Yes the problem is that even with franticaly pumping the bellows I can’t fill the bag enough to maintain sound from the chanter.
So does the bag just deflate really quickly? You should be able to still get the chanter to play even when the bag is half-full, quarter-full…
How many pumps of your bellows does it take to fill the bag with air?
I might get a second or two from the chanter with a full bag, and it takes maybe 8-10 pumps to fill it to even feel that it’s close to full.
I don’t know who made the pipes, Paki most likely but they cost me basically a few dollars plus the shipping costs from an auction. I didn’t buy them with the idea that these would be a long term tool, only to learn and then be able to justify the bigger expenditure. I don’t care for the bag, and I’ve rebuilt the bellows based on the original (possibly they are too small based on that redesign). I do like the feel of the chanter and it doesn’t seem to have some of the flaws reported in paki chanters such as finger holes being out of alignment and all one diameter.
Sorry you had to find out this way. You’re just in for complete and utter frustration with a set like that. Unfortunately you really need to find a practice set made by a decent maker, with a decent reed fitted. There are some reasonably priced ones around like those made by David Daye (just an example).
Check out this video, see how the piper plays the chanter for several seconds between strokes, and then one smooth bellows stroke to refill the bag.
https://youtu.be/fl0OObBWCe8?t=197
That’s what it’s meant to be like.
Unfortunately you won’t learn any sort of technique or get a good feel for the pipes with a set like this. I’d love to be proven wrong but there’s so many posts on these forums where people buy these cheap sets and can’t get them to work. The pipes are hard enough to play and maintain at the best of times!
Poster, I am in Houston and might be able to help if you can’t get past your problem (locally)…send me a PM if you can/need.
False economy buying cheap, the thing about quality pipes is that they don’t devalue and chances are you could even make on them. Always spend as much as you can, you will never lose money.
RORY