Glenarley Drone Reeds

Like the GHB chanters, the GHB drones are not constructed to any given standard so the arbitrary design of different makes of drone will effect the operating parameters of the reeds.

Our reeds are based on the fundamental methodology of cane drone reeds. A simple design with the vent hole as close to the head to avoid the presence of a headspace void.

Many reed makers use this void to tune the drone pitch using a screw or sliding plug. Audio profiling software identifies the tone difference produced with or without this void and we prefer the tone produced with no void. Also like the cane drone reed methodology, we choose to alter the drone pitch through altering the length of the reed.

Drone sets prior to the 60’s were designed to be played at Bb (466Hz) pitch and as many newly manufactured drone set purport to be design copies of well known older pipe sets, the fundamental design pitch of most currently manufactured pipe sets is also Bb (466Hz).

As the currently fashionable GHB playing pitch is up to and over 480Hz, the older (and most modern) drone sets are being played beyond their original fundamental design pitch. While this is achievable in most cases, it presents issues for the drone reed makers.

The hemp tenon on our reeds will slide up the bore of most drones so the hemp can be positioned along the tenon to regulate the length to tune to the desired pitch. Where the reed tenon will not slide up the drone bore, the tenon can be carefully trimmed (shortened) to achieve the desired tuning pitch.

Our reeds are made from a natural wood  with a synthetic tongue. The software profiling demonstrates the reed tone is closer to cane than many other drone reeds as there is an absence of the edgy brassy overtones that come from many of the current synthetic/carbon reed options.

As this is subjective and some pipers do like to have those edgy brash overtones, it is purely a user preference, there is not right or wrong reed tone.