Date Posted:14:35:20 12/19/05 Mon
I have tried the Achiltibuie Balance Tone Drone Reeds and I think they are awesome. The tone is 100% steady. These reeds are also very air-efficient, and easy to strike-in if you have them adjusted to fit the "strength" of your pipes (the reeds come pre-adjusted to suit a medium-strength pipe). They have a nice rich hum with a nice buzz like cane...it's the closest thing I've played to natural cane reeds. They give you the opportunity to obtain the "ultimate tone" with ease and with all the benefits of a synthetic drone reed. They are also much less expensive than several of the other synthetic reeds out there. Some of the other features include adjustable reed seat (for pitch alteration, which can also be altered via the reed bridle), carbon-fibre tongue, and an adjustable tuning plug that can quiet the drone or completely shut it off (perfect for breaking in new chanter reeds). One last comment I'd like to make, no matter how "wet" of a blower you are, Balance Tone Reeds will not compromise in sound quality because of moisture, nor will extreme atmospheric conditions affect them. I highly recommend trying them if you haven't already.
