jim made me an amazing bellows for 250 (225 if you do not need the connectiop pipe, a few bucks more if you want some special options. mine had a comfortable elbow pad he threw in).
i know nothing about bellows so i will not go into the construction. what my untutored eyes can see and my hands can feel:
very good feel to them- took no getting used to.
good volume of air
valve functions well
all straps are fine leather- no “rugsack plastic and canvas”
beatiful metalwork.
for those who can afford it, there is no substitute for a dow bellows. i have one myself. however, those are 500 bucks. gallegher bellows. also very nice, are almost as much.
the problem i had is that if you want to spend anything less than about 500, either because you are putting together a budget practice set or you need a spare for travel/work, like me, its hard to know who to turn to.
jim’s bellows are therefore a great value. just awesome performance. really no downside. if money is tight, i suggest you get one of these bellows, a beautiful mcharg bag, and then spend the 250 you save on a better chanter.
waiting time was 30 days but i am sure he can do it in less. and knowing jim, he will always stand beside his work- he takes great pride.
i am sure someone will post the names of other people who make great bellows for even less and i do not want to disrespect any of them. just wanted everyone to be aware of jim’s fine work.
meir