Again,
Thanks for the info, I'll have to follow up on those leads when i'm back in AZ in about a month.
Can't wait to get back to the land of the free and kilted....
"The Scots have a transportable culture, you don't stop bein a Scot just because you live in America or Australia or anywhere else."
Gibson reeds are notoriously stiff. I learned the hard way. I bought a Gibson practice chanter on the advice of the person that sold it to me (even though I was looking to buy a Dunbar). It was impossible to blow and sounded more like a duck call than a chanter, and sometimes I had to blow it so hard my face would turn red. Being a beginner and not knowing any better, I didn't know if I was doing something wrong or if there was a problem with the chanter. It got to the point that I was going to give up learning the pipes. It was only when I asked to return it for a refund that I was told about Gibson reeds and their stiffness (more searching online confirmed this). I was instructed to sand the reed down to make it thinner. I did that and it was better but still not right. Finally I asked someone who plays the pipes for advice. He put the reed in his chanter and although he could play it, he said it was stiff and not suited for a beginner. He put his Walsh reed in my chanter and I played it and it sounded good for the first time. I immediately bought a Walsh reed and that's what I use today. All that being said, I continued to sand the Gibson reed and finally got it to the point that it blows easy and sounds pretty good. Moral of the story: Gibson chanters are very good but consider going with a different reed. (and also get a private instructor or join a practice group. Being a musician (guitar and piano) I thought I could learn the pipes on my own. Another lesson learned the hard way.)
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