Melvin Reeds

06/19/2026

A good practice session starts with a good reed.

The new Melvin Practice Chanter Reed is light blowing, stable, and designed to provide the consistency pipers need when working on their tunes.

• Easy blowing
• Excellent tone
• Reliable performance
• Fits most practice chanters

Available now for just $10.

What tune are you working on this week?



https://wix.to/yWCWhgZ

06/19/2026

Bagpipe Truth Test

You open your pipe case before practice and find:

A) A perfectly settled reed ready to play
B) A reed that's gone rogue overnight
C) Three old reeds "just in case"
D) All of the above

Be honest... what's in your case right now?

At Melvin Reeds, we're trying to help you see a little more of A and a lot less of B.


https://wix.to/ICoX7vA

06/17/2026

How often should I h**p my joints?

There's no set schedule—h**p your joints whenever they stop fitting properly.

Signs it's time to add h**p:

• Joints feel loose or wobble during play
• Drone tops move too easily when tuning

Signs you may have too much h**p:

• Drone top can only move in a small area then gets tighter once higher or lower than that area.
• Slides stick or require excessive force to move

A properly h**ped joint should feel snug, secure, and move smoothly without slipping with one hand.

The person responsible for tuning drones in your band can often help determine whether your drone joints need fresh h**p.

Don't wait for a joint to become loose enough to leak air. A few minutes of maintenance can save a lot of frustration later.


https://wix.to/JoCnfyr

06/16/2026

Congratulations to St. Augustine's Bagpipe Band Grade V!

A huge congratulations from everyone at Melvin Reeds on your 1st Place finish at the Chicago Highland Games, one of the largest pipe band competitions in North America!

We're proud that your winning performance was powered by the MACA-1 Chanter and Melvin Reeds Brass Band Reeds. When great musicians, hard work, and quality equipment come together, great results follow.

Thank you for trusting our products on the competition field. We look forward to seeing what the rest of the season brings!

First Place
MACA-1 Chanter
Melvin Reeds Brass Band Reeds


https://wix.to/r2rONvm

06/15/2026

Discover the craft behind reeds that respond, resonate, and endure. Read "The Art of Melvin Reed Craftsmanship" — a deep dive into what makes a great bagpipe reed and how Melvin achieves consistent excellence. Perfect for solo pipers and competitive bands. Read more: https://wix.to/s7zU3lA

When it comes to bagpipe reeds, quality is everything. You want a reed that responds well, sounds rich, and holds up under pressure. That’s where the art of Melvin reed craftsmanship comes into play. I’ve spent years diving into what makes a reed truly exceptional, and today, I’m excited to sh...

06/12/2026

How hard should my reed be?

The right reed strength is the one you can play comfortably while maintaining steady pressure and great tone.

If a reed is too hard:
1. You'll tire quickly
2. Pressure becomes inconsistent
3. Tone can suffer

If a reed is too easy:
1. Tone may become thin or unstable
2. The reed may overblow or lose efficiency

A good reed should feel comfortable enough to play for an extended session while still producing a rich, steady sound.

The best reed isn't the hardest reed—it's the one that lets you sound your best.


https://wix.to/zuAFXkd

06/11/2026

Chicago has "The Original Beef of Chicagoland."

Bagpipers have "The Original Reed of Chicagoland."

Melvin Reeds is back in Chicago for the Chicago Highland Games this weekend!

We're looking forward to seeing old friends, meeting new pipers, talking reeds, chanters, and tone, and enjoying a great weekend of piping.

The Original Reed of Chicagoland. Since 2008.

06/10/2026

What makes a bagpipe sound rich and full?

It's not about blowing harder.

A rich tone comes from steady pressure, balanced reeds, proper moisture, and drones that lock in harmonically with the chanter and a well maintained pipebag and h**ped joints.

When everything works together, the bagpipe doesn't just play—it rings.


https://wix.to/DGzk0i5

06/08/2026

New blog: What a solo piping judge notices in the first 10 seconds (and how to win them over). First impressions matter — and most of what a judge spots early is totally controllable. Learn simple prep, setup, and breathing tips to start your next performance with confidence. Read more: https://wix.to/H9Qnkms

Those first few seconds don’t decide the whole performance—but they do set the judge’s expectations. The good news: most of what gets noticed early is completely controllable. Here’s what a piping judge is picking up almost immediately, and how you can make those first 10 seconds work for yo...

06/05/2026

Pre-contest checklist for a consistent competition tone — quick, practical steps from us to you.

1) Inspect the reed for cracks, chips, or loose h**p.

2) Play your pipes often especially in the 3-4 days leading up to a contest to help your reed be totally stable and dependable.

3) If playing a skin pipebag re-season about 4 days before the contest to have it as air tight as possible as this will help you be as stable for tuning as possible.

4)Assess all your h**ped joints of your bagpipe to ensure that they have a snug fit and are not loose. In particular tuning slides have to be tight enough not to move around when tuned but still able to be moved by only one hand.

5) Get used to playing your pipes initially each practice for 5-7 minutes then let the pipes sit for 10 minutes with the chanter left in. This lets your chanter reed gain any more moisture it needs which will then let it play at its best. Also if we do this you will find less and less that your chanter notes need tape moved.

We pre-test every Melvin Reed before shipment to cut your rehearsal time and give you reliable tone straight out of the box.


https://wix.to/9WHMire