Cheap pipes?

**Prester John** · 3rd November 05, 09:17 AM

I agree with the suggestion for Dunbar's polypenco pipes.

I'm preparing to get a set for my 11 yr old son very shortly.

They sound terrific, they're much lighter than a wood set (good for him, obviously) and they withstand extremes of moisture, weather and abuse that would ruin a wood set.

They also come with all the fancy additions you can add to wood pipes to make them ridiculously expensive, if you like.

**Colin** · 3rd November 05, 09:42 AM

Check out http://www.larkinthemorning.com/sear...ss&ss=bagpipes

I don't know how the pipes compare to the more expensive types, but for these prices I would be willing to find out.

**highlander_Daz** · 3rd November 05, 10:14 AM

I have a set of Pakistani pies but Ive repleced the chanter with a War-mac polypenco chanter fitted a little mac and fitted Souter synthetic reeds. I can cork the drones and use it as a goose. I have a more expensive set for band stuff but I got the Pakistani ones to work OK.

I would reccomend you dont worry about pipes for the time being and get a FULL SIZE good quality practice chanter, a cheap chanter will hold you back.
find a decent band and get some lessons, its pointless trying to teach yourself. a good band will give you cheap lessons youll also get first refusal on equipment for sale, most bands will let you march with them with the pipes corked until you get the hang of things, youll be on the chanter for about 12 months learning the scale, GDE grace notes, doublings, Birl and throw on D. taorluath and leumluath. once you can do these you move on to a couple of tunes normally "Bruces address" and "High road to Gairloch".

then you can think of moving onto pipes with stopped up drones.

So dont rush and buy some cheap pipes buy a good full-size chanter

good luck

**cavscout** · 3rd November 05, 10:30 AM

I second the need for a full size chanter. As with any skill based on manual dexterity, your fingers learn where to move and HOW FAR to move. The shorter, cheaper chanters will teach your fingers to move the wrong distance and you will have to re-learn once you start using the chanter on the pipes which will have more distance between the holes. You also will have a lot of finger stretching to do during practice to allow the nimble movements for the more advanced fingering this will be hindered on a short chanter.

The band I practiced with actually had extra pipes on hand and were willing to loan them to me to practice with.

**auld argonian** · 3rd November 05, 11:06 AM

re: Cavscout's remarks about the chanter...

...one of the things that I enountered when moving on to a low D whistle and the D flute was the spacing of the holes: I had been using the pads of my fingertips with the other instruments up until then and had to learn "the piper's" style of fingering using more of the finger and less of the pad. It's a definite adjustment for the average woodwind player.

best

AA

**jjoseph** · 3rd November 05, 11:21 AM

Originally Posted by auld argonian

...the pads of my fingertips .... "the piper's" style of fingering using more of the finger and less of the pad. It's a definite adjustment for the average woodwind player.

Amen. My two biggest hurdles moving from a transverse flute to the pipes have been the key change and the blasted straight finger (not fingertips) method of covering the holes. Grrr.

**auld argonian** · 3rd November 05, 10:27 AM

Thanks for the dope...it was pretty much what I expected to hear about the "import" pipes...just thought that, on the odd chance, there might be one or two "import" suppliers who know their @$$ from a hole in the ground.

The Dunbar set sound really intriguing...I went through a lot of research before I bought a D flute and ended up buying one of Doug Tipple's PVC instruments and haven't regretted having "gone plastic" for one minute...great tone and very little maintenance. Looks like the odds of finding a set of the Dunbar P1's used is remote as I see that they have a niche as the weatherproof "beater" pipes for the accomplished player.

Parlor pipes sound intriguing because it seems that they have the ability to play in B-flat, A or D with the use of accessories. Is that something that a full size set of pipes can do...I can see the possibility of fudging the tuning between A and B-flat...I expect, though, that D is out of the question.

This may be a project that should be undertaken in the next fiscal year...I'll keep an eye out and hang on.

Come to think of it, my buddy owns a music store and does a brisk business in Celtic (fiddles, bodhrans and whistles...no bagpipes...but he is inclined to give me a "family" discount). Used to have a piper living a block or two over who did give lessons at my friend's shop for a while but the fella moved away and there wasn't much demand for the lessons anyway.

Interesting note: on one of the websites where the Dunbar pipes are sold they have an MP3 sample of the sound of the P1...I punched it up and as soon as it began the cat, who has been sleeping peacefully on the couch all morning, got up and left the room in a hurry...oooookay!

best

AA

**jjoseph** · 3rd November 05, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Prester John

I agree with the suggestion for Dunbar's polypenco pipes.

Yup. What he said.

**highlander_Daz** · 3rd November 05, 11:24 AM

This is the practice chanter I use at the moment its exacly the same spacing as the GHB chanter and is really good despite the price. Most expereinced pipers ive shown it to were amazed by it -and it comes with a reed. its very loud and very sweet

http://www.bagpipe.co.uk/catalog/pro...products_id/43

**auld argonian** · 3rd November 05, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by highlander_Daz

This is the practice chanter I use at the moment its exacly the same spacing as the GHB chanter and is really good despite the price. Most expereinced pipers ive shown it to were amazed by it -and it comes with a reed. its very loud and very sweet

http://www.bagpipe.co.uk/catalog/pro...products_id/43

Alas, between the exchange rate and the shipping charges that one makes finding a Dunbar chanter somewhere in the States a bit more of an attractive proposition. I see that Dunbar is a fine Canadian company and that certainly sits well with me...hey, whatever happened to NAFTA, anyway?

I came across the commentary at hotpipes.com re the "import" instruments...do you get the impression that this dude has an opinion on the subject?

As I say, thanks for all of the expert opinions...everything that I've heard and seen suggests that the pipes are difficult enough without the added complication of starting out with an inadequate set to begin with.

best

AA