What to do with old pipes

[Benning Boy]

I have a set of 1966 Grainger and Campbell pipes that I never learned to play. They've pretty much been in storage since early 1967. A few years back I removed the stocks from the hide bag, just to see the condition of the inside of the bag, from the outside it's still soft, and I assume it will hold air. Somewhere along the line a German silver ferrule was lost from one section of drone. I'm going to have it replaced. I'm wondering, should I tie everything back into the hide bag, or would it be more practical to use a modern bag? Also, the pipes came with a leather flapper on the blow pipe, it never would seal properly. I removed it and installed a plastic ball check that was available in those days, that works OK. I see nowadays there are what appear to be even better options. Any recommendations?

I have three practice chanters. The original small G&C, a full size Alexander with counter bored finger holes, also from 1966, and a new Dunbar delrin. I've been having a heck of a time getting any reeds, I have about 6 different kinds, to work in any of them. I don't remember having so much trouble back in 1966. Can you suggest some easy to adjust and easy to play practice chanter reeds?

[John Henderson]

I almost guarantee that the original hide bag is not going to work. I tried to use the bag with my dad's pipes, which had been put away for a similar. It may seem that it's holding air, but it's probably not doing it well enough to work. I suspect that trying to make it work will just be a waste of time and effort, although I certainly understand the cost of buying a new bag is not trivial.

Choice of bag material is very personal. Of course, many people today happily play the synthetic (Gore-Tex) bags. They don't require seasoning, and many have easy-to-install grommets instead of having to cut it yourself. But they don't have the feel, and some say the sound, of a hide bag. Of course, you can get hide bags from a number of different animals today: cattle, sheep, kangaroo, etc., each with different qualities. If you want the feel of a hide, but the reduced maintenance of synthetic, there are hybrids, which have a layer of each. I use a synthetic Shepherd.

Choice of valve can be quite personal, too. The leather flapper has largely been replaced by neoprene on a brass shaft. There are valves integrated into the blowsticks - the Airstreams are a popular brand, and I have one by Peter Crisler. Then there are ones you install into the blowstick stock, such as the Moose Valve, which has become very popular in recent years, or ones that install into the end of the blowstick, such as the Little Mac valve. Some complain about how narrow the bore of the Little Mac is, and the fact that you have to ream your blowstick to install it. One I got my MacLellans, I very much wanted to use the blowstick that matched the pipes, and went back to the traditional flapper tied on the end of the blowstick. Many people love their alternatives, but I, personally, see no little advantage to any of them over the traditional valve. They all work the same way, but the Airstreams, Little Macs, and Moose Valves all have proprietary replacement flappers that you're not as likely to find at a Highland games or such when you badly need one.

Some chanters, practice chanters included, may just work better with some reeds than others. Generally, I've had good experience with the ones from Gibson.

[pbutts]

Is there anyone who plays in your area that you can have take a look? You can get lots of good (and bad) advice online.....there are great threads on all of these topics on Bob Dunsire -- http://forums.bobdunsire.com/forums/index.php, but there are a lot of variables to deal with. The bag should need seasoning (it needs to be both supple and airtight). You'll want to CAREFULLY oil the drones and begin playing them very slowly and gradually so as not to introduce too much moisture too quickly and crack them. Drone reeds have changed a lot, so a borrowed set might be your best bet. Do you mean practice chanters or pipe chanters?

i went through this process in 2012 after a 20+ year hiatus and my '89 Naills came in just fine. You can do it....just don't set yourself up for failure by trying to do too much too quickly and not getting help from a good teacher.

[Ron Abbott]

It took me years to take to a synthetic bag, tried a few and hated them; but now I've got a Bannatyne hybrid bag.....synthetic on the inside with a hide on the outside. It just feels like playing a sheepskin hide bag but with the benefits of the synthetic. I don't use water traps or any of that sort of thing. Never have. Maybe someone else could provide advice in that regard?

Valves.....I've still got a 'traditional' leather valve on one set, but a modern synthetic thing on the other set. I don't even know what make it is. Have to say that both work and neither works better than the other.

As for practice chanter reeds, no idea what your problem is. I must have about six or seven different types of reeds here and they all work OK in my different practice chanters. Some better than others but all are OK. You sure you don't need to clean your chanter? There's not some muck inside it?

As for oiling the drones, that's a matter of opinion. Some think it's a worthwhile thing to do and others don't. If they've been sitting there, maybe oil them lightly; but that should be all that's needed.

[KD Burke]

Hide bags are funny things. Maybe yours will work with some seasoning. Maybe it won't. No way to tell unless you try it, but the work involved may be more frustrating than simply acquiring a new one.

PC reeds....I suspect that the trouble you are experiencing is inadequate and/or inconsistent pressure.

I'd second the suggestion of getting a good teacher before spending more money on reeds.

[GrainReaper]

I wish I had pipes, even ones that need TLC perhaps a search on Bob Dunshire would turn up some at a fair price?

[OC Richard]

You never know about old bags... if your 'hide' bag is "elkhide" (such as have long been made by L&M) it might be perfectly airtight, with seasoning or even without. I picked up an old used L&M bag from the 1980s (L&M bags have the date stamped on them) and it works great, not leaking in the slightest, with no seasoning.

If it's the sort of 'hide' bag made by the Scottish makers back then it's probably unusable, but you might as well try seasoning it and see.

For a quick test you don't have to go through the complete traditional tie-in, but just hold the stocks in place with auto hose clamps. Be sure to put a strip of scrap leather between the bag leather and the clamp so the bag leather doesn't get damaged. On my old L&M bag I have the stocks tied in in the traditional way AND auto hose clamps so I don't do a Richard Parkes thing at a gig.

About getting a replacement bag, I'm a big believer in traditional sheepskin, for all the standard reasons: more ergonomic, better tone, ideal moisture level, easier strikeins, easier cutoffs... it's all true.

I'm a very wet blower and when I tried a Bannatyne bag it held in more moisture than any bag I've ever experienced in 40 years of piping. (L&M bags hold in a lot of moisture too, I should warn you.) I would have to use some sort of MCS to use the Bannatyne, probably, though a Moose valve might be sufficient (see below).

My favourite neo-bag in the Gannaway. It performs very much like sheepskin, with excellent natural moisture control, ergonomics, strikeins, and cutoffs.

I really like the Moose valve. It goes into your blowpipe stock. It works perfectly, is non-restrictive, and has a built-in watertrap. For me, a very wet blower, the Moose watertrap traps a surprising amount of water (I have to dump it after ever couple sets at practice) and makes a tube trap unnecessary. And it doesn't matter what blowpipe you stick in there!

"Drone valves" seem to be a response to how oddly drones behave in GoreTex bags, being more difficult to strike in and cut off. I myself did OK with a Ross bag (GoreTex) and no valves though I had to keep my blowing in mind regarding cutting off with the band... I had to stop blowing a long time before the last note and make sure there was the absolute minimum of air in the bag. With the Gannaway or sheepskin it's no trouble, just lift your arm off the bag and the pipes stop clean even if there's some air in there.

With reeds, nowadays there's loads of great synthetic reeds around. I'd try EzeeDrone, Kinnairds, and Cannings first... any or all of them might work great.

There's a very good Open solo piper here who plays an old G&C pipe of about the same era as yours. His sound spectacular.

About PC reeds, try a Walsh and see what you think. It's my go-to reed nowadays.