Gaita makers

[dan chaffee]

I looked at Jeff's Cela chanter the other day and noticed a third hole on the
back above the two side tuning holes near the bottom. Is this middle hole typical for chanters in "do"?

[LuifeSpain]

All Gaita chanters have three non-playable holes called TRONERAS or OIDOS.

It´s very strange to find old chanters with more or lees Troneras, but I have a photo of an ancient chanter with five Troneras.

[dan chaffee]

Here are two enjoyable videos showing a galician chanter being made.
The first includes the artisan making a primitive chanter out of a single
reed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGlRW9Fk ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItcfEmjQ ... re=related

[LuifeSpain]

Great videos!!! The first is not a Galician Gaita, it´s a Gaita de Boto from La Rioja. Basically the same, but with different reeds, more similar to the Dulzaina (spanish shawn) reeds.

[Antimir]

http://pipesland.ru/
Gaita maker from Moscow. I am not sure about the quality, but i know that one gaita band from St. Petersburg, which had used to play Anton Varela's gaitas now began to order his chanters.

Seems that english version of the site is currently unavailable

[anima]

Nice, wish I spoke Russian though.

Jeff

[Art]

Rob, what is meant by female and male reeds?

[anima]

male reeds are louder and more strident.

[Art]

Thanks, Anima. Do they look different? Or are they just harder reeds?

Is this a terminology used with just the Galician gaita, or is it used with other pipes, too?

[anima]

I don't know, I don't think they look different, but may have different dimensions or hardness of cane. Luife could fill us in better.