Béchonnet+MacKinnon

[Ancienne Alliance]

Here are my wonderful Béchonnet (French) pipes... and my Double Box Pleat MacKinnon HM Kilt.



Robert

[michaelbeeman]

Robert, those are indeed some beautiful pipes (and so is the kilt!). Are these the pipes you are playing on your myspace (which I totally dig, by the way)?

[northernsky]

Robert, You wear the family plaid with style and dignity! A beautiful kilt to say the least.
stuart mackinnon

[Ancienne Alliance]

Robert, You wear the family plaid with style and dignity! A beautiful kilt to say the least.
stuart mackinnon

Thank You Stuart,

I'm very proud to be a MacKinnon. I guess it shows...

Robert

[Panache]

Robert,

Amazing looking pipes. I moved this thread to Celtic Muscians from Celtic Music talk. The former was recently installed for our pipers, drummers, guitarists, and other musicians to talk about their craft as opposed to the later which is for discussion of Celtic Music by us laymen talking about performers we have listened to. Hope that clears things up.

Cheers

Jamie

[JerseyLawyer]

Looking very sharp indeed in the kilt. Careful with those pipes, they'll put somebody's eye out! But they look very neat as well. I'm curious how the dual chanter works.

[wgority]

Looking very sharp indeed in the kilt. Careful with those pipes, they'll put somebody's eye out! But they look very neat as well. I'm curious how the dual chanter works.

It's not a dual chanter. It's a single chanter with the tenor drone set parallel to it in the same stock. Assuming it's a standard Bechonnet, there is also a third (sopranino) drone angling out the back ot the chanter stock as well.

A quick google of the term musette Bechonnet will tell you more than you want to know about this instrument.

If you're interested in double chanters, look more for Cornish doublepipes or the Italian zampogna.

[JerseyLawyer]

It's not a dual chanter. It's a single chanter with the tenor drone set parallel to it in the same stock. Assuming it's a standard Bechonnet, there is also a third (sopranino) drone angling out the back ot the chanter stock as well.

Ah! Fascinating. I'll have to try the mighty google. Though I don't see the third drone on the picture, for either piper.

[Andrew Breecher]

Robert, I'm just curious where in the French Alps do you live? I lived for a time in the Alpes Maritimes, in the town of Breil on the Roya River.

Andrew.

[Ancienne Alliance]

Ah! Fascinating. I'll have to try the mighty google. Though I don't see the third drone on the picture, for either piper.

This is an unusal custom made Béchonnet made for me by a young maker named Raphaël Jeannin, living in Beaujolais. Most Béchonnet system are bellows blown, using what we therefore call "dry reeds". As I wanted a mouth blown set of pipes (using wet reeds) Raphaël talked me out of having a small drone (chanterelle) behind the box chanter and tenor drone stock for it would only bring me condensation problems. Mind you, these chanterelle drones are only a 2 1/2 inches long and you probably wouldn't be able to see it unless the photo was taken at a precise angle.