trap and a moose valve and my chanter reed stays dry.

Jenni

If you’ve a moose valve inline with a tube trap there’s
no way to pour off the condensation collected in the tube. How do you?

[burp birl]

I have had wet drone top sections for years and have tried so many different moisture control systems it's not even funny. I have discovered that the temperature of the inside of my house plays a direct role in how much moisture my drone tops accumulate and it's all due to condensation. Warm breath meets cool temperature and condensation occurs. There's nothing I can really do to stop it except raise the temperature of my house (not happening anytime soon) BUT given this knowledge I know to stop and dry out the drone tops every 20 minutes or so.

I use a tube trap and a moose valve and my chanter reed stays dry.

Jenni

[Pip01]

The old-school cure for wet blowers was to take up whisky and cigarettes,

Ah... for those Halcyon Days--of Yesteryear!! :-)

[Jim McGillivray]

Connecticut. It's generally quite humid here. And maybe it is overkill, but I think it would slam the door shut on my problem. Going with another Gannaway could well be sufficient, but at this point I kind of see it as a half-measure.

edit: I also generally try to play until I'm exhausted, or my reeds shut off. Right now, with Canmore and trap-dri tube, drone reeds shut off at about an hour. I want to be able to get a lot more time before I overwhelm the reeds.

If you're getting a straight hour of playing dry with only a tube and trap-dri, in my opinion you are doing really well! Back in my sheepskin days when I played only a tube trap, I could play for about 45 minutes, depending on the temperature of the room I was playing in. If it was a cool room I might go 35. Eventually I got tired of that bs and put in the moisture control system.

JM

[David Corbett]

My view of "wet blowing".. your chanter reed is to hard. Rationale: natural reaction to anything in your mouth is to salivate. For some reason, it has been my experience that even when I've been playing consistently for a while, thus "in shape", if I put a harder reed in the chanter, I am spitting, sputtering, and slobbering fairly quickly. If I put an easy one in, I can play and play and play, and sometimes my mouth even gets dry. Thus, easier reed - less "wet", harder reed - wetter. Please test this out for yourself. It has been my limited experience, a great many people play reeds that are much harder than necessary, and to their detriment on many levels.

[bprints]

if moisture is a huge concern then just get a flux blowpipe. looks a bit jank but it works.

[iunderwood]

~1920's Robertsons, ~2003 MacLellan poly chanter, Shepherd ridge cuts in the chanter, Redwood tenors and Ezee bass.

My drones, unless they're drowning in water, are actually super stable. After about 25-30 minutes, the F on the chanter gets a little sensitive and some harsher harmonics start coming out. That's always accompanied by water droplets forming around the reed seat and the reed starting to feel a little squishy.

Edit: As an aside, what would be the best way to remove rather wide stocks from rubber collars on a Canmore? Should I push down or pull them up and out? Wanting to reuse this bag on the backup set.

[el gaitero]

Outside, yes. Temp in the 60's, pretty humid.

Has anyone asked...what maker pipes,chanter,reed are you playing?

[iunderwood]

Outside, yes. Temp in the 60's, pretty humid.

[EquusRacer]

Forgot to mention this new problem! The last several practice sessions, 30-45 minutes, I've had water collecting in the DRONE TOPS. They get very, very wet. One one gig, after a break for the service, I went to strike up again, and the bass drone would never settle. At the end, I took the pipes apart, and water came gushing out the bass drone mid section.

I'm quite, quite done with this Canmore, and will relegate it to a new backup poly kit.

Egads! Were you outside? Was it cold? (Trying to think what could cause that level of condensation, assuming that's the cause). Regardless, that's more extreme than I've ever observed in anyone's pipes. Wow.

[iunderwood]

Forgot to mention this new problem! The last several practice sessions, 30-45 minutes, I've had water collecting in the DRONE TOPS. They get very, very wet. One one gig, after a break for the service, I went to strike up again, and the bass drone would never settle. At the end, I took the pipes apart, and water came gushing out the bass drone mid section.

I'm quite, quite done with this Canmore, and will relegate it to a new backup poly kit.

[el gaitero]

My Moose valves are down in the stock a fair way, and, depending on the weather, collect a fair bit of moisture. I pour off every 10 minutes or so.

No singling out anyone...a cube of sugar is the approximate volume of space around a moose valve in the stock...with the insert stub left in place...and regardless how deep in the stock.

Once that volume is satisfied..( filled) excess condensation will spill over /be blown into the bag.

Using a Trap-Dri /upturned vinyl tube trap is an excellent solution....but ineffective to the extent that pouring off the condensation is impossible with a moose valve in place.

A simple and properly tied flapper is needed...to let the tube and trap-dri do the intended job before pouring off.