I have been working with ‘composite’ drone reeds (metal body/cane tongue) in my Uilleann Pipes since around the mid 90’s….

Materials that you will need: A Bass saxophone reed or Bass Clarinet reed soft grade. A tenor Sax reed is…

The following guidelines apply generally to tuning all kinds of drone reeds. a) The shorter the tongue the higher the…

Keeping your Uilleann reeds in tune is both a challenge and a necessity. Cane is an organic material and as such will be affected by your climate – heat and humidity. I strongly urge every piper to learn how to make reeds. Knowing that you are able to replace a reed if damaged will make […]

There are generally only five problems that commonly arise. 1. ‘Clapping’, i.e. the reed closes shut with the result that there is no sound 2. Poor tone, funny noises or double toning. 3. Squealing as pressure is brought to bear on the reed. 4. No sound but a lot of air. 5. Tuning problems i.e. […]

It is essential that the Drone Stock is not in any danger of falling out of the Drone Stock Cup. The ‘Drone Stock Cup’ is the large silver ferrule at the bag end of the Drone Stock. To rotate the assembly in the cup, you must always grip the cup with one hand whilst turning […]

Mouth Aperture As previously explained your reed can either close up or open up as a result of changes in ambient heat and humidity. If it has opened up and the mouth is too large your chanter pressure will be too ‘heavy’ to play comfortably, the tone may be too harsh, the tuning may be […]