I’ve oft heard that it’s important to have the neck of the bag be the correct length for the individual and it’s fairly obvious why. So how does one go about getting this right if you order from a maker outside of your area? Are there any standards of length? Can a neck be cut down and the chanter stock be successfully re-tied in? How much of a bend in the neck is ok? I know, I know, “try before you buy” and all that…
If you’re just starting out, and you are not near the maker, and don’t have an experienced piper to help you, then leave the length of your bag alone. This really doesn’t matter a whole lot for a beginner unless the neck is so long that it folds over to the point of closing off the air to the chanter completely. Once you are experienced and have a full or half set you can worry about small details like this. If you can get out to a tionol with experienced makers/players in attendence who can watch you play you can ask them for advice in person.
djm
I’ve been “playing” for a couple years and have decided that it would be more comfortable to have about 2 inches less neck. I could theoretically order a bag with specific dimensions, but what a pain and expense. Anyone ever retie a chanter stock?
My experience is that too long i better than too short; I had to order a new bag (Rogge) after 18 months of playing with a bag whose neck was 2" too short. Very unpleasant, and what a pain!
I really improved my plaing after changing the bag. So the right length is important.
It’s not too hard to retie a stock; if you never did, you should be able to find a GHB player, he’ll do the job very well, because he has to replace the bag more often.
When I had a practice set, I found the neck too long, and had it shortened - it was bending over, and blocking the air, so it really helped, then…
Not I have a full set and the extra weight of the drones and the regulators drag the bag down and now I find it a litte short and am thinking of getting a new bag…so think carefully…
Also I had the bag latex sealed, which worked factastically to seal the bag, but the sides of the neck can stick together a little bit.
Cheers, Keith