Boderiou Bb Polypenco Pipe Chanter

I’ve worked my way through many concert Bb chanters over the years, and this offering from Xavier Boderiou of Britanny in France isthe best I’ve found. Many Bb chanters I’ve tried come in at a pitch higher than 466 cycles per second — some as high as 470-72 — and lifting the reed in the reedseat to hit 466 results in flat top-hand notes. This chanter came in for me right on the 466 mark with a regular Shepherd chanter reed. The sound was balanced, in tune and robust. This chanter was designed around the Shepherd chanter reed — the standard Shepherd reed, not the Bb reed. It comes with a threaded reedseat and a Shepherd reed in your desired strength. Band discounts are available.

For those unfamiliar with the concept, concert-pitch chanters are required if you want to play in tune with concert-pitch instruments since the pitch of the usual pipe chanter is free-floating. In other words, if you want to play Amazing Grace with an organist, you can’t just strike up your band chanter and jam away. Acquire a Bb chanter, make sure the low A sounds at 466 cps, and ask the organist to play in Eb. Note that with a Bb chanter the drone tops will of course tune much higher on the pins.