Hi everyone,
just wondering if anyone here might have some old pipes that they don’t want or need? Anything to say donate or sell for a low price to help out a fellow piper trying to get started. My wife has been out of work for 7 months and I have been the only source of income. My birthday is this weekend and she is feeling bad that she can’t get a set of pipes for me. So I thought I might be able to call upon the community of fellow pipers.
You can PM me if you want.
I am mostly looking for a practice set, but will take anything I can get. Anything is appreciated. I want to reiterate that I am not expecting a hand out or anything, just a little help.
If this is against the forum policies please remove then.
David Daye can make you a Penny chanter for $155 pvc and brass tubing… I think he takes 50% down, and the rest when you recieve the chanter… Thats probably the cheapest route..
Do NOT drop your hard earned cash on the instrument listed through the link to eBay above… you will regret it eternally.
Unfortunately Steve, this is one instrument that will cost a bit of ‘ching’… Pat D’Arcy listed Pat Sky’s site, these are great instruments for an even better price. David Daye’s stuff will be cheaper, and they sound good IMHO, but wouldn’t you really rather have a wood chanter and an up-gradeable set set?
Thanks Joseph, I have found that, just thought that I would reach out to others here, just in case they didn’t have a need for something, that someone like myself could use.
Yes, I would much rather have a wood chanter and be able to upgrade it in the future.
You could go with the Daye and just keep the chanter as a backup or sell it off when you’re ready to upgrade. Under $200, that’s basically throwaway money on the cost scale of pipes afterall.maybe you can make your own bag and bellows if you’re mechanically inclined.
I second PJ’s comments. Mr. Dixon’s stuff is great and fairly inexpensive (relatively speaking, of course). The bellows kit comes with everything you need and takes but a couple evenings to put together. When it’s done, it is totally professional quality. his chanters are an excellent value too.
2 months is not much of a waiting time. 5 weeks is nothing. Even if you buy something on eBay, it’ll probably be a couple of weeks before you get it (unless you’re within driving distance of the seller).
Honestly, I think you should bide your time and start putting money aside - a couple of bucks each week. Talk to the pipemaker and see if you can work out a schedule with him so that you’re pipes will be delivered when all the money has been saved up. This year, my anniversary present from my wife was her permission to order regulators. I still have to pay for them myself. Piping can be like that.
The worst possible thing to do is to buy something cheap just to have it quickly. You’ll regret it for years. Remember, uilleann pipes are a long term project. 7 years learning, and all that.
You have a good point PJ, I just wanted to get something to practice on.
I have my name on a waiting list for a set, which is about a year out.
I think that I may just wait, and get a good chanter from one of the makers that we talked about, and maybe make a bag and bellows. Then when my name comes around on the waiting list have some money set aside for drones, or a half set.
I do have patience, it’s just wanting to practice on something other than a whistle. It’s a little hard to play a hard bottom D or pop with a
whistle…
Have you enquired with any uilleann pipers clubs ? Sometimes, a club will have a loaner set it offers to new members while they wait for delivery of their own sets. Check out http://www.uilleannobsession.com/links_piping.html to see where the nearest club is to you. Then see if they can do anything to help. I’m pretty sure any piper will understand how you’re feeling.
bellows 
