Setting the Pitch

Getting SYNTHE-DRONE™ drone reeds to pitch where you want is largely a matter of physical adjustment(s), although the current design parameters do place certain constraints or limitations on pitch manipulation. For example: because most pipers today set up their instruments to play at about 474-478cps, our drone reeds out of the box are designed to play quickly in that range, with minimal adjustments, and in a wide variety of pipes.

If you want to pitch higher, you must make the reed shorter. If you want to pitch lower, you must make the reed longer. On our reeds, there are three adjustment points provided in order to accomplish this:

1. Vary the hemp at the reed's seat: either less for a higher pitch, or more for a lower one.
2. Reposition the screw: in for a sharper pitch, out for a lower one.
3. Alter the position of the bridle judiciously: just a hair's breadth toward the threaded end of the reed for a sharper pitch, or just a hair's breadth toward the hemped end of the reed for a lower pitch. The bridle adjustment is extremely sensitive, and allows only a narrow range of movement within which the reed will function flawlessly, and without which the reed will perform miserably. Bridle movements shoud be exceedingly small, uniform (i.e., positioned evenly about the circumference of the body of the reed and not cockeyed or canted in any way), and infrequent.

If the options above do not address your requirements, you are playing at an unconventional pitch, and/or your instrument is unconventional. The following may help...

1. Physically shortening the reed by cutting some portion of it away is not recommended, although the brass reed seat (or tube) could be shortened a bit with no deleterious effects. But removing a portion of the threaded end of the body of the reed will cause the reed to malfunction severely; or indeed, not to work at all.
2. Physically lengthening the reed is easily accomplished by the addition of a short length of thin-gauge brass tubing (of 1/4" I.D. for tenors, or 5/16" I.D. for the bass) to the hemped end of the reed. (Of course, you will have to remove the hemp first in order to attach it.) This provides an excellent way to lower the pitch of the reed without altering the original configuration, as the extension tube can be fitted easily, and set-up to be either a permanent or a temporary modification, depending on your requirements. I Inexpensive lengths of brass tubing can generally be found at most hobby or craft stores.
3. Have the reedmaker (that would be me) make you a custom set of reeds to suit your playing preferences.

The foregoing is a TUNING TIPS™ document provided by Wygent Reeds. Please refer to our Copyright Notice.