Description

A complete reed storage and maintenance system,  the Tone Protector™ Chanter Cap instantly improves your bagpipe sound, keeping reeds at constant humidity level to ensure consistent, optimal performance.</span

The Tone Protector™ was designed and tested by pipers to help you immediately improve your bagpipe sound by giving you more consistent sound from day to day, more stable pitch, greater precision of tuning and longer-lasting reeds, making your pipes easier to tune and easier to play.

Chanter Cap Includes:
• 1x Tone Protector: Digital Chanter Cap with Two-Way Humidity control
• 2x  Humidity Control Packs (Pre-Calibrated 84% R.H.)
• 1x How to Get A World-Class Bagpipe Sound Handbook
• 1x Personalized One-On-One Support to help you reach your bagpipe tone goals

Chanter Cap Features:
• Dual-layer reed protector with two-way humidity control
• Digital hygrometer and thermometer with large, easy-to-read LCD display
• Extra large knurled locking thumb screw
• Two-way humidity control technology adds or removes moisture as needed to maintain a precisely controlled, specifically chosen humidity level

Designed, tested and built by Jori Chisholm, founder of BagpipeLessons.com and creator of the InTune Mic, Piper’s Advantage™ Bagpipe Phone Mount, Perfect Angle™ Blowpipe Positioner, Bagpipe Gauge and the Piper’s Ultimate Reed Poker.

The Tone Protector™ is covered by these Patents: US10832641, GB2565208, GB2565207.

Bagpipe Chanter Cap FAQs

What is a chanter cap?

• A chanter cap is a device that covers the reed of a bagpipe chanter when it’s not in use. Its main purpose is to protect the reed from damage, especially when the bagpipes are stored away.

Why are chanter caps important?

• Protection: Chanter caps protect the delicate reeds from physical damage and mold growth, which could occur if the reeds are left exposed, especially in moist conditions​1​.
• Humidity Control: The Tone Protector comes with humidity control features to maintain a suitable level of moisture around the reed, ensuring that it remains playable even when not used frequently.

How do I choose a chanter cap?

• The choice of a chanter cap may depend on your specific needs:
  • Budget: Basic chanter caps are more budget-friendly compared to advanced ones with humidity control features​1
  • Usage: If your reeds are not played often, you might benefit from a chanter cap with humidity control to keep them in a playable condition​
• These are general guidelines, but the Tone Protector™ Chanter Cap is the world’s first digital chanter cap with two-way humidity control technology offering the best experience when learning to play the bagpipes.

Tone Protector FAQs:

How do I use the Tone Protector chanter cap?

• Keep your reed in your pipe chanter with Tone Protector when you are not playing. That’s it. No more pinching, no squeezing, no licking, no scraping, no drying, no guesswork. Just take it out to play and put it away when you are done. The Tone Protector has a digital hygrometer and thermometer so you can have the ultimate confidence that your reed is always at the perfect humidity level and ready to play. By stabilizing the moisture content in your reed, it dramatically shortens the time it takes for your reed to get warmed up and ready to play. The break-in period for new reeds is shorter. Just place your new reed in the Tone Protector and wait a day for the moisture level to get stabilized. Your pipes are more consistent from day to day, even if you take several days off of playing. Top players know that their pipes sound the best and are the steadiest when they play every day. With the Tone Protector, you can achieve that level of tone and stability even if you take several days off. It’s amazing. Your reeds last 3x to 4x longer. The reeds never get the shock of being over dried out and they never get licked or dunked in water, so they won’t warp and they won’t crack. The two-way humidity control technology always keeps the reed at a specifically-chosen, stabilized humidity level. If the reed is too dry, the Tone Protector will add moisture. If the reed is too wet, it will absorb moisture.

How does the Tone Protector work?

• The Tone Protector works by stabilizing the moisture content in your reed. Every aspect of your reed’s performance is affected by the moisture in the reed — pitch, volume, stability, quality of sound, blowing strength, etc. By storing the reed at a constant and precise humidity level, all aspects of your reed’s performance, and therefore your overall sound, will be dramatically improved!

How quickly will I notice improvements in my bagpipe sound?

• You’ll see improvements right away. When you store your reed in chanter with the Tone Protector, it starts stabilizing the moisture content immediately. Depending on the humidity level where you live, it can take 1-2 hours to a full day for your reed to reach stabilized moisture content.

How does the Tone Protector chanter cap help break in new reeds?

• The Tone Protector helps stabilize the moisture content in your new reed before you play it. This dramatically shortens the time it takes to break in a new reed.

How does the two-way humidity control technology work?

• We use two-way humidity-control packets from the global leader in two-way humidity control technology. Each packet is pre-calibrated to specifically-chosen humidity levels, each with a precision of +/-1% and will add or remove moisture as needed to maintain the perfect humidity level. Each packet contains a specially prepared saturated solution of pure water and natural salts. This saturated solution is contained within a water-vapor permeable “reverse osmosis” membrane. The packets are available in several relative humidity levels, please visit our online store for all of the different options. The packets are 100% non-toxic and food safe.

What is the optimum humidity level for my reed?

• We’ve found the best and most popular is 84%. Next best is 75%. We know that pipers love options! Whether it’s bagpipes, chanter reeds, bags, or anything else, pipers love to try different things and find what works best. We offer pre-calibrated two-way humidity control packs in several different relative humidity levels, please visit our online shop to see all of the options.

Is the Tone Protector good for beginners? Advanced players? All levels?

• Yes! The Tone Protector will help beginners make their pipes easier to play, more stable, more consistent from day to day, and easier to tune. Experienced pipers looking to get a world-class sound will find it easier to achieve a full, rich, and resonant tone, and will find greatly improved stability and consistency which leads to superior precision of all of your tuning adjustments. Pipers of all ages and ability levels around the world have used the Tone Protector and enjoyed the amazing results that come from a stabilized, controlled moisture level in their reeds.

How does the Tone Protector work in different weather, climates, and geographic locations?

• The Tone Protector chanter cap completely eliminates any effect of changing humidity on your reeds caused by weather, climate, or geographical location. When you store your reed in your chanter with the Tone Protector it will always be at a constant, precisely-controlled humidity level. Whether you are home , in the Highlands of Scotland, in the Sahara desert, or the Amazon rainforest, your reed will always be at the same, consistent humidity level and always ready to play. The Tone Protector has been tested by pipers around the world, in all seasons, in almost every climate: wet and rainy (Scotland), warm and tropical (Hawaii), high and dry (Colorado), and everything in between (Seattle, Kansas City, Australia, Vancouver, etc.). The results have been impressive. The Tone Protector protects your sound all day, every day, anywhere you go in the world.

How does the Tone Protector reduce my tuning time?

• Pipes can be really hard to get in tune. When you play, the reed absorbs moisture from your warm, moist breath and the sound quality and pitch change over time. When the reed is stored at a constant humidity level closer to that of your natural breath, the reed will stabilize much faster. You’ll find that you’ll be able to warm up faster and tune once and your tuning will hold.

How does the Tone Protector make reeds last longer?

• A reed that is stored in chanter with the Tone Protector will last much longer than a reed that is allowed to dry out completely for two reasons. 1. Without the Tone Protector, your reed gets damaged from the repeated cycles of swelling and shrinking as your reed gets wet from playing and then dries out completely. This cycle will warp the reed, can crack the reed, and severely shorten its lifespan. 2. Licking and pinching your reed will shorten its lifespan. Many pipers who store their reeds dry will moisten the reed prior to playing. This sudden addition of moisture shocks the reed and makes the reed less stable. In addition, saliva and dirt and oils from your fingers deteriorate the cane and shorten its lifespan. With the Tone Protector, simply play your pipes and store your reed in your chanter with Tone Protector. When you find a good reed, it will last.

How does the Tone Protector prevent mold from growing on the reed?

• The Tone Protector is designed to keep mold from growing on your reed. Airflow! The Tone Protector allows air to flow in an out while still keeping your reed at a constant humidity level. This airflow helps prevent mold from growing on the reed. IMPORTANT: Do not seal the bore of the chanter. Do not use a cork or stopper or any other device to seal the bore. The two-way humidity-control packets are designed to keep the reed at a constant humidity level. In addition, the packets contain a small amount of a naturally-occurring anti-mold ingredient to further inhibit the growth of mold on your reed.

How can I be sure the Tone Protector is working?

• You can simply look at the hygrometer display to see that the Tone Protector is doing its job to keep your reed at a constant humidity level. 24 hours per day. All year long. If the humidity level is too low, you’ll need to replace or recharge your two-way humidity control packet.

Why is achieving a consistently great sound can be hard, even for experienced pipers?

• A superb bagpipe sound is only possible with a high-quality chanter reed that has been properly selected, adjusted, maintained, and blown at a steady pressure. And let’s face it: Finding a good bagpipe reed can be hard, time-consuming, and expensive. But a great reed will not sound consistently great if the reed is subject to regular changes in humidity in the surrounding air. Pipers who get a fantastic sound spend huge amounts of their practice time trying to find the perfect reed, breaking it in, adjusting the reed, tuning the notes, and hoping (!) that the reed will last through their next performance. If you’ve spent any time around a pipe band, you’ll know that pipers typically spend most of their practice time tuning their pipes — not working on their music or playing, but simply trying to get their pipes in tune with each other. (Drummers in pipe bands love to point this out.) I’ve been piping and teaching for 30+ years, so I’ve experienced first-hand the challenges of trying to achieve a great bagpipe sound. I’ve helped thousands of pipers of all ages and ability levels with their quest to get their pipes sounding good and easy-to-play. In most places around the world, the humidity can vary more than 50% in one day. Changes in humidity can be even more extreme when moving from indoors to outdoors, with heating or air conditioning, or when traveling. The low humidity dryness in commercial airplanes (~20% relative humidity) can be really tough on your reed. Every time you play your pipes, the reed warms up and absorbs moisture from your breath (which has a humidity level of 100%). If your reed starts out too dry or too wet, it will take longer for the reed to warm up and reach a stable tone. This means that the performance of your reed including the tuning, tone, strength, and stability are all dramatically affected by the humidity level of the air where the reed was stored. What this all means is that it is very difficult to successfully achieve a top-notch bagpipe sound if your reed is stored at constantly changing humidity level. Some pipers will try to compensate for a stiff, dry reed by licking and pinching the reed just before they play. This shocks the reed and makes the reed MORE UNSTABLE. It also breaks down the cane fibers and shortens the lifespan of the reed. When a reed is allowed to get too dry, the cane shrinks. This repeated cycle of absorbing moisture when you play and shrinking when the reed dries out warps and will sometimes crack the reed. Cane is an amazing natural material but is easily damaged by even one time drying out too much or too fast. (This fact is very well known by players of other reed instruments, like clarinet and saxophone.)

What happens when I don’t maintain my reed at a constant humidity level?

• The moisture content in the reed changes constantly from hour to hour, depending on the environment, weather, heating/cooling, travel, etc. 
• Everything about your reed changes from day to day: stability, volume, pitch, strength, sound quality, tuning, etc. 
• You face uncertainty every time you play — you never know what your pipes will sound like and feel like. 
• It takes longer to warm up your pipes and get them in tune. 
• You spend more time tuning and messing with your reed and less time playing. 
• You spend more time, effort, and money buying, picking, and breaking in new reeds. 
• The lifespan of your reed is shortened.

Other questions?

We’d love to hear from you! Drop us a note here and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Thanks!