Hi Forum!
My own general preference for drone reeds is for the old-fashioned 'all-cane' type. This is mostly because I prefer the sound of them and, in my experience, they have not proven to be less reliable than other types which i have tried. Additionally i find that they are in some ways easier and more predictable to adjust.
All this being said, i can accept that they're a pain to set up in the first place.
Recently i've had a few sets of drones to reed/set up, different makers, and been attempting to refine my thinking on how to set up drone reeds.So i thought i'd post some thoughts to see what other people reckon!
My early experience was that there were several ways to achieve a change in pitch, air consumption etc, and so a good result was usually only achieved through trial and error with bridle position, wax blobs and flicking and rolling reeds in the hands. I'm starting to view these processes as having seperate roles to play in how the reed performs -
!. Bridle position/reed length.
Andy Watchorn passed me a great tip from some Swedish pipemakers he'd met which is to listen to what the reed does under pressure because it's telling you which way its bridle should go. If the reed rises in pitch then shorten the reed with the bridle, if it sinks then lengthen the tongue. It is quite possible to get the reed to the magic point where a change in pressure across a reasonable range may alter tone or volume, but not really pitch. SO i am trying to use the bridle to control stability, NOT pitch. This can lead to a drone which is nicely stable but playing the wrong note. In which case it's worth moving onto -
2. Wax Blobs
More wax = flatter, less = sharper. If you think the bridle is in the right place, but the drone is still too flat with no wax blob, then perhaps the reed is too big. Make a smaller one!! But if it's stable but too sharp, get working with the sealing wax. I find it's safest to melt the wax first onto a piece of wire, and then apply it to the cane, rather than the more adventurous method of attempting to drip wax directly onto the reed in an appropriate quantity....
3. Flicking, rolling
If the reed is shutting off too easily then flicking the tongue open a few times will probably help. It seems like the cane remembers - to an extent - and will stay 'more open'. I think the rolling between the palms is a good idea to help the top and bottom of the reed to conform one with another, give a more stable and smooth tone. But i have gone over to using HEAT to close a reed. Hold the tongue closed and pass the base of the reed through a lighter flame, and the tongue will be re-set against the body, probably ready to start flicking it open again. Heat also works to set the tongue in an open position, but generally this seems to leave the reed too open.
If the reed sounds too fluffy/airy
then it's probably too 'powerful' for the drone bore/exit hole size. Could be that the reed is too large a diameter, or that the toungue is too stiff. Try thinning the root of the tongue and see if a nicer tone is achieved?
Generally
The most stable and better sounding reeds seem to be those which on start up play another note and then 'drop' or 'jump' to the correct pitch. Don't really know why, but it appears to be the case!
Very much thoughts-in-progress, i may have ditched all of these ideas in 6 months....
Anyone want to agree/disagree/comment?
Cheers
A