Cheap bagpipes?

Subject: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 09:11 AM

What first caught my eye in the music shop at the bottom of Westgate, Newcastle, was the 'Flying V' ukelele in bright pink. Wow! I thought. Then my eyes were lured inexorably to the thing lurking at the bottom of the window. A set of very tacky looking bagpipes in a garish tartan and what looked like plastic wood. Now, I don't play the pipes, but the price tag of £130 got me wondering.

Anyone think they would be worth buying or would I just upset the neighbours, scare off all the local tomcats and give myself a hernia?

Cheers

Dave

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Dave Earl
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 09:20 AM

"or would I just upset the neighbours, scare off all the local tomcats and give myself a hernia?"

Probably all of the above plus, until I had the tooth fixed, I had a filling that used to vibrate in D which seemed to be what Drones play at.

:-)

Dave

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: bubblyrat
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 09:25 AM

All bagpipes make a " cheep " sound if you slash at them with a Skean Dhu !

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 09:27 AM

Cheap bagpipes are no differnt to any other cheap instrument ! You MAY get something playable , but you may well just throw your money away on a load of junk ! Basic rule is let someone who knows have a look before you buy !

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Bernard
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 10:36 AM

Some musical instruments are for playing, others are for hanging on the wall and looking at.

When in Spain, most 'Spanish Guitars' offered for sale are wall decoration, and otherwise virtually unplayable.

My guess, Mr. P., is that a set of pipes being sold by a music shop for 130 squids are likely to be made in Pakistan, and not really worth the bother - you'll spend more time fiddling aout trying to make them work rather than playing them! A half-decent set will set you back a couple of grand or more.

There's nothing inherently wrong with Pakistani-made bagpipes, as long as you go for the more expensive ones. They are made by the same people who used to supply and service pipes for the Highland regiments who served in India... but they make cheap rubbish, too!

You'll also have the problem of sourcing good reeds - unless you're in a pipe band, or have contacts in pipe bands, you're at the mercy of inexperienced salespeople.

Pity John S. isn't around any more to advise...

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 11:08 AM

Opinion on other bagpipe forums seems to be ask if they're made in Pakistan. If they are, leave them alone - unless you just want to nail them to the wall.

I am of course assuming these are Highland bagpipes and not, given their location, the local indigenous variety - not that you'd get any of those for £130 either.

Paws

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: leeneia
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 12:31 PM

Do you know anybody who can play the pipes? See if that person will go to the store with you and see how they sound.

If you have a sincere desire to play the pipes, and if this is all you can afford, then try them. If you wait for the perfect set of pipes, you will never play.

The world's traditional music was all composed and performed by people who had cheap instruments. They did what they loved, and they didn't worry about the neighbors or their cats.

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: wilco
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 02:29 PM

There's a store called "Lark in The Morning" (www.larkinthe morning.com) that sells several inexpensive sets of pipes. Anyone had any experience with these pipes?

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 03:02 PM

Brilliant site!

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: gnu
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 03:23 PM

Gosh. £130! I thought that was the price just to get in line to buy good pipes.

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Little Robyn
Date: 28 Apr 07 - 05:27 PM

WOW!
More pipes than I've seen on offer anywhere!
Where is this place? The prices are in $ so I guess it's in USA because it's not here in NZ and I doubt it's Aus$ as well.
And the price range is huge - Scottish small pipes $135, Northumbrian keyless pipes $1,195. Perhaps the bellows is gold plated?
Robyn

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Les in Chorlton
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 03:43 AM

Dave,

I think it's a bit like wine - as a general guide don't buy pipes your not willing to cook with

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 03:44 AM

Lots of pipes on that site for LESS than £130 then! May not be too bad after but I think I will pass this time anyway. I need to learn to play my concertina properly before I start anything else:-)

Thanks all anyway.

Dave

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: PNB
Date: 29 Apr 07 - 09:54 AM

I have been playing pipes for about 15 years now. I also teach piping. I have owned probably 30 different sets in that amount of time. I buy and sell used sets, so I have had the pleasure and experience of playing all different brands.
But the hardest thing to do it dissuade someone from investing in a "cheap" starter set. I have on 4 or 5 occasions been asked to set a set of inexpensive Pakistani pipes up with reeds. To really get then to sound anywhere close to decent, I spent hours trying to smooth out the bores of the drones and then set them up with decent drone reeds. If I had charged by the hour to set them up, it would have been cheaper for the person to buy a good, used set of pipes.
Learning the pipes was one of the most frustrating things I have ever put myself through, (that is excluding my first marriage).
If you want to learn the play bagpipes, invest in a practice chanter, (again, spend the money for a decent one), find a teacher or a band that gives lesson and then let the fun begin.
Remember our motto, "Bagpipes, putting the FUN back in funerals."

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Bernard
Date: 01 May 07 - 04:54 PM

...and the CESS back in processions!

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Bernard
Date: 01 May 07 - 04:54 PM

Sorreeeee!!

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: GUEST,JimP
Date: 01 May 07 - 07:27 PM

To answer the question asked upthread a bit, Lark in the Morning is a northern California store. I believe that their main store is up north (Santa Rosa?), but they have a very nice store in San Francisco not far from the Hyde St. Pier where the monthly (next Saturday) chanty sing is held. I often go early to the sing in order to spend some time in the store, looking at and trying some of the exotic instruments. They are very accomodating to the tire-kickers, and unless it looks like you're likely to do the instruments damage, they will let you pick them up and experiment (except for those items in the glass cases -- there's some fine looking concertinas there that they won't let me get my grubby hands on!).

Subject: RE: Cheap bagpipes?
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 01 May 07 - 07:51 PM

On another level: It is easier to spend more money on a good second hand instroment when you realaize that an inexpensive musical instroment gose down in value the second it leaves the store and if you get something good second hand you are likley to get your money back out of it if the love afair dose not work out. A $100.00 new guitar is quickly worth $40.00 but a $300.00 second hand instroment may be worth $400.00 when you let it go..Also a great maker with no frills is always a better bet then an inepensive ornmented instroment.
            Two great older names in pipe makers are Grandier and Camble and Hardy .So a very plain Hardy set would be more interesting to me for tone (even with some work needed ) then a ornamented pakastany set.. Good luck and all the best . Guy