Sad to say, there is a Roberts practice set not even a year old up for sale on eBay. It’s “sad to say” because it’s mine.
Here’s the listing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2510707873&ssPageName=ADME:B:LC:US:1
KW
Good luck with the sale. Sorry to hear you’re giving it up.
Ken buddy, you are breaking my heart, why are you giving it up?
Jeff
Kansas City
Sorry it did not work out for you.
Do you have any sound clips?
looks like another nice stick . Hope it goes to a good piper .
tom . grabb it !! , 18 hunred n 65 , an workin on the rail way , we were digin ditchs , buildin bridges , oh anyway ..lol .
[ This Message was edited by: tok on 2003-02-21 21:38 ]
On 2003-02-21 16:29, anima wrote:
Ken buddy, you are breaking my heart, why are you giving it up?Jeff
Kansas City
Dr. Wall, I presume:-(.
There are a couple of reasons I'm giving the pipes up (BTW, they sold). Reiterating the reasons does not ease this--that is, I doubt it will be therapeutic and will probably make me look like a complete psychiatric case.
First, I do not have the time to devote to practicing on them. That is related to the next point.
I have to scuffle for work and the work I do now--editing and adjunct teaching--is fabulously time-consuming. My employment situation has been extremely tenuous even before I ordered the pipes. For instance, I have no idea of what I'm going to be doing beyond early May. And that is related to the next part.
While I used a portion of a significant tax refund last year to pay for the instrument, I tried to hide the purchase behind a credit card to keep the expense out of view of a Family Court judge if it came to that (it didn't, ironically) because my ex and I were in litigation at the time. Everything that could have gone wrong did. The maker was late on delivery, I lost my "cool" and suspended payment after he'd already taken it, the instrument showed up, and for months there was wrangling back and forth between me, the credit card company, and the Bank of Ireland. And the Visa issuer (NextCard) went banko in the middle of this and completely effed up paying Roberts for his work after I told them to lift the suspension.
This is where I sound nuts: those pipes for me have nothing but bad karma associated with them. It reached the point where the only time I could touch them in the last two months was to assemble them for that series of photographs. In other words, it wasn't the uilleann pipes I disliked, it was the history of me and that particular set. They had become a form of Monkey's Paw.
IF I play the UPs again, I will have to start over, for cash, because I refuse to pay for an instrument on a credit card again.
This is not the only instrument, BTW, I've had to sell off just to survive in the last months. I also sold a rather valuable clarinet and a bunch of whistles. I should be thankful I had the things to sell. My so-called "employer" told me to get lost from mid-December (merry Christmas, a-hole) to January 7. I had no income but I had all the bills I could handle. I'm still digging out from that one. \ \ [ This Message was edited by: KenWolman on 2003-02-25 11:45 ]
Monkey’s Paw…
sounds like a cool name for a musicial group.
Hello,
I am a newly registered lurker who has been lurking for about two years on this and the whistle forum. I have learned much from the regulars. This is a tremendous resource for those of us who are isolated in rural areas. I am the purchaser of the practice set. The unfortunate history of this set fits into what I encounter at work. Their worst nightmare is generally a good productive day for me and my coworkers. It is extremely unfortunate that Ken has had this string of bad luck with an instrument that is capable of such beauty. I hope I can give it a good home and I hope the bad karma falls off on the way to my house. Sorry for the long post, it’s 2 years worth.
All I have to say is… what took you so long?
Lurking for two years?
Welcome to C&F !!
Wellcome “SRFMOWMAN” just joined my self, anything I can do to help you get started don’t be shy just ask, got a good fingering chart for tight playing if you want acopy.
catch ya later.
SRF, Welcome from your long lurk. 
Glad to have ya around!
I can’t let you give in like this Ken. I’m gonna keep my eye out for a nice set for you sans (bad) karma.
Jeff
I have lurked for so long, like many others I’m sure, because I haven’t had anything to add. I don’t think lurking is a bad thing. Much more can be learned from listening than talking. I have learned an enormous amount from the years of UP experience that is represented on this forum. I am indeed grateful for that. I have tried out the GHB’s but I have never had a set of UP’s in my hand. I have struggled with the whistle for 3 years in my own music challenged way and I am sure I will struggle with the UP’s for the next 40 to gain some semblance of music. What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment.
Stew- I would appreciate it if you would email those fingering charts to me.