Okay. Thank you for the valuable information, gents.

This particular chanter really has tried my patience and affected my enjoyment of taking up piping.

Most of my musical instruments are pro-quality. I guess a PC should be approached like any other instrument and accorded the same respect.

Tunes on this chanter are nearly unrecognisable and, even as a healthy guy with good lungs I feel winded easily and my lips fatigue after about 15 minutes of playing.

For some perspective I can run a mile and be only moderately fatigued or play my drumkit for hours upon hours only stopping because my fingers are blistered too much to play any longer.

Might my breathing technique be to blame, too? I'm breathing like a singer (professionally trained at a music college) when I play, if that makes any difference.

Not many pipe teachers around here. The guy I used to take lessons from is a wingnut and didn't correct mistakes. I tested this by intentionally making mistakes on several occasions. He consistanly failed to correct them.