Pipendrumsnun, my pipe instructor, who is also our pipe major, plays Dunbar Poly pipes. He has 2 sets actually, a set of P1's with hemped tenons and a set of P3's that he plays in performance. He loans the set of P1's to students to get them going while they are waiting on their pipes. The great thing about the Dunbar polys is that they are quite durable and not subject to some of the problems that AB sets can experience if not taken care of properly. Blackwood is not as forgiving as the polys when it comes to being in a hot car, or banging them coming through doors and the like. I was about to pull the trigger on a set of P3's myself when a sweet deal on a set of McCallums's presented itself. My instructor does recommend getting the P1's with hemped joints versus the O ring joints because it makes it easier to tune. You can get smaller adjustments with the hemp it seems. I guess its subjective, but it makes sense. By the way they do sound good.

By the way I am 42, and I am progressing quite well, according to my instructor. Sure, I will never be a award winning piper but several members of my band have encouraged me to compete after I get some more experience under my belt as it were. The basic premise of this is that, competeing makes you a better piper. Sure I may not get beyond Grade 5 or 4, so what! The critque that you get from the judges helps you to fine tune your mechanics and technique, beyond what your instructors input is. Critique from an outside source is always a good thing. Its like recording yourself and listening to the playback for your mistakes, only the critique is from someone that doesnt hear you play all the time and is knowledgeable. Sure winning something is all nice and good, we all have a competative nature, but I would enjoy just doing it to better myself.

We have a gentleman that is 75 that is just starting out on the chanter and he is doing great!!

All I can say its been a heck of a ride, and I love it. I started out to learn the pipes when I was 16 and due to a career in the Navy and other of lifes little tangents and starting a family, I just never followed through with it. Now I am finally fulfilling my dream. I say to anyone interested or wanting to pick it back up , go for it!!! I wish I had continued when I first started. Pipe's UP!!!