I’ve just had word from Patrick Sky that my practice set is finished… one month turnaround though I had expected 3-4 months. Hurray!! He also adds that he’s making budget drones. The photo link is for the $600 practice set, no drones. From his email:
"I can also build a budget set with two drones…the tenor and the baritone; no ivoreen or brass trimming; no removable drone stock (the drones tied directly into the bag) and no off/on switch, for $950.00. The drones alone would be $450.00.
Delivery in 2-3 months.
I would suggest anyone considering such an offer to think about what it would mean not to have a bass drone. That’s where the most noticible drone sound comes from, and provides the rich vibrations that make the pipes so pleasurable to play and listen to.
I’m not trying to knock these sets/drones but.., what about extending these sets?
You can’t with no stock and tied in drones can you.
IMHO a waste of resources to get one you can’t put regs on later but, THAT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION.
(In case i get flamed for it)
Harry, a really good piper is wholly entertaining with just the chanter alone. If one can play as well as Pat Mitchell then good luck to them.
Jim, people who are looking to get pipes are constantly bemoaning the price and the waiting period to get a set. This makes Pat Sky’s offer sound really tempting. However, people looking to buy a set also want the full sound. I have mentioned previously that Joe Kennedy has told me he gets no market for beginner or practise sets. All his new buyers want to start with is at least a half-set.
My point was simply that the bass drone is a big part of that full sound. These new buyers may not consider a 30% set that is not upgradable to be such a great savings in the long run.
I agree that Irish pipes are one chanter and 3 drones. The recording that Harry might be referring to is Tommy Reck on Drones and Chanters - no bass drone. I had a chance to ask Tommy about that and he told me it was not intentional but the bass kept on shutting down.
I think it’s great to have so many choices in buying decisions out there and people should be aware that selecting one path prevents them from certain things, like upgrading.
Pipemakers don’t really like to only sell a practice set (bag, bellows, chanter), so the upgrade to a half set may be a necessary trend.
I think an un-expandable set could be just right for many. Rarely are drones used in larger ensembles, so plenty of reason to have the simplest of chanters. And if adding drones, Just a couple would fill out the sound in a small ensemble, much like strings do, and much as the Hammond B3 does in pop/rock: just a few notes held for long stretches, but that sweeten everything and make it sound bigger. When playing rock organ this way, you stay off the low notes because, much like for the bass drone, they would get lost in the mix, and would usually collide with bass guitar and percussion anyway… I’ll ask Pat Sky and post his response.
My big question is, other than that they look verry cool, why regulators? Though in truth, perhaps I just haven’t heard them played very musically. Is there an album/artist I should listen to? (I don’t really like the honky-tonk sounding regulator “hits” that are more percussive than melodic.)
Bob, I don’t know any pipers who necessarily prefer ensemble/session playing over anything else, but I understand your point. The thing is, if you have them, you can opt when to turn them on/off. Most pipers I know prefer solo piping, as this is when they can fully exploit the full sound and capabilities of the instrument. The tradition of UPs is solo playing.
A good example of reg use would be Ronan Browne, especially his album The Wynd you Know. If you ever get a chance to hear Ronan doing a solo concert don’t miss it. He is seldom off the regs for more than a few minutes, and it is exquisite playing.
You could always get a mainstock and bass drone down the road at bit. Worst case, you’d need a new bag to tie-in, so it’s not as though the budget drone set is an evolutionary dead-end.
With regards to regs, IMHO Mick O’Brien (among others) uses the regs in a very tasteful and musical way. Take a listen to the “May Morning Dew” and “Kittly Lie Over” CDs.
There are plenty of recordings of pipers with only 2 drones in operation. Jim mentioned the Drones and the Chanters. Peadar Broe had 2 drones going in his recording. And if anyone has heard his home recording, he only blows 2 there too. Leo Rowsome only operated 2 drones when he played those jigs on Pat Wards double Taylor chanter.
There are only 2 drones on the Taylor set that Patsy Touhey played.
Its not a bad thing to start with 2 drones so long as you are intending to move on to a third and then on to regulators.
Regulators are the unique devices that make Uilleann/Union pipes what they are. They are the bits and pieces that make the instrument complete and different from other bellows blows bagpipes such as Northumbrian Pipes or English Border or Scottish Lowland pipes.
They provide the sound that made famous the greats such as Ennis, Doran, several Rowsomes, O’Flynn, O’Brien, etc, etc… the list is endless.
If you don’t like them I would suggest you take up a concertina or a gaida or maybe a good old banjo!!!
I asked Pat Sky why no bass drone and here’s his reply.
“Bob,
Remember the idea is a “budget” affordable set. In order to add the base drone you would have to change the type of stock and this would add an additional $4-500.00. The two drones will come with a small plug to put into the end of the drone in order to turn it off, like on the Northumbrian small pipes. There is no off/on switch.”
He also makes a complete set of drones, but for quite a bit more.
I would agree that the regulators are a distinctive feature of Uilleann pipes, but I’m not sure they’re “the” distinctive feature. What grabbed me was the tone, and the two-octave range. It’s for this reason that Uilleann pipes were overdubbed onto the Braveheart soundtrack… for their soulful sound and melodic range, not for their regulators. They’d compare to an oboe or violin in their ability to draw tears, but are much wilder sounding. And all without regs! True enough, solo Irish traditional music is another story completely, but I’m more an admirer of Davy Spillane at this point, and to each his own.
While ‘everyone can do everything’, most define Irish pipes as 3 drones, 3 regs, and a chanter. Have we seen historic variants that lead up to this configuration? Have we see departures that move beyond, such as 4 regs, 4-5 drones, double chanters? Yes, to both.
I got the full mainstock, shutoff key and drones from Pat to plug into my Hillmann bag mainstock cup to go with my Gallagher C chanter and regulators, and they sound great. I can take them out and plug the mainstock cup with a tupperware thingy wrapped with waxed twine and have a practice set when tuned up.
I had to make my own reeds for it though and I can’t wait until I can get some good quills to waste for that nice buzz in your lap that youu don’t get with the composites.
IMHO, it would be a good deal to get the drones because you can tell if the the chanter is being played in tune.
