What is a Tone Protector? The Complete Tone Protector Lineup: Every Product Explained
by Jori Chisholm, Founder of BagpipeLessons.com
Last Updated: July 9, 2026
Have you ever gotten your pipes out to play and had no idea what you were going to get? Some days the reed feels great and the pipes settle in fast. Other days it’s stiff, or too easy, or sharp, or flat, and the tuning just won’t hold.
In this video, I answer the questions I get asked the most: what is the Tone Protector, how does it work, why does it work, and who is it for? I show you my complete Tone Protector lineup up close, every product, how each one works, and how they all fit together so you can figure out exactly what’s right for you and your pipes.
Links to Products Mentioned in the Video:
- Tone Protector Chanter Cap
- Tone Protector Reed Case
- Tone Protector ReedSafe and Split Stock
- Tone Protector for Drones
- Tone Protector Replacement Batteries
- Tone Protector Replacement Screw
- Tone Protector Replacement Hygrometer
- Tone Protector Humidity Control Packets
Watch the video above and read the full video transcript below.
Video Transcript: Hey everybody, Jori Chisholm here from BagpipeLessons.com. What is the Tone Protector? How does it work? Why does it work? And who is it for? Today I’m going to answer all of these questions and show you my complete Tone Protector lineup up close: every product, how each one works, and how they all fit together so you can figure out exactly what’s right for you and your pipes.
So here’s something every piper has experienced. You get your pipes out, you’re getting ready to play, but deep down you’re not quite sure what you’re going to get. Some days the reed feels great, the pipes sound full and rich, and they settle in fast. Other days you’re working way too hard: the reed is stiff, or it’s too easy, it’s way sharp or flat, the tuning won’t hold, and you’re standing there wondering, “Is it me? Is it my blowing? Is it my reed?” You end up spending most of your practice time fussing with your instrument instead of actually practicing or enjoying playing.
And it’s not just frustrating, it’s unpredictable. Your pipes sound one way at home and completely different on the day of the performance or the competition. One way in the summer and totally different in the winter. You take a few days off and it feels like you’re starting over completely. You’re licking the reed, pinching the reed, trying anything just to get it to behave, hoping you can get your pipes playable and the tuning good enough through your next tune.
We’ve all experienced this, and for years I thought it was just part of piping. But here’s the thing. In over 35 years of playing and teaching the bagpipes, I’ve learned that the biggest reason your reed changes from day to day is not you, it’s moisture. Cane reeds are incredibly sensitive to the humidity in the air where you keep them, and that humidity is changing all the time.
This changes the moisture content in your reed, and it affects everything about the reed: the pitch, the volume, the strength, the stability, the tuning, the quality of your sound. So keeping your reed at a constant humidity is the single easiest and most powerful thing you can do to immediately improve your bagpipe sound.
And that’s exactly what every Tone Protector product does, using the incredible two-way humidity control technology. If the reed’s too dry, it adds moisture. If it’s too wet, the Tone Protector removes it. You don’t have to do anything. It adapts to the air around you, so your reed is always ready to play when you’re ready to play. Let’s take a look.
This is the Tone Protector Chanter Cap. Now, a regular old-fashioned chanter cap protects your reed from getting smashed, but it does nothing about the moisture content of your reed. The Tone Protector solves that. Inside there are two-way humidity control packets, and each Tone Protector comes with two of them.
I use both of them, and I recommend two for just about everyone. Some pipers who really play a lot and are really wet blowers just use one, but I’d say start with two and see how it goes for you. The advantage of using two is you won’t have to switch them out as often. And you know it’s working when the digital hygrometer on the top reads 84%, or somewhere close to it. Sometimes it’s a little higher, sometimes a little lower, but anywhere close to 84 is great.
Also, each Tone Protector comes with a spare battery, but the first one should last for years. If the screen ever goes blank, it might be time for a new battery. And if the reading on the Tone Protector is consistently below eighty, that’s when it’s time to replace the packets. But for most people, two packets will last many, many months. I typically get six months or more out of a pair of packets.
You’ve also got the extra-large knurled thumb screw, which gives you a nice secure fit on your pipe chanter. So this is the routine. When you’re done playing, take your chanter out of the stock, cap it with the Tone Protector, tighten down the screw, and that’s it. When you’re ready to play again, take the Tone Protector off, plug your chanter back into your pipes, and you are good to go.
No more licking, no more pinching, no more messing around with your reed. Just keep an eye on the Tone Protector, and as long as it’s somewhere close to the 80s, probably really close to 84, you know your reed is going to be perfectly ready to go when you are.
The Tone Protector Chanter Cap comes in eight vibrant colors. The most popular colors are blue, black, red, and green. We also have purple, orange, yellow, and pink. We also have a band discount on Tone Protectors: buy 10 or more and we’ll give you 15% off. You’ll automatically get the discount when you order 10. And if you’re placing a big order for your pipe band, you can choose all one color or a mix of colors. Just let us know what you want and we’ll make it for you.
The Tone Protector Chanter Cap won Pipes|Drums runner-up Product of the Decade and is trusted by thousands of pipers around the world, from brand-new beginners to pipers competing and winning at the very top.
So the chanter cap takes care of the reed you’re playing, but what about your other reeds? What about that trusted old reed that’s just gotten a little too old? You don’t want to get rid of it because it could be a backup in an emergency. Or your new reeds, the ones you’ve bought and want to have ready for the day you need them. That’s where the Tone Protector Reed Case comes in.
It holds up to 15 reeds and comes in three colors: blue, green, and orange. It holds each reed securely. It’s got the digital hygrometer, and the packets go in the back. It comes with two packets at the 75% humidity level, and it also comes with a spare battery.
Now, pipers have asked me, why is the reed case at a different humidity level? You could use the same level for both the chanter cap and the reed case, but this is what we’ve discovered: the Tone Protector Chanter Cap, which holds the reed you’re actually playing, works best at 84%, slightly higher. And for the Tone Protector Reed Case, we found that 75% is better for longer-term storage.
And here’s something I’ve discovered. A lot of what pipers struggle with when it comes to breaking in reeds — and by breaking in, we mean taking a brand-new reed and getting it stable, to the right strength, feeling good, and easy to tune — a lot of that break-in process isn’t about playing the reed at all. It’s about getting the right moisture content into the reed. So you take your brand-new reeds, put them in your Tone Protector Reed Case, leave them there for a couple of days, and they’re going to be ready to go when you need them.
The Tone Protector Reed Case won Pipes|Drums Product of the Year. Roddy MacLeod is one of the greatest pipers of all time, and he’s known not only for his incredible playing but for his amazing, incredible bagpipe sound. And this is what Roddy told me, and I’m quoting him word for word: “I love using the Tone Protector. I find that my reeds last longer and that the tune-up time until the pipes are at their settled pitch is less. I currently have them on five chanters: band chanter, B-flat, and three solo chanters. I use the Tone Protector Reed Case for spare reeds, which keeps them stable.” So when Roddy MacLeod is using the Tone Protector Chanter Cap for all of his chanters and keeps his spare reeds in the Tone Protector Reed Case, that is everything you need to know.
Next up, I want to talk about the Tone Protector for drones. This is for pipers who want the same amazing Tone Protector humidity control for their drone reeds. Some people use them on synthetic reeds, but these are primarily for pipers who play cane drone reeds. And we’ve got some pipers who absolutely love them, including Stuart Little.
It’s the exact same Tone Protector technology, just in a longer shape to accommodate these longer bass and tenor drone reeds. You can get the Tone Protectors for drones individually — a single bass or single tenor — or as a set of three, or as a set of four, which is all three drones and the chanter. The single bass drone is actually quite popular, because a lot of pipers play a cane bass drone reed with two synthetic tenors. That’s a really popular combination for top solo players who love that extra richness and resonance you can get from a cane bass reed. So use the Tone Protector on the bass drone only.
And like I mentioned, these are used by some of the world’s very top pipers, especially pipers in the world’s top bands where they play cane drone reeds. Stuart Little, the pipe major of Inveraray & District, told me that with the Tone Protector for drones, his drones are booming.
And these are on his super-famous MacRae bagpipes, the original ones. They already have an amazing drone sound. Now Stuart trusts the Tone Protector to take that tone and steadiness to the next level, and he’s all over the world — Scotland, the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, who knows? The Tone Protector helps keep his drones stable no matter where he is.
If you want extra protection for your reed, let’s take a look at the Tone Protector ReedSafe, which is built around a split stock. Now, split stocks have actually been around for a long time. But instead of a regular one-piece pipe chanter stock, the stock is in two pieces. When you’re playing, it looks like a normal pipe chanter stock at the front of your bag. But instead of pulling out your chanter and exposing the reed, the stock actually splits into two pieces. This part stays attached to your bag, and this part covers your reed, so your reed is fully protected. A special Tone Protector cap goes right over the top.
Now, this is a special Tone Protector just for the ReedSafe. It’s bigger — a regular Tone Protector won’t work with the split stock. These are really popular with some pipers because you can take your chanter out and cap it without ever worrying about exposing or damaging your reed. If you’ve ever chipped a reed getting your chanter out of the stock, the ReedSafe is a fantastic option. Kids sometimes break their reeds because it’s hard for them to get the chanter in and out carefully. If you look at your pipe chanter reed and there’s a little bend on the corner, or a little piece is chipped off, or maybe there’s just some dark coloring on the edges of the reed from touching the inside of your chanter stock, a split stock might be a great idea for you. 
I was recently traveling and I took my bagpipes with me to some very rural, mountainous areas, and I knew I’d be taking my pipes out of the case and getting ready to play in some rough, unpredictable terrain. So I used the Tone Protector split stock, and I could very easily put my pipes together, take my chanter out, cap it, uncap it, and play with no worries because the reed is protected in the ReedSafe. So if you’ve been thinking about a split stock, you can get one now and it comes with the Tone Protector. It’s available in two colors, blue and black. And the ferrule is available in either imitation ivory or nickel to get a good match for your bagpipes.
Now let’s talk about some more supplies and replacements for your Tone Protectors. We’ve got the humidity packets — you’re going to need these. They come in 84%, which I recommend for the Chanter Cap, the Split Stock ReedSafe, and the Tone Protectors for drones, and then 75%, which is slightly lower, which we recommend for the Reed Case. The packets come in packs of 10, or for pipe bands, or if you just really want to stock up, you can get them in packs of 100.
We’ve also got spare batteries — they come in packs of two. And we’ve got replacement screws. We hear from pipers who drop their Tone Protector and the screw breaks. Also, if you’ve got one of the original first-generation screws, the new screws are bigger, wider, and have bigger ridges, which make for easier turning. So if you want to upgrade from the older screw to the newer, bigger, more ergonomic one, you can grab a replacement Tone Protector screw.
We also have extra digital hygrometers. That’s the digital readout that goes on your Tone Protector and shows you what’s happening inside, so you know that your reeds are always at the perfect humidity. Some people like to keep an extra one of these in their pipe case just to see what the humidity is doing in the air around you. And if your hygrometer ever gets broken, you can get a replacement.
Now, if you’re not getting a good reading on your Tone Protector, the first thing to check is the battery. Sometimes just taking the battery out and putting it back in gets everything working again. If that doesn’t do it, or the screen is blank, try a new battery. If a new battery still doesn’t fix it, it’s time to replace the hygrometer. I stand behind all of my products 100%. That’s my personal guarantee to you. So if it broke on its own and you haven’t had it that long, reach out to me and we’ll make it right.
One important thing to know: the hygrometer is electronics, and the way you can kill it is by getting water in it, so keep water away from your Tone Protectors. I’ve heard from some pipers who try to pour water into the Tone Protector. I do not recommend that. It gets the reed too wet, it can even cause mold to grow on your reeds, and if water gets in the electronics it’s going to break the hygrometer and you’ll have to get a new one.
And there’s another important reason you want to replace your packets when they get dried out. Besides holding the water that keeps your reed at the right humidity, the packets also have an anti-mold ingredient. It’s completely food safe — it’s the same stuff that’s in a lot of the prepared foods you eat every day, like bread and cookies and crackers from the store. But it does get depleted over time, so when your packets dry out, you want to get new packets to keep your reeds nice and fresh and ready to play.
Finally, I’ve got some great bundles to get you started at a great price with big savings. The Tone Protector Deluxe Starter Pack gets you the Tone Protector Chanter Cap, the Tone Protector Reed Case, a 10-pack of the 84% packets for the cap, a 10-pack of the 75% packets for your reed case, two batteries, and an extra hygrometer. It’s really a great way to get started and to save big.
We’ve also got the really popular Tone Protector Ultimate Bundle, which comes with the Tone Protector Chanter Cap, the Reed Case, my Bagpipe Gauge (really popular for learning how to blow steady), my Piper’s Ultimate Reed Poker for extending the life of your reeds, and the Piper’s Advantage Bagpipe Phone Mount, which lets you use your smartphone with your pipes. Mount your phone right on your blowpipe so your metronome or tuner is right at your fingertips when you’re playing. You get all of those at a really big discount together in my Ultimate Bundle.
And finally, I’ve got the Piper’s Ultimate Toolkit Gift Pack. This is a great gift option for the piper in your life, or just a great bundle to get for yourself. It’s got the chanter cap, the reed case, the bagpipe gauge, the phone mount, my reed poker, and my Bagpipe Revolution CD, and $100 off my BagpipeLessons.com Inner Circle membership. That’s my online community where I do live Zoom classes almost every week exclusively for my members, plus access to my huge lesson library with hundreds of hours of lessons, videos, tunes, recordings, and exercises. Every one of my live Zoom sessions is recorded and archived for you to watch. This is all high-quality stuff that you won’t find anywhere else, and you’re going to get personal support from me to help you reach your piping goals.
Now, you really don’t have to take my word for any of this. The Tone Protector is played by soloists and Grade 1 bands all over the world: Roddy MacLeod, Willie MacCallum, Stuart Little, Calum Beaumont, Alan Bevan, Ian Spears, Fred Morrison, Chris Armstrong, and so many more. The Simon Fraser University Pipe Band, Scottish Power, and Field Marshal Montgomery — the most successful pipe band in the history of the Worlds — are now all using Tone Protectors.
And every year when the results start coming out from the Highland Games and competitions around the world, I love seeing how many of these winners are using the Tone Protector. They use it for the same reason that you will, or that a first-year piper does: because a reed that is stored at the perfect humidity level sounds better, feels better to play, is easy to tune, stays in tune, and is ready to go when you’re ready to play.
So which one’s right for you? If you’re just getting started, the Deluxe Starter Pack is the way to go — it gives you everything you need in one go. If you already have the Chanter Cap, the next step is the Reed Case for your extra reeds. If you’re playing cane drone reeds, check out the Tone Protector for drones. And if you want the whole system without overthinking it, check out my Ultimate Bundle — you get some of my other top products along with your Tone Protectors.
Whatever you choose, the idea is the same. You keep every reed you rely on at the right humidity, and stop leaving your sound to chance. Everything I make comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. You’ll love your Tone Protector or I’ll take it back and give you your money back. It’s my personal guarantee to you.
Everything at my BagpipeLessons.com shop is something I personally use and recommend. So head on over to BagpipeLessons.com/toneprotector to check out all of the colors and options and bundles and figure out what’s right for you. The links to everything are in the description below.
If you already use the Tone Protector and love it, let us know in the comments. Let us know how you use it and why you love it. And if you’ve got a question, post it in the comments below and we’ll get back to you. For more tips, tricks, tutorials, lessons, great gear and more, make sure to subscribe to my BagpipeLessons.com YouTube channel and click the little bell so you never miss a new video. Thanks for watching, everybody. Happy piping. Mahalo.
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