A little about the O-ring option. The local band has two sets of P1s as loaners. Both with O-rings. Those rings are not a very good setup on these two sets. They have a slight "bounce-back" effect when tuning that makes it a little harder to really get in tune. And they wear out. So, all of a sudden, the drone telescopes down on itself. While playing. This, obviously, does nothing good for the tuning. If I ever get a set of poly pipes, I am going with hemp on the joints.

There's a fellow on the Dunsire forum who dressed up a set of P1s to look rather fancy just using that metallic foil tape you can get for making packages pretty. Added just the right touch of bling to make the pipes look really stylin' instead of very severe, as they normally do. When I saw the pictures, I was so tempted to start saving for a set, but came to my senses when I realized I would seldom play them.

Oh, and the P1s are heavy. I haven't had experience with any other pipes, but those are significantly more clunky feeling than my blackwood pipes. The sound can be very good, but I think you need to know there's more than just sound involved in playing a set of pipes. And there's little argument that a set of blackwood pipes will sound as good (or better - as wood instruments age they can improve in tone, though some folks seem to argue about this, still it is well-accepted by luthiers and many woodwind makers). I would find the P1s awkward because of this weight. Others might not mind.

As to price, those Dunbars are not as cheap as some folks seem to think they are. The cheapest price I've seen is $700 from Hotpipes. That seems great until you realize they come with cane reeds (beginners should probably not use cane, just due to the additional frustration factors) and a leather bag. Now, I like leather bags, but not everyone does. If you want synthetic reeds, you add another $100 (maybe 75, maybe 125, depends on what you get). So, to get a setup that is appropriate for a beginner, we're talking about more like $800. You can get plain-turned Wallace pipes in blackwood for that. And add another hundred and you can get basic McCallums (the AB0 model) in real blackwood.

If you want a no-maintenance bagpipe that you can pound nails with, go for plastic. If you want to take the time to baby an instrument that is made of natural materials, get the wood. The price isn't really the big factor. Your willingness to do the work of caring for your instrument is the key. And it isn't that much work, really. I play wood.

-Patrick