M.H.Geoffrey & Co. Pipes - cheap tat or frightening value?

[artificer]

I was kicking around on eBay and saw THESE

I know that traditionally, you get what you pay for, ESPECIALLY in musical instruments. I was wondering though, if bag pipes mightn't be similar to the trend experienced with guitars over the last decade or so.

It used to be that any guitar made in Asia was pure trash. Now, some of the products coming from there exceed American made guitars.

When I bought my last guitar I was searching for a hollow body to play rockabilly and maybe a little blues. I tried a ton of guitars from chEEEEEp Chinese through $$$$$$$$$ American made. In the end, I bought an Ibanez ArtCore, which, while not inexpensive ( ~$450), was more than $2000 cheaper than the only guitar I liked better (a Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins, if anyone cares).

Has anyone experienced this in bag pipes? Or is cheap still automatically bad in this field?

[Cygnus]

Rosewood is, in general, a good indication that the pipes are both not made in Scotland, Canada, or even the USA and not of very high quality. I own a set of rosewood pipes that were a (misguided and unresearched) gift from my parents. They're completely unplayable, the bag smells very strongly of naphthalene, and they're very prone to cracking.

You generally don't get better than what you pay for, though in this case I'd be very worried you're actually getting far less than what you paid for.

[piperdbh]

Geoffrey is a reputable company, but I think Cygnus is right about those 'pipes. Plus, you don't have the chance to play them before you buy them to see if you like them, assuming they're playable. If I were in the market, I'd steer clear of 'pipes that I couldn't put through their paces before committing to the purchase.

[cessna152towser]

I bought a set of pipes from this eBay seller.
I used to be able to play a few simple tunes on a quality set of pipes which I sold a few years back to one of the local pipe bands.
I assembled these Rosewood pipes as per the instructions but so far have only been able to get the base drone sounding. I am assured by one of the local band leaders that these pipes should be playable to an acceptable standard and when we have the time he will help me get started with them.

[Porloff94]

Any set of Rosewood pipes that I have seen have been nightmares. The bores are typically ragged or, in one case, out of round. They don't reed well. The bags are typically very poor at best. I'd say you still get what you pay for with regards to pipes.

[castledangerous]

Frightening is the operative word, but not paired with value

[artificer]

Frightening is the operative word, but not paired with value

Perhaps I was too specific in choosing the Geoffery pipes as an example.

I guess what I'm asking is whether or not there is an affordable, entry level set of pipes (most likely import) or is one forced to buy-in at $600+US?

Again, in the last 20 years, guitars have gotten better and cheaper. Sure, there's some real trash being made, but the guitar I bought for less than $500 would have cost +$1500 twenty years ago, and is more accurately made due to things like CNC cutters.

I realize that the market for guitars is somewhat larger than the bagpipe market but has there been a trending toward good quality (not pro-level) affordable pipes due to off-shore labour? Or has that section of the industry focused entirely on cheap, unplayable garbage?

This is mostly just idle curiosity, as I barely have time to pick up my guitars anymore. But, if a wild hair got me, I'd jump on a set of pipes. It would be nice to have a course plotted, should that urge hit.

Oh, cessna152towser, if any more info on tweaking your pipes into playablilty comes about, I'd love to know.

[castledangerous]

You start out on practice chanter anyway, so you'd have time to "plot a course"

[Cygnus]

I don't doubt that there are playable pipes being made outside of the UK, US, and commonwealth countries - the problem is that there is so much trash flooding that particular market that it's a bit of a crap shoot.
As Alex said, some folks get lucky or have a chance to play the instrument before purchasing it and manage to make it work for them.
The bagpipe instructor I found shortly after being given those pipes congratulated me on my $250 drone plugs, because that was all that was usable on my set of pipes.
So I wouldn't risk it.
You can occasionally find used "entry-level" poly pipes on eBay or bagpipe fora for around $300-$500 (depending on what is included), but that's about as cheap as I would go after my previous experience. And I'd make sure it's a brand you recognize (e.g., Dunbar, McCallum, etc.).

[English Bloke]

I'm told by folks more knowlegable than I, that the problem with these cheaper rosewood pipes is, it is expensive to get them into a playable state. They usually need a replacement chanter, pipe bag, reeds etc and all this add-on negates any initial saving, not to mention all the trouble you have to go to to finish up with what is still basically, an inferior set of pipes.

In my foray into piping I was advised to steer clear of these (I'm a sucker for what appears to be a bargin) and so I opted for an acetyl set of P1's from McCallum to kick off with. More expensive yes but bullet-proof robustness.

I'd love a set of Douglas Macpherson's Bagpipes and I'm working towards those as a best set. The artistry is gob-smacking and the prices are not out of this world. And to own a set of unique, custom-made pipes must be as special as a hand-made-to-measure kilt.

EDIT: Oh yeah. forgot to mention that I bought an Argyll Jacket from this company a couple of years ago. Absolute garbage. Poor quality fabric, dreadful tailoring, nasty cheap buttons. This jacket required a re-work to make it wearable and it now hangs un-loved in my wardrobe. I can't even bring myself to foist it onto someone else via ebay. If their pipes are like their jackets? Nuff said!