I ran across the chance to purchase a used set of Henderson-spec Rocket reeds and was given a trial of them first. I have been playing Naill-spec Rockets in my 1950’s Hendersons. So here’s your chance to tell me what you think about each as I’m trying to figure out which I like better, but I’d like your input too. The seller already told me he was planning on having a biased opinion (wink) so I’m not going to tell you which is which, muahahaha, until later, anyway. I haven’t had much practice time as of late so I suck more than usual (fingers are still tired a day later), yada yada yada…

Rocket numero uno:

King of Laois, Kitty Lie Over, and Drops of Brandy

74th’s Farewell to Edinburgh, Inverary Castle, and Miss Proud

PM Calum Campbell’s Caprice and The Big Yin

Rocket numero dos:

Fair Maid, PM George Allan, and Glasgow City Police Pipers

Rossshire Volunteers, Ewe with the Crooked Horn, and Rejected Suitor

These Henderson Rockets will be for sale should I decide not to keep them so keep them on your radar if you’re interested. Chanter was the same Colin Kyo with Husk reed. The vibrato you hear on the high A in the second set of recordings is due to a ever so slightly flat high A. Just add a little tape and viola! Cheerios!

We’ve had a couple of posts recently using my Henderson’s but they weren’t in the normal confines of my usual recording spots so we’re back to normal in this post with my oldest set of pipes. Feeling a bit nostalgic so we start off with some reels, the first one I learned off an Irish fiddle player on the smallpipes, the second I’ve known forever but had to change versions to match said Irish fiddle player, third is a tune I got out of an Irish fiddle book before I ever knew it was a pipe tune, and fourth is the closer to the band medley (go figure my fingers would fumble on the last tune!).

Dinky Dorian’s, Dick Gossip’s, Sleepy Maggie, and Dancing Feet

Then we’ve got the band’s new 6/8 march set. I’m still sight reading this one off the page.

Frank Thomson, Angus MacKinnon, and Ellenor

Last, we’ve got some more Irish stuff because I was in an Irish mood.

King of Laois and The Big Yin

Finally, a shout out to Murray Huggins of Colin Kyo bagpipes. He is the man. We’ve been playing his chanters in the band for several years now. Everybody loves them. Small holes that are close together with lovely tone. We’re not for volume, not that we’re aiming for quiet, but these chanters get the job done. Our philosophy is play a chanter that is comfortable with reeds that are comfortable to blow. Some bands have gone to big band chanters and I’ve noticed as of late I can barely hear their drones. This is localized to Texas, note, but I feel by using just a “regular” chanter we maintain a good chanter/drone volume balance. Our goal is to have fun, not blow our ears or guts out.

If you’re one who wonders: old L&M bag, Husk chanter reed, Naill spec Rocket drone reeds, Gibson tube trap.