Piping Progression

[ohiopiper]

Have you tried Abbott reeds all the way around, drones as well as chanter? I'm asking because I'd like to get something a bit stiffer than the supplied reeds I've been using. The only reeds available locally are cheap **** and I'd rather not use them, so I'll be mail ordering at least one Abbott. That plus a little more volume never hurt a small set of pipes.

[SteveB]

OhioPiper,
I have ordered a full set of Abbott reeds from Dunbar on the suggestion of my tutor. (I am a beginning student on the practice chanter) the present use planned for the smallpipes is to cork the drones, so that I can start to learn to goose my practice chanter work. The idea of getting the smallpipes was that if I had just gotten a goose, I would progress to the Highland pipes and have a closet shelf decoration. Getting the smallpipes would give the goose and in instrument that I could use for indoor entertainment in the future.

Mr. Woolery,
The set I have comes with a Walsh plastic chanter. While my tutor was playing them in the original configuration they sounded good, and in tune, even though the presence was a bit anemic. I only needed a very small amount of hemp to fit my Dunbar long Blackwood chanter with its Abbott reed into the smallpipes. My tutor than played with it a bit. We found the sound to be much better and very present. He feels that I should soon be able to use them for some indoor performance work.

The only way to make this journey is with a top quality piper that will tutor you based on your personal skill developmental levels. I have been blessed by one.

[ohiopiper]

Steve, I originally got the Kitchen Pipes for the same reason. Now the wife and I are going to a different church (we moved) and I'm the music director now. So the little pipes get fired up every few months for a hymn or two. Special thanks to Dr. Kieth MacDonald from Canada and his Church Piper series. The large pies would be way too loud for this church, it's a small sanctuary.

After I ordered the pipes, I plugged in my Dunbar PC, a millenium model with the O-rings. Still got hemp on the tuning pins and drone stock, of course.

Anyway, have fun with them. When I got mine I didn't touch my GHB for almost two weeks.