Kelt Drone Reeds: Full Set

• Reed Set-up

Prior to dispatch, all reeds are set up, tested, and played by Mark Faloon.

 

• Strength

Moving the rubber bridles towards the top of the reed will increase the volume and the amount of air that the reed uses. Moving the bridle towards the bottom of the reed will refine the reed and reduce the amount of air that it will use.

 

• Pitch

You will find a tuning screw inside the reed; turning this clockwise will flatten the pitch of the reed. Turning the screw anti-clockwise will sharpen the pitch.

The reeds are tested at a pitch of 484 Hz.

 

• Maintenance

It is recommended that regular checks are carried out to ensure no foreign bodies are present under or around the tongue of the reeds.

It is also recommended to replace the o ring bridles once every twelve months to guarantee consistent tension on the tongues.

 

If you have any queries regarding the reeds, please do not hesitate to contact Mark Faloon or James Knox  

 markfaloon20@gmail.com        

 james@knoxengineering.co.uk 

Regards and Thank You!

While trialling the Kelt Drone Reeds I was impressed with the harmonic tone which blended well with the chanter to give me a full sounding bagpipe with a resonant bass sound. When I first tried the bass I swapped it back and forth with a cane reed and I could find very little difference. Then I tried the same thing with each of the tenors and again found a very pleasing natural sound with a nice sympathetic blend between tenor and bass. The drones were incredibly steady and I also found that once the reeds got wet, they remained stable. The reeds worked very well in my MacDougall pipes (which are normally quite hard to reed out) and I was happy with how they harmonically supported my chanter. I would consider these to be an impressive set of drone reeds.

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Pipe Major Richard Parkes MBE (Field Marshall Montgomery)

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"I have played all of the synthetic reeds available. Over the last several weeks I have been using Kelt drone reeds (by Mark Faloon and James Knox). They produce a rich sound, great stability, air efficiency and a tone indistinguishable from quality cane. A bonus feature is the complete ease of strike-in. Simply blowing into the pipe brings the drones up without fail."

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Bill Livingstone - Ontario, Canada

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As a pipe major I had been on the lookout for a more stable and cane like drone reed without the difficulties of actual cane. A drone that would also not have a plastic sound on the strike in. A reed that would perform in many varieties of weather that we experience in Northern Ireland and Scotland and most of all a sound that adjudicators would enjoy.
And in Kelt Reeds I have found all these qualities.
After the initial set up of the reed's they tend to be Hassel free and a joy to play, and would highly recommend them.
I am currently playing them for the second competition season as is almost all of the band with its large variety of makes of pipes.

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Pipe Major Mark Rodgers (Upper Crosgare)

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I am extremely impressed with my set of Kelt Drone Reeds. They required minimal effort to set up in my pipes, provided a harmonious balance between my drones and my chanter, and the quality of sound reflects that similar to cane. I have also found satisfaction from the fact that I have been able to play for lengthy periods of time without the reeds stopping as a result of a build-up of moisture. I would recommend these drone reeds to anyone who wishes for a practical, steady, and unique tone.

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James Frazer (Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band)