I’m having trouble moving my chanter around (even a little) while trying to get squawks and squeaks out of my regulators. The bag I have is riveted and the neck is very stiff. I’m going to try a new bag. I’m looking at the Jackie Boyce “Rowesome Style” bag. Anyone got suggestions, ideas, guidance or good ideas on a bag, size, type, etc. to make it easier to reach the regs?
Thanks!
When I started playing regs, the chanter frequently popped out of the chanter-stock. I realised I needed an extra 1" or so of length and rigged up an extension on the chanter-top. It solved the problem.
Before buying a new bag, try to extend the length of the neck of the bag or of the air-intake on the chanter top. You can probably get some flexible plastic tubing in the hardware that will do the trick.
Good suggestions PJ. I’ve actually been wrestling with this for several months and I’ve tried both shortening and extending the neck. When the bag neck is set up longer I can reach the furthest keys easily, but when I move up toward the higher reg notes, the neck is so stiff that it pushes on the chanter so my fingers are tight against the chanter to move it to a position to be able to reach those higher note keys. For many months I’ve assumed it was me and that I just am not positioning the chanter correctly. I’ve tried many different angles and positions. Watching vids of other pipers I see them moving the chanter (even just a small amount) to reach the keys they want. No matter what angle or position I hold the chanter in, working the regs is very inconvenient. I’d like to tie in a new bag and work with it, and then at the upcoming So Cal Tionol next month be able to get some help with chanter position, but I don’t want the stiff neck riveted bag to be part of the problem. I do think it’s only part of the problem, but it’s been hard to find an effective chanter position with current set up.
Have you tried using a shoulder strap? Using one allows the reg positions to be moved a little by adjusting the position of the left shoulder. It may make things a little easier.
Small adjustments in playing position, posture, angles of stock/regs can make huge differences. Definitely a shoulder strap but there again: small changes in the position of the bag can make a major difference. Also consider the length of the bag/bellows connection which can make a huge difference to your playing position.
The pipes themselves are another variable. I notice quite a huge difference in playing position between the full flat set and my new, very compact, 3/4 D set.
I don’t know about Jackie Boyce Rowsome model but one thing I noticed in the past playing Rowsome sets with (I assume) their original bag was how short the neck of those bag were. Not comfortable at all. Ofcourse Leo was a small man and that shows you how you need to set up these things to suit your own physical build.
My Martin Preshaw flat set came with an L&M Highland bag with a longer than average neck (my C-natural chanter is almost 23" long) and the neck is very soft and flexible, allowing for a wide range of chanter position on and off the knee while still maintaining a steady and even air flow. If you’re going to buy a new bag, you might look into L&M Highland. http://www.landmhighland.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=89&products_id=741
I just recently got a new bag from Jackie which i believe is his Rowsome shape.
It’s great - only good things to say.
Pretty big like.
The neck was around 1 1/2 inches longer than my previous bag but before i cut it off i thought to just try it - you can always cut later. I find it better to reach the regs without the popping out of which PJ speaks.
Certainly there’s no chance of the neck being too stiff and it blows up nice and fat and round. Seems completely airtight without seasoning too.
My advice - just get one!!
A
I find I like a real long neck on my bag. For the regs. You can fashion an extension to simulate this, but flexibility -in the area from the wind cap to a few inches beyond the stock tie in- can really make a difference, esp. when shifting up to the upper reg keys. So a flexible extension would be ideal. YMMV.
Jeff,
Which set are you playing nowadays? Froment?
the thing with riveted bags is that when you tie them onto a full set you’re going to be a bit restricted where the ‘corner’ of the bag meets with the bass regulator bar.
This ‘corner’ area where the neck of the bag meets the body of the bag is more curved on riveted bags. Its just the nature of the construction of the bag when using rivets. So when you put this bag on a full set the ‘corner’ of the bag has to lean over the bass regulator bar and then can limit the movement of the neck of the bag and thus the chanter.
If you stitch a bag you can make this corner area sharper in angle so there’s no conflict between the bag and the bass regulator bar.
It’s a kind of thing that you could get used to over time, or it could drive you mad…
In saying that riveted bags are perfectly fine. I supply them with my practice sets and half sets. I figure by the time someone moves from a practice set to a full set, 5 or 6+ years, it could be time for a new bag anyway. Then you should upgrade to the Boyce or Bennet or whoevers stitched bag.
My 2c anyway.
Tommy