Chris Armstrong
I find Redwood Reeds to be very rich sounding and they give off that cane like sound. Once set up correctly they greatly enhanced the sound of the chanter and were stable too. One really good attribute of the reeds is that they absorb quite a bit of moisture which means they stay dryer for longer.
Chris Armstrong's served as Pipe Sergeant of Torphicen and Bathgate Pipe Band, and in 2004 as Pipe Major of the David Urquhart Travel Pipes & Drums. Since 2005, Chris has been Pipe Major of the ScottishPower Pipe Band. Solo successes include the A Grade March at the 2000 Argyllshire Gathering, the A Grade March - Strathspey - Reel at the 2001 Northern Meeting, and the Former Winners MSR at the 2001 AG. In 2003 Chris won the Gold Medal at the Northern Meeting. A prolific and popular composer, he's published "Notes Frae Ma Heid" 1 & 2, and recorded several CDs. Chris is a full-time instructor at the National Piping Centre.
Hervé Le Floc'h
Since the apparition of synthetic drone reeds, there have been many products making an appearance on the market. Even if the synthetic reeds are easy to set up, the sound produced is often disappointing compared to cane reeds. Xavier has come up with a new product and indeed it has a surprising result! The concept of having a wooden body enables the production of a better sound but also creates a thermal inertia to avoid condensation. The padouk (RedWood) porosity allows for long periods of playing without any moisture problems. The tenors sound rich and warm while the bass resonates deeply. The RedWood reeds can suit any set of bagpipes from vintage sets to more recent instruments.
Hervé is a breton piper from the south west of Brittany. He was one of the firsts breton pipers to compete and win solo prizes in Scotland: first breton piper to win the Silver Medal (1995), he was also placed 3rd in the Gold Medal (2003) and 4th in the former winners MSR in London in 2000. He is also the pipe major of the Bagad Cap Caval and the Cap Caval pipe band (Grade 2 world champions in 2008, first breton pipe band to be promoted in Grade 1). Herve is also a bagpipes teacher in many bands in Brittany.
Alasdair Henderson
I was excited when asked by Xavier to test out his new drone reeds and immediately put them into my pipes. They are well-produced reeds that have a rich, stable sound and can also be easily manipulated. In terms of moisture control they are exceptional, with the reeds unique red wood body responding almost exactly like cane. I would therefore definitely recommend the reeds to any piper.
Alasdair Henderson, 20, from Dunoon is another rising talented young piper. Taking influence from his Argyll roots his enthusiastic, exciting style of playing has earned him many solo piping prizes not to mention great respect from his peers - some of his more notable prizes include the B grade Piobaireachd and March, Strathspey & Reel events at the 2007 Scottish Piping Society of London's annual competition. He is currently a member of Bagad Cap Caval as well as the ScottishPower Pipe Band, where he has been an influential member of the band in recent years.
Ronan Latry
Congratulations Xavier and Jakez! The RedWood reeds are first class! Precise tuning, efficient air consumption- the overall response being close to the sound of cane reeds with that sweet first tone. The reeds sound rich and warm, with vibrant tenors and a deep sounding bass!
Ronan Latry was born in 1979 and is playing pipes since 1991. He was taught by Xavier Fleurent (Bagad Er Melinerion) and by Jakez Le Dran. He was the pipe major of Bagad Lokoal Mendon from 1997 to 2001 and played with the Bagad Brieg from 2001 to 2008. He is playing in duet with André Le Meut and Steven Madec and is collaborating with René François (pipe making). He is the webmaster of www.pipingup.com, a well-known piping related website in Brittany.