Pipers What d'ya blow and why?

[rsvpiper]

I play a set of Mccallums Ab Victorian scroll engraved, Mc2 polly chanter, Canning drone reeds.

I started with a set of Shepherds but just did not get on with em, I like the Mccallums quality and sound but am on the look out for an old set of lawrie's or Robertsons for my sole playing



So what you got?

[flyingshamrock]

My father handed down his set to me and I honestly couldn't tell you what they were except that they're old and i'll be handing them down to my son. I use selbie drone reeds and warnock chanter reeds. I'm currently looking at having a set made by David Lindsey of the Lindsey Bagpipe Co. He features the one and only castle top bagpipes. I love the look of them!

[piperdbh]

Graingers, 1972. Rosewood, nickel, and plastic.


Why? Because I needed a stand and they were cheap!

[OrneryPiper]

McCallum, engraved nickel (thistle pattern) and imitation ivory, bannatyne zipper synthetic bag, kinnaird drone reeds.

Why McCallum you ask? Well as you know its "a sound investment"...

I also have a set of 60's (?) R.G Hardie, imitation ivory (the stuff that turned pumpkin orange with age...)

[DavidB80911]

I have a Dunbar practice chanter - poly penco and a set of Dunbar P3's, poly penco also. I use EZ drone reeeds and Warnock chanter reeds.

I went with the Dunbar after a bad experince with a clasical guitar. I scrimped and saved for the better part of a summer job and spent $500 (1973 prices) on a Brazilian rosewood classical. If was beautifully finished, I babied that thing. Wiped it down after every playing, humidifier in the case every thing. One day opening the case, for no apparent reason, it went from guitar to kindling for reason. Bridge pulled off and cracked the spruce top right down the middle.

So I went with the synthetic.

[gmc]

David Naill AB with imitation ivory mounts and engraved with the dragon pattern.

I also use a Ross bag with a moisture control system, Canning drone reeds and a DN AB chanter.

Outside of loving how they sound, I like how they look.

[Piper]

I have a set of Dunbar P3's, with an L&M Bag, Crozier carbon fiber drone reeds. I also have a set of ABW Kintails, chalice top, with Crozier cane drone reeds. I initially bought the Dunbars with an eye toward durability (we camp a lot, and have 11 grandkids). I bought the Kintails to use at reenactments, and because I got them at a good price. They're good pipes, but I tend to play the Dunbars more.
I also have a couple of sets of smallpipes, and a fagerstrom techno-pipe, but those are different animals entirely.

[davidlpope]

Naill 3a sticks and blackwood soloist chanter. Bannatyne zipper gore-tex/hide bag. Selbie drone reeds. Tone enhancers in the stocks.

I really like the tone and reliability of this set-up. When the weather's bad or I expect rough handling I switch to a plastic chanter.

[EagleJCS]

2000 Crisler rosewoods (Bois de Rose), im. ivory mounts, Crisler 6-in wide-bore adjustable blowstick & tube trap. Currently Kinnaird synthetic reeds (started with EZ-drones, but they wore out two years ago & started double-toning and getting hard to tune accurately/consistently). Naill blackwood chanter w/ McPhee reed for personal use. Chanter cap. Canmore Gore-Tex bag w/ zipper. (Fingers crossed, it's still the original bag and is still going strong).

McCallum (don't know if it's Mk I or Mk II) poly band chanter w/ Gibson reeds. We started w/ ridge cut reeds - don't remember the maker - then we tried Warnock broads, but they wear out too fast, 3-4 months IIRC.

Walsh blackwood long practice chanter w/ Walsh reed.

I also have a set of Walsh shuttle pipes (also w/ a Canmore bag, no zip), but I don't play them much.


I went with Crislers 'cause Pete's a former/inactive member of the Louisville Pipe Band, he's local, and follow-on customer service is free to LPB members.

[highland mafia]

I have two sets of pipes.. MacCallum with BW chanter for band (gr 2)competition and a set of Strathmore's with BW chanter for solo (gr 1).
Both sets have croier carbon fibre drone reeds (best plug and play reed I think) a ross canister for moisture and a moose valve (neato little valve doubles as a water trap!) My MacCallum has an pretty old school sheppard gortex bag and the strathmore has a moose bag.
I must confess that my band gave me a Saul tuner and so I have sensors on both sets. Though I never really use it for solo. So a bit of a watse of monet there LOL
As far as chanter reeds go. I've been playing around lately. I used to swear by ross reeds but I've been farting around with this new John Elliot reed from Scotland.. I think it's gonna be a nice reed once it's blown in. I've also tried warnock which is a prett nice reed as well.
Sorry for the long winded reply. But asking me what I play is like asking a car nut what he drives!!! LOL Fun topic..