Just went to the Lark In The Morning site and looked up Uillean Pipes (just out of curiosity). They have one practice set listed for 395 and another for 275. Has anyone ever tried these? I’m an interested pipe lover who can’t afford to pay over 600 dollars for an instrument I’d play casually.
For $275 you might not play at all.
Heh, I’ve tried those $275 plastic pipes. I guess the best I could say is that they do indeed procude sound. Not like any Uilleann pipe I’ve ever played, but there is indeed some variety of noise.
The $395 set is almost certainly made in Asia from a mass producer. You can read in older posts on the board about what most pipers think about these kinds of pipes
looks up at an unplayable Uilleann chanter from Pakistan nailed to the wall
I wouldn’t count Lark in the Morning as a store that specialized in selling Union pipes. The ones they sell both in store and from the suppliers are usually neglected in transport and have damaged or cracked reeds.
However, I would need to put my dose of fairness for Lark in the Morning
their whistle selections and percussion like Bones and Bodhran are great. I have a Chieftain low A whistle I purchased from them at a discount price and has quickly become my favorite whistle.
But back to your question, Falcon16, there is some hope for the frugal Uilleann piper. Many people on the message board have hailed David Daye as a great maker of inexpensive Derlin practice pipes (who is
nearly ready make inexpensive half sets). His kits generally go for $300.
Hope I could be of some help
You can pay a lot more than that for complete crap. Call them and ask if they think you should be able to play a scale in tune, and whether the rig is airtight. If so, and they’ll give you your money back if they misled you, then you have very little to lose. If they give you some business about how tempermental the reeds can be, just ask them if they think there are ANY conditions under which it would be expected to perform correctly.
Just to give some perspective on this, you will pay more than $275 for just bellows from a “real” maker, so if even those work at all, you’re doing well.
Oh, and uilleann pipes are not really an instrument to be played casually. You’re asking for nothing but frustration. I presume you play the whistle, so a flute might be a more appropriate choice.
eric
Falcon,
I’ve seen and played one of those Pkistan sets a friend was foolish enough to buy. They are exremely poory made (bore all rough, bellows “leather” only glued to wood, it goes on and on). They even are shipped with a GHB plastic reed. They are a rip-off and you should stay away at all costs. If you look around and get lucky, you can find a ‘real’ second hand set that plays wonderfully for around and maybe less than $600. Wishing the best. 
-Mike
Enough has been said of Lark. Falcon, you’re looking for someting affordable…
Patrick Sky is selling real Uilleann budget sets that use cane reeds and will play. Currently $600 and a wait of about 2 months.
…
Pithy and wise at the same time.
Hey - for 90 US$, buy a Michael Burke whistle and be glad with it, regardless of how much (or little) you play it.
BTW - I just check the Lark site - good grief… that ‘practice uilleann set’ is hilarious… that’s the set where they used a bag cover that was intended for use as a highland set - you can see the openings in the cover for the drones. And the bellows - if I’m not mistaken, that bellows is one that comes with one of those inflatable rafts used in a swimming pool - they probably retail for $40 - $50 (the raft AND the ‘pump’) so that shows you what kind of value THAT item has. Further, it’s my understanding that the bag is a vinyl bag - a material not unlike the afore-mentioned inflatable swimming pool raft.
Don’t walk away from this junk - RUN AWAY.
And yes, do check out the Patrick Skye and David Daye kits.
Look up Pat Sky. He makes the real deal and at a real price you won’t kill the pocketbook with. His wait is one of the lowest around, and his prices are second to none. Apart from that, He’s an occasional poster to the boards here and a great wealth of information. Give him a look.
but more to the point, this is the part of the post that bothers me. I don’t really believe you can be a “casual” piper. There’s just too much going on with the damn thing. it’s not like a guitar, where if you learn a few chords you can make some semblance of music. I really don’t think its an instrument you can just “noodle” around on. It takes patience, committment, and a lot of time. Others may disagree, but that’s been my experience with the things.
Jeff
Do I hear an AMEN Brotha?
Amen brotha…
Okay, okay; I hear you on the “casual” thing. The problem is I’m always getting into these “fall-in-love-with-it” spells and wandering off on tangents. I promise I won’t even attempt Uilleans until I’m ready and willing to kill myself for a good note. For now, I’ll ask for a low whistle for Christmas and stick to that. Thanks for the tips. 
Just remember… if you should buy a really nice set from an established pipemaker and some time later you decide pipes aren’t for you, that set will generally bring your paid price. This doesn’t happen with factory made sets sold in music stores.