We’ve got two sets of pipes today, my Gellaitry paired with the prototype Gellaitry chanter I received a while back and then my Glencoe’s on a regular L&M bag which is a lot easier to play than the large Gannaway that was on there. First the Gellaitry’s with Gellaitry chanter!

Song for Winter, The Tourist, and The Snuff Wife

Sandy’s New Chanter and Pipe Major Jimmy MacGregor

Next we’ve got the Glencoe’s going with a Selbie bass and Crozier carbon tenors. The tenor reeds are a good match for the pipe and very reliable, but Selbie would offer a bit more in the overtone department which I think makes this set sound spectacular. Another note is the chanter reed is a little odd. In order to quickly bring the reed (Gilmour) closer to my playing strength, I pinched the staple a wee bit and shaved a bit of cane off. However, I believe I’ve pinched it just a wee bit too much. Highly indicative of this is the instability of low A. Oddly enough, if you blow harder on low A it gets flatter, rather than sharper. This is indicative of the reed closing down due to being over blown. It’s also opposite from what the high A does, which gets sharper when blown harder. Additionally, I’ve got a fair bit of tape on high A and G, so out with the poker thing I can’t remember the name of to open the staple back up a little bit. Pinching the staple right where the binding ends is usually my first resort to easing a reed because they dry out in West Texas and really open up. This leads to very flat C’s and F’s and just pinching the reed (with a set of pliers, usually) eases the reed and brings the pitch of the C and F up. So, a little instability in the chanter but here they are anyway. Marches! We’re listening to a blackwood Colin Kyo chanter in these two.

Delvinside and The Piper’s Prelude

Cowal Gathering and Major Mason’s Farewell to Clachantrushal