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The wide-bore Concert Style C Penny-Chanter is now playing at these dimensions with reeds tested for the original Concert D chanter, well enough for me to be selling them. This is now a decent instrument safe for experimenters and budget minded home builders to make for performance purposes.
NOTE October 2010: the C Chanter is also accepting easier to make straight-tube staples. Use 3/16" outside diameter brass thinwall hobby tube, 2" long, tapered to a 1/16" inside diameter opening in the narrow axis at the eye. The reed will be 1/8" shorter than Concert D Penny-Chanter reeds at 3 1/8" overall length, nominally, varying with different types of cane. Head width about 1/2" same as for Concert D Penny-Chanter, varying slightly with cane type.
Click here for a sound sample of the Concert Style C chanter playing outdoors with a baritone drone.
Again, these are flat pitched chanters but they are not related to the historic flat chanters that have less power, smaller holes and narrower, typically more complex bores.
The C# chanter playing a concert D reed is a much easier adaptation from the D chanter, and I have one playing, but it needs fine-tuning to hit pitch with the same reed in the same positions as with the D. If I get an order for a C# I'll finalize it quickly, otherwise it'll be a bit later in spring of 2009 when I put up the dimensions.
Corrections, data confusion questions or improvements are all gratefully accepted.
These chanters began as identical to the original Concert D Penny-Chanter, except that all tubes and the spacing of all holes were stretched vertically to play at C# or C. For the convenience of both maker and player, they are being developed to all use the same identical reed as the original Concert D Penny-Chanter. This requires that some variations are made in certain parts of the chanter design. However the materials and construction method are identical.
| O.D. (Inches) |
Tube Length (mm) |
Distances BetweenTops and Bell (mm) |
Distances Between Bottoms & Bell (mm) |
| 5/16 | 127 | 420 | 293 |
| 11/32 | 174 | 420 | 246 |
| 3/8 | 108 | 315 | 207 |
| 13/32 | 142 | 315 | 173 |
| 7/16 | 180 | 315 | 135 |
| 15/32 | 229 | 315 | 86 |
| 1/2 | 55 | 115 | 60 |
| 17/32 | 94.5 | 115 | 20.5 |
| 9/16 | 115 | 115 | 0 |
| 19/32 | 115 | 115 | 0 |
| 5/8 | 115 | 115 | 0 |
| 21/32 | 100 | 145 | 45 |
| 1/2" I.D. CPVC Plastic |
300 | 420 | 120 |
| 3/8" I.D. Butyl or Polyethelene Plastic |
30 | 420 | 290 |
| Tube Name | Construction | Diameter | Cylinder Length | Tail Length | Taper Type | Location of Top |
| Upper Bore Tube | Tube | 9/32" OD | 82 mm | 40 mm | Flat | 420 mm |
| Throat Tube | Tube | 1/4" OD | 18 mm | 34 mm | Flat | 400 mm |
| Throat Diameter | Paper or Tube | .192" ID | 18 mm | -- | -- | 400 mm |
| Note Name |
Distance from Bell (mm) |
Diameter (inches) |
Hole Under- Cutting |
| E- | 63 | 1/4" | -- |
| E | 97 | 11/64" | -- |
| F# | 132 | 19/64" | -- |
| G | 167 | 13/64" | ? |
| A | 207.5 | 9/32" | ? |
| B | 246 | 1/4" | ? |
| [ C' ] | [rear] 266 Key req'd. |
5/32" | -- |
| C | 281 | 13/64" | Significant |
| D' | [rear] 302 | 1/4" | Significant |