OMEGA reeds

[Jack Daw]

Daz, if you don't have a bottle of fingernail varnish, plumbers tape (it's thin) also works well to keep the screws set.

[Mr. Woolery]

I used Omegas when I started playing. Most reeds seem to be fairly specific as to what pipes they like and what pipes they don't. I never got them happy in my McCallums, and another local piper said the same. They work fine in my older MacLeod pipes, though. Different bores. My instructor uses Omegas in her old Hardies and they sound fine, though a little too plastic to my ear.

The best sound I have found for the MacLeods was Spitfire reeds. Wood body, cane tongue. Didn't really like the McCallums, though. In those, I have MG reeds (made for and marketed by McCallum, so they BETTER work).

The infinite adjustability of Omegas makes them a little daunting at first, but if they work with your pipes, the setup time was well spent, as they will keep on working.

Oh, and as to the weight, it is a good idea to leave a tail dangling from the hemp you wrap on the base of the reed. That tail gets pinched in the stock when you insert the drone into the stock and if the reed shakes loose, you don't have to dig around in the bag for it. I had my bass come loose during my first-ever competition and couldn't figure out why my pipes suddenly needed so much air. The hemp was keeping the reed close enough that the drone kept going, but I was losing air like a sieve and ended up disqualifying, as I didn't finish the tune.

I understand that a bit of sticky-tack (that blue or yellow poster-hanging putty) added to the hemp will make a reed sit in place a bit more solidly. Can't vouch for it, but passing it along just in case.

-Patrick

[Jack Daw]

I hear ya, Mr. W. In the heat and humidity of Houston, taking pipes back and forth in and out of the heat makes the stability of the drone reed setting precarious, so I put my reeds on a leash, too.

[Mr. Woolery]

Had a chance to meet a piper in the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band and he told me that he has his reed seats tapped (threaded like a screw) so he actually screws his reeds into place. It is hemp that engages the threads, but the added stability of reeds is worth it to him. I'd be leery, myself. You can take wood off, but not put it back. He did this to vintage Hendersons.

Of course, he plays cane reeds. So, that's sort of off topic, now. But it would work with any reed.

-Patrick

[highlander_Daz]

I have set up one tenor drone reed up to now, Im taking my time with then so i get them 100%, what they dont make clear is that when you screw the grub screw in the bend the body away from the reed increasing the strength, if you over adjust, as well as screwing out the grubscrew you need to physicallly bend the body back strieght, simply screwing out the grubscrew all the way doesnt close the reed right up.

secondly its hard the find the balance between getting your pipes to tune on the hemp and getting the tongue length correct if you shorten the tongue too much it squeals and if you screw the grub screw in to eliminate the squeak the reed howls instead of striking in (drawing too much air) adjusting my strike in technique get some cleaner strikes, the omegas dont need much air in the bag to get them to strike in, too much air and the howl on strike in. as I say Ive got one tenor and the bass pretty much right, Ill get the other tenor right when I gate a chance, over all I love the tone and they are extremly air efficient, In fact Im going to order slightly harder chanter reeds in future.
Steve Warnock has just started a new Business "celtic reeds" Im tempted to try them, I currently use David chesneys and Ive tried Darren Warnocks "Williams reeds" however found them to be quite on top hand and unstable on F , and very unstable when tempretures fall.

http://www.celticreeds.com/

[Piper]

I have Omegas in my Kintails. All that's been said about the adjusting process rings true, but once you get them set, they're dependable. I never could get the bass quite to my liking, so I play a cane bass reed. I've used the same set up in my Dunbars with success, although at the moment the Dunbars are set up with Balance Tone tenors and cane bass (too cheap to buy another set of Omegas).