Question for Pipers

[crash]

I'm a new piper and have been trying to learn everything I can about piping and such.When I go to Piping competitions I like to ask pipers I chat with what brand of pipes they play and half the time the answer is "I don't know they're the ones the band gave me". I find that curious. It sounds like a race driver not knowing the brand of car he drives. Has anyone else bumped into this or just me?

[imrichmond]

I wouldn't have thought there were that many bands that could afford to equip their pipers with pipes, although most bands nowadays do provide their pipers with a matched chanter. In the seven or eight bands I've played with since the 1950s, from street bands to grade 1, we've always had to provide our own drones.

[Mike S]

I recommend that you check out the Bob Dunsire bagpipe forum. You will find a wealth of information there.

[Padraicog]

One of the reasons that most pipers don't know the maker of their pipes is that they are not marked or normally only the chanter is and that is removable. A second reason is that the pipes of one maker are very often very difficult to differentiate from another maker in terms of sound (for drones anyway; chanters easier to differentiate) and overall look. Anyway the key question is not who made them but what they sound like and it has to be said that because most pipes (or at least in the past) were hand made there can be marked variability of characteristics of pipes from even a single manufacturer.

[haukehaien]

That does seem odd, but perhaps you're in an area with bands that do supply instruments? Like imrichmond, around here most bands standardize the chanter and require pipers to provide the drones.

[KD Burke]

I've had the opposite experience. Most of the pipers I'm acquainted with know who made their pipes, when they were made, and will discuss (at length) why their pipemaker is:
a) Much better than the crap they are making nowadays (Lawrie, Henderson, Starck, Glen);
b)One of the best ever, as good as the old guys (David Naill);
c)One of the best ever, and at that he's underrated (MacLellan);
d)One of the best ever, even if they are made by computer controlled lathes (McCallum);
e) One of the best ever, but they got a bad rap when they started making plastic pipes (Dunbar);
f) God (Atherton).

[pbutts]

I've had the opposite experience. Most of the pipers I'm acquainted with know who made their pipes, when they were made, and will discuss (at length) why their pipemaker is:
a) Much better than the crap they are making nowadays (Lawrie, Henderson, Starck, Glen);
b)One of the best ever, as good as the old guys (David Naill);
c)One of the best ever, and at that he's underrated (MacLellan);
d)One of the best ever, even if they are made by computer controlled lathes (McCallum);
e) One of the best ever, but they got a bad rap when they started making plastic pipes (Dunbar);
f) God (Atherton).

Ha ha....now that sounds like the Bob Dunsire Forum. I'm also surprised as even in bands that can afford to outfit the whole band with pipes, a good number of pipers will have their own personal set and probably "prefer" them for solo gigs.

If you are looking for information about different makers, check out Ringo Bowen's Bagpipe Museum at http://www.thebagpipeplace.com/Museum_Home.html

[MacGumerait]

I'm a new piper and have been trying to learn everything I can about piping and such.When I go to Piping competitions I like to ask pipers I chat with what brand of pipes they play and half the time the answer is "I don't know they're the ones the band gave me".

Crash , I think perhaps the key here is that you were asking pipers questions at " Piping competitions " . Depending on the piper and the competition , some may be reluctant to answer questions in that setting .

Other than that , ( as others have said ) most pipers will be more than glad to share info about their pipes .

Cheers , Mike

[crash]

Crash , I think perhaps the key here is that you were asking pipers questions at " Piping competitions " . Depending on the piper and the competition , some may be reluctant to answer questions in that setting .

Other than that , ( as others have said ) most pipers will be more than glad to share info about their pipes .

Cheers , Mike

Just to be clear, I'm not asking 5 minutes before they step in front of the judges. Usually it's late in the day at the pipers' pub.

[OC Richard]

Just to be clear, I'm not asking 5 minutes before they step in front of the judges. Usually it's late in the day at the pipers' pub.

I think perhaps MacGumerait is implying that fiercely competitive pipers might not want to share their 'trade secrets'? It's possible to read his statement in that light.

After every year's Winter Storm competition there's a running thread on a bagpipers' chat site in which the various competitors' pipes and setups (reeds, bags, etc) are discussed. Seems that invariably the competitors, when approached, are quite open about their equipment.

What inevitably comes out of such discussions is that good pipers will get the sound they're after from whatever pipe they play, if given time to adjust the setup to their liking.