A couple weeks ago my piping instructor was over to my place and while here we overhauled my pipes.  We threaded the drone reed seats, changed the bridles, basically did a number on them.

The change was pretty dramatic, the drones tune lower on the pin, the reeds are a lot more efficient and strike-in's are much easier, well maybe not easier, but different.

Sadly I have not been able to play my pipes much the last two weeks, which is a real bummer because you really NEED to play your pipes on a regular basis.  Not only is it essential for your playing ability, but your pipes need the moisture from your breath to keep the hemp and various components in good working order.

Even though I have a synthetic bag (Bannatine with Hide cover) the wood is African Black wood and the hemp, is well "hemp" and it dries out if you don't play.  When things dry out the drones get loose on the tuning pins and it leaks air, etc.

Today at my lesson I never got the chance to actually play the pipes, after my chanter lesson I was going to try out Highland Cathedral on them. When I struck in the drones were howling and all out of whack, it was so bad that Helen couldn't even tune them while I was playing the scales.  She tried it too and it was still wonked, so we took them apart and started messing with the outside tenor reed and the bass reed.

It was getting better but more work needed to be done, so we swapped reeds, raised the chanter reed and adjusted the bass reed so the drone would tune lower on the pin.  Finally Helen was able to get things back on track, but it was too late and it was time for me to head back to the ferry.

Tomorrow I will get on the pipes, and Sunday.  No more excuses, mah pipes need me, An' Ah need mah pipes!