The Kinnaird Carbon Fibre Drone Reeds are the original drone reed designed by Rob Kinnaird. A new design was introduced in 2013 Kinnaird Evolution Drone Reeds. The latest design introduced in 2018 are the Kinnaird Edge Drone Reeds.
Unique curved carbon fibre tongue results in a vibrant rich cane sound. Reeds are simple to set-up: O-ring bridle is used to set the strength of the reed and adjust the tuning position. Adjustment screw allows for fine tuning. Reeds are incredibly steady & require very little maintenance.
Available with "Regular" or "Lower Pitch" bass reed. The regular bass suits most older sets of pipes, while the lower pitch bass works very well in newer pipes. If you play an easy reed or struggle with your pipes, consider the "Easy" versions which come set up out of the box easier than our regular reeds. Customization available, please inquire.
Matt MacIsaac says: "I have been busy playing your reeds and enjoying the heck out of them....these things are terrific! I think they are the best I've played, and they really like my drones. My bass is really rich and deep, which brings out the nice ring in the rest of the instrument. They're also rock steady and easy to find. I've gotten a lot of superlative comments on them by several respected people in the last few months!"
We stand behind our products. Please let us know if you have any problems with your purchases, and we'll find a way to help.
Great Reeds For Poly Dunbars, February 21st, 2014 07:05 pm By: David Locky(Piper ) Read my other reviews
I switched out some three-year Crozier carbons that were acting up for these reeds and have, overall, been happy. I like the tone and harmonics with my Dunbar poly P2Cs just a little better than the Croziers, but the Croziers also have a solid tone. They will be a great back up after they're cleaned up.
Back to Kinnairds, my Easy set were not plug and play. In fact, none of the three would play out of the box at all. It took quite a bit of adjusting the elastics and cone screws to get them to actually fire up and not cut-out. Right now the elastics are just below the lowest mark, with not much room left for adjustment. With a selection of standard mid to high 70s chanters, the drones tune well below the hemp, even with the screws unscrewed almost all out. With a Bflat chanter the drones are about 3/4 inch above the hemp, so no problem. With my Crozier carbons the drones were tuning about 1/4 inch above the hemp.
Perhaps the issues I had and the low tuning pin issue could be solved with standard reed tongues but for now I am enjoying the tone. Reliable performance and sound, September 12th, 2013 09:01 pm By: Charlie Martin(Piper ) Read my other reviews
A great drone reed! Mine were acceptable right out of the box and took very little effort to optimize for my drones (Graingers 1981). After playing for a while, I swapped the tongues to the easier ones which went much better with my chanter setup. Great reeds for Dunbars, February 16th, 2013 05:44 pm By: Sean Lowry
These reeds with the lower pitch bass worked so well in my Dunbars. Always had problems with squealing drone reeds before, and now my strike ins and cut offs are great. Thanks to my uncle John Dennis for suggesting them. , February 13th, 2013 04:33 pm By: Chris Lee
Top choice for drone reeds!! Great sounding, reliable reeds!, February 7th, 2013 02:06 pm By: John Dennis(Piper ) Read my other reviews
Having played so many different types of synthetic drone reeds over the past decade, I finally decided in the summer of 2012 to give the Kinnairds a try. Truthfully, I have not looked back. I have three sets in use right now, and find my strike ins and cutoffs never better. They are easy to adjust and set up and provide a great cane like tone. I find they work best in wide bore drones, but with the ability to order the lower pitched bass, even narrow bore drones can benefit. Best Reed Ever!, September 6th, 2012 11:10 am By: James Haslip
I oplay a rather old set of Kilgour Kron pipes, with the notorious "soft and quiet" bass drone... nothing could make it sound the way I wanted/needed it to without boring out the drone, not even opening up reeds to take a tonne of air.
got the Regular bass drone reed, from Kinnaird, problem solved....
Plug and Play? ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!!!! got this reed the DAY BEFORE leaving for competition and the improvment was so drastic, and perfect that the guy tuning the bands jaw hit the grass...
Air Efficient? OH YEAH! i was surprised that with such a "big flappy" tongue that the reed didnt require more air, but i was stunned to discover that it uses less air and isnt as touchy as my tenors (currently EZEE for the tone).
I will certainly be purchasing the Tenors to match and finally be done with EZEE and Selbies...
to sum it up, if youre not hearing Kinnaird Reeds, your not hearing what drones are supposed to sound and feel like. Love these Drone Reeds, August 9th, 2012 05:37 pm By: Roseanne MacGregor(Piper ) Read my other reviews
I received my Kinnaird Drone Reeds last week...I love them!!! Highly reccommend. Actually, when a colleague heard them at a concert on Tuesday past, she has ordered them as well! Six years and still going strong, July 22nd, 2012 10:41 pm By: ralph drew
I have these reeds in a set of kron bagpipes and have not had to fuss with them at all over the last six years. I don't think I have even removed them or adjusted the bridles even. They just work!! Plug and play all the way. , July 21st, 2012 11:57 pm By: steven hill
I\'ve played these reeds in both my Atherton and Maclellan bagpipes, excellent reeds. However, be sure to know what your chanter pitches at to make your setup easier. The bass drone can be ordered at two different pitches, but it has a really solid, strong hum when you get the right one! Great Sound and Very Stable, April 20th, 2012 06:56 pm By: iain McLaughlin(Piper ) Read my other reviews
I've been using them with a Ross Canister system and after an easy setup and a brief break in period they have become incredibly stable and trouble free. If you want a great sound but don't want to have to fiddle around with your drones much then I would recommend these. great reeds, February 28th, 2012 01:32 pm By: Patrick McLaurin(Piper ) Read my other reviews
trouble free, rock steady even if you aren\'t, good tone, what more could you ask? best drone reeds so far, May 3rd, 2011 01:47 pm By: D.J McDonald
I've been using Kinnaird Carbon Fibre Drone Reeds for about 5 years. They are used in two sets of pipes - a set of David Glen cocus wood pipes and a set of 1960 black wood Graingers.
I'd been having trouble getting tenor drones to tune high enough on the pins (tried at least 5 different non-cane makes). During a chat at a local Highland games, Rob mentioned that he had a sharper tenor reed variant for old pipes. It made sense so I bought a set.
I'm afraid my ear isn't good enough to comment on tone, but my Kinnairds are steady, adjustable and rarely quit. Our band's tuners have always commented favourably on their sound.
One thing to watch. If you use any amount of force at all, I'd advise taking the tuning tops off when seating the reeds. I cracked the thin side of my bass' top end early on (although a bit of krazy glue and some carefully placed wrapping have kept the reed workable and the top in place ever since). BEST REED, March 25th, 2011 03:59 pm By: Brayden Hamoline(Piper ) Read my other reviews
I would use this reed over my old ez drone reeds any-day.
Thanks So Much The best drone reeds I have used, December 2nd, 2010 08:43 pm By: Colum Faris(Piper 2) Read my other reviews
I have used five brands of synthetic drone reeds over the years and these are by far the beat. They work equally well with my ancient Hendersons and my new Naills. They are rock steady and once tuned they lock right in and stay in tune. Absolutely the reed champion!!!, November 26th, 2010 01:05 pm By: Jack Williamson(Piper Open) Read my other reviews
These reeds are absolutely amazing! I have tried many "competitor" reeds and none compare to these. They are the most like cane out of all drone reeds that I have tried. Simply amazing. Can handle lots of moisture and will stay in tune for hours. These reeds are a must!!! Great drone reeds, November 26th, 2010 12:38 pm By: Fred Arnold(Piper ) Read my other reviews
Great tone from these Kinnaird drone reeds. The bridle is very steady, although it is hard to slide down for minor adjustment: it tends to roll over in bigger increments. I find, comparing with buddies with the same reeds, that the bass drone reed needs particular care for remaining in the drone socket. Besides that, the setup is easy, the adjustments with the allen key do make a difference and are user friendly. Wiping off humidity after long play is simple and there are no worries about how gentle to be with the tongue. Highly recommended as they are 1 element you will trust about your pipes! Simply the best, November 9th, 2010 09:06 am By: George Cooper(Piper ) Read my other reviews
I purchased a set of these reeds from another vendor about two weeks ago. I just had an audition for my pipe band and more than one person came up to me to ask which drone reeds I'm using. The ex pipe major said in his own words "You're instrument sounds incredible"
With the other reeds I used (MG/ Shepard SM90) I really struggled with clean starts and stops. These Kinnaird reeds solved all that. Thay also seem to be more steady sounding, have a much richer tone, and take less air than the other drone reeds I've used. They sound simply beautiful in my McCallum pipes. It's as if these reeds brought my pipes to life. If you're reading this because you're in the market for new drone reeds these are hands down a great investment. You won't be dissappointed! I'm sure not!!! These reeds are worth their weight in gold! Nice tone and stable, October 6th, 2010 12:18 pm By: John Elliott(Piper ) Read my other reviews
Stable is actually the reason that I want to comment on these. I recently had the chance to play at 11000, 9000 feet, 1500 feet and sea level all in the same week. I was completely impressed at how well the Kinnairds handled the drastic change in environment. They provided the same rich tone in my Robertson's regardless of location.
, September 20th, 2010 08:22 am By: Blair Campbell(Piper ) Read my other reviews
Nice rich tone and not even remotely as temperamental as cane. As with any drone reeds, excess moisture can cause undesired effects, so be sure to use a moisture control system to make your playing more enjoyable. Rocket science meets Rockin' sites, April 28th, 2010 11:17 am By: Nick Wemyss(Piper ) Read my other reviews
I replaced my solid set of Shepherd drone reeds with these. Although a bit pricier, once the brief "breaking in" period was over I'm impressed with how they lock in and hold a pure tone. There is a slight tendency to double-tone a bit upon warming up but within minutes everything is stable. Great sound, and I opted for the deeper bass which balances nicely against the tenors. Maybe the last set of drone reeds I'll ever buy? Great Reeds, October 13th, 2009 03:37 pm By: Patricia Costello
I love these reeds. , October 2nd, 2009 04:19 pm By: Graeme McCombe
My dad uses Kinnaird reeds, and they have never let him down. It\'s a good idea to get a good moisture control system to go with them! Love, July 10th, 2009 11:19 pm By: Ian Schriver(Piper 2) Read my other reviews
Hands down, in my opinion the best reeds out there. I've used many different kinds of reeds, but I will stick with these. great reeds, October 16th, 2008 09:26 am By: Myrna Carty(Piper ) Read my other reviews
These reeds are excellent! Great tone, and easy to play, very forgiving for those of us who were new to piping not so long ago! I'd highly recommend them Best reed on the market!, October 15th, 2008 07:51 pm By: Shawn Husk
This is without a doubt one of the best drone reeds on the market today. I have used just about every drone reed available and nothing is as steady and air efficient as these are. They are very easy to work with and will seemingly last forever due to the high quality materials they are made of. They are extremely stable as well; once you lock your drones in they simply do not move and they seem to be impervious to moisture as well. AAA+ Excelent Reeds, October 7th, 2008 01:22 pm By: Danielle Degoski(Piper 2) Read my other reviews
I play these reeds and absolutely love them. Great tone!
Great Reeds For Poly Dunbars, February 21st, 2014 07:05 pm
Reliable performance and sound, September 12th, 2013 09:01 pm
great reeds, October 16th, 2008 09:26 am