Hi All,
after a few years on a practice chanter I’ll soon be in the market for a set of GHBs. There is a supplier in Australia that supplies McCallum, Dunbar, Pettigrew, and McLellan.
I just want a basic set, no engraving, plastic chanter, but good enough for performing solo etc. All four makers are in my price range for their respective basic sets.
I know this can be a tricky subject to raise, but can anyone give me a run down of the pros and cons of each?
Cheers,
DavidG
I have quite a bit of personal experience with McCallum (I used to play a set, and there were four sets in our pipe band), Pettigrew (two or three sets in the band), and Dunbar (I currently play two blackwood Dunbar sets, one set up for gigs, the other set up for the pipe band). MacLellan I know only from the magnificent chalice-style full silver mounted set owned by a friend, the PM of a local band.
They are all good pipes, with fine drone sound, not finicky about reeds, easy to strike in and tune, etc etc. They are all far superior to the pipes that were available 30 years ago when I started playing (save for Sinclairs, the one “classic” maker still around).
I will say that, due to the US dollar being weak against other currencies, US-made pipes are a great bargain at this time. That makes the MacLellans the best value, as you can get a finely crafted “designer” bagpipe for the same, or less, than a mass-produced Scottish-made pipe.
Many people slag McCallums for being CNC turned, but not me, as the pattern used is a good one, and McCallum drones are fine sounding.
The new McCallum chanter with the oval holes is a fine chanter at the modern sharp pitch (around a quarter-tone between B flat and B natural). McCallum and MacLellan also make the so-called “466” chanters which are designed to play at concert B flat, if you perfer that. I have my gig pipes set up for concert pitch (466 cycles) while my band pipes are set up to modern band pitch (480 cycles).
I would say that MacLellan are perhaps the finest sounding pipes among your short list. MacLellan makes pipes in Cocobolo as well as blackwood, the Cocobolo pipes having a distinctive look and tone.
Dunbars are essentially Henderson copies and Dunbar drones have that bold Henderson-like tone. I love them. (By the way, Jack Dunbar has passed away, and the pipes are now made by his son-in-law Rick Pettigrew, no relation to the pipe maker Pettigrew in Scotland. Rick is very good to work with.)
Another maker to consider is the Canadian maker Scott Morton. I’ve played an Ebony set of his which has a wonderful strong tone. His prices are reasonable.
Wow, thanks pancelticpiper for the great response. I’ve been eyeing the chalice MacLellans, and the antique style is also very nice. You’re right about the dollar - Aussie dollar is strengthening and US dollar weakening. And Bb is also high on my wish list, so I guess it’s looking like McLellans at this stage.
Thanks again,.
DavidG
McCallum pipes are spreading like wild fire and for good reason. It’s a great product for a competitive price.
I’ve only ever played poly Dunbars but it’s still the bold, rich Henderson sound.
I’m not all that familiar with Pettigrews. I believe he worked for Hardie before starting his own shop.
MacLellans are definitely custom bagpipes. If you look at his website you’ll notice he offers several options but not any specifically set models like most pipemakers. So if you fancy a unique looking bagpipe, these are the pipes to consider. If your supplier has some on hand you’ll benefit from getting a set off the rack. Roddy does everything custom so if you ordered from him directly it could take a few months… still laughably short compared to ordering an uilleann pipe.
You’re lucky to have all good options to pick from. All of these pipes will be well made. After that you can pursue the joy of reeding the pipes… albeit somewhat less complicated than reeding an uilleann pipe. Highland pipe reeds are plug-and-play in comparison but are crucial to the tone nonetheless.
Pettigrew currently makes the ‘Strathmore’ chanter, I believe…, but I could be thinking of the other Pettigrew.
Richard, Im glad you’re on this topic: thankfully without the rabble of that ‘other’ forum to add unnessecary commentary.
Now, what’s your experience /opinion with Duncan Soutar’s pipes, if any?
I believe Soutar has turners in the shop from the Shepherd shop. I had a plastic Soutar pipe chanter that had big, bright tone. I play a Soutar practice chanter that I really like. Craftsmanship is good and consistent from what I’ve seen. The chanter reeds are decent too.
Hi Aaron,.
Thanks for the input. Yeah, I’ve been browsing the McLellan site, drooling over the chalice sets with imitation bone mounts. I think the supplier here merely acts as an agent so I’d probably just order direct from McLellan anyway, avoiding any further mark-up. As for reeds, I have the great Malcolm McLaren (no, not the Sex Pistol) to help me set them up 
Cheers,
DavidG
I have a set of Dunbar P3 Delrin pipes.
An experienced piper recommended them to me as he had seen a few wooden sets crack in the weather over here. I have never had any cracks on my other wooden pipes. I wonder if the big drones have more stresses and strains on them.
I could never get used to the mouth-blown pipes and their reservoirs of putrid, festering saliva. Has anyone made bellows big enough to pump them? 
Mukade
Yes the MacLellans are special pipes. I too really like the copy of the late 18th/early 19th century set. I myself would prefer that set done up with palm nut ivory mounts rather than imitation horn (which to me just looks like plastic). If you haven’t seen pipes done with the palm nut ivory, check it out, they look fantastic, like old aged ivory. Unlike plastic, it’s a natural material with cool subtle varigation. My next set, if and when I can afford it, will be that MacLellan antique set, cocobolo with palm nut.
About Highland pipes being filled with spit, you’re far behind the times my friend! My gig set, with Gore-Tex Ross bag, Ross canister system, and Moose valve (with integral water trap), stays dry as a bone inside even after an hour of playing.
The putrid spit is a symptom of the plastic and it mostly just collects in the mouthpiece. And poly Dunbars usually have a built in water trap in the blowpipe stock so that needs regular emptying and cleaning. Wooden pipes deal with moisture much better but there is just the (very very slight) risk of cracking.
I play a sheepskin bag which, with the cooperation of Airtight seasoning, manages the moisture quite well. But if I was gigging like Richard does I’d probably consider a set-up like his.
Not to be an idiot, but I haven’t heard a modern set of pipes, except those made by Dave Atherton and Hamish Moore that were worth writing home about. Makers used to produce pipes with a unique sound, aka my 1905 Lawries, or my friend’s 1910 Hendersons. They had unique tonal qualities and were fine handmade instruments.
Many makers now use gun drills etc, and computerized lathes and are thus able to push out a thousand pounds of junk an hour. Take the new henderson copies for example, nothing like a Henderson, just a truck horn in tune. I’ve had the same experience with a set of Naills.
So here’s what you do, listen to the sets available. Don’t just order one, go and listen to them/ play them. Find a set you like the feel and sound of, don’t just order something based on recomendations. Hear the actual set that you are going to buy.
The quality of bagpipes varies greatly, and everyone now swears by McCallum, but to be honest, I don’t find anything fantastic about most of the sets I’ve heard.
It’s 2 cents, but a good two cents, hear what you are going to buy!
It sounds like hearing/playing the bagpipe before buying isn’t really accessible to David.
And no offense to David but as he is just moving on from the practice chanter he may not have acquired the ear to discern between a vintage Lawrie or Henderson and a modern McCallum or Naill. I know I didn’t when I was at his stage and probably wouldn’t say I could now if pressed.
No matter the bore design or craftsmanship, that is all trumped by the reeds and in turn by the player.
Maybe it’s just me but when I hear a great bagpipe I don’t think, “Wow that is a well made bagpipe,” I think “Wow, that a well reeded, well blown bagpipe.”
That’s an excellent point, Aaron… experienced players can make a mediocre pipe sound better than it may have been intended to sound.
Well I’ve owned and played 1860 Glens, 1910 Hendersons, 1925 Lawries, 1950’s Lawries, as well as Sinclairs, Shepherds, Hardies, McCallums, and Dunbars, and in band situations (where I’ve been the one setting up the pipes, and also where I’ve just been a piper) I’ve heard Krons, Gibsons, Mortons, Naills, etc etc as well as “classic” Robertsons, MacDougalls, etc etc at some length. At the end of the day a well-set-up bagpipe is a well-set-up bagpipe, as stated above.
I will say that, of all the drones I’ve played myself, I thought the old Lawrie had the fullest bass, and the Henderson had the most complex tenor tone. Of the drones I’ve heard others play, I liked the MacDougall best.
But, all this experience has not made me a pipe snob, just the opposite. I know people who will only play MacDougalls, and everything else is junk in their opinion. Whatever. My blackwood Dunbars sound great to me, and that’s what I will play until something else falls my way. I played those Dunbar drones in a band with four sets of McCallums, two sets of Robertsons, a couple old Hendersons, an old Lawrie, and whatever, and I never had “drone envy”. My pipes sounded about as good as any.
I will stick by my recommendations. I don’t think I would encourage a beginner to get into the “classic” bagpipe market, which has many potential pitfalls even for the expert.
all good points and noted. Thanks everyone. At the moment I’m more concerned with getting into GHB with a reliable set of basic pipes that work and have the potential when well reeded and blown to sound good, until my discerning ear tells me it’s time to maybe move up into classic and more expensive pipes.
Cheers,
DavidG
Here are some interesting videos of the McCallum pipes.
http://www.scotlandontv.tv/?channel=Culture&clipid=1380_SMG382
http://www.scotlandontv.tv/?channel=Culture&clipid=1380_SMG383
http://www.scotlandontv.tv/?channel=Culture&clipid=1380_SMG384
And one from the McPherson workshop.
http://www.scotlandontv.tv/?channel=Culture&clipid=1380_SMG563
Mukade
Thanks Mukade, very interesting viewing.
DG
ok, well I have been in this area for a while. Let me help you out. I am a tinkerer(meaning I like to screw my instruments up and then put them back together again,LOL) I also am a nerd when it comes to things I love.
I have studied the GHB since I ever dreamed.
I’ll let you in on a couple secrets…
McCallum does not age their woods correctly, in fact, sometimes they are not even aged for the right amount of time. That means that the wood is going to move after you buy it. THATS BAD. I have not seen a McCallum I’ve liked.
I will readily admit that there might be some out there that play well, but I haven’t seen them.
I will also admit that I, at the tender age of 20, have played way too many sets for my own good.
Dunbar’s are cheaper than most, but they are one of the best pipes on this planet. 'nuff said.
Now my favorites.
MacLellans.
Beautiful in every way, the drones have a huge tuning range, meaning they are easy to reed. They are loud, like old world henderson loud.
Roddy MacLellans chanters play pretty well too.
My original set of MacLellans is going to be shipped out in May sometime and cost less than a set of McCallums with the same amount of jewelry.
think…$1500.
Roddy is also one of the funniest and nicest people I have ever had the chance to talk to.
if you can afford it, Dave Atherton has pipes that I hear while I’m sleeping and drool at.
What’s the correct way? What is the minimum amount of time? How long does McCallum age their wood?
Iain Speirs, Bruce Gandy and Alex Gandy have been playing McCallums with good results. Strathclyde Police have been playing McCallum chanters in their best competitive seasons since McLellan’s reign. And all of last season Willie McCallum was playing the new McC² chanter. Naturally these players will do exceptional things with just about any instrument but they also wouldn’t waste their time on it if they weren’t totally satisfied with the results.
The only two complaints I have about McCallum pipes is I noticed a glob of glue on the interior of the drone cap on a set of AB1 pipes I tied a bag onto. I also don’t like the reed seats on the drones. Several sets have come through my hands where I could not seat the reeds very stably. I would probably get the reeds seats threaded if I had a set and get ring caps and bushings on the drones.
But they sound pretty good. Even one of the sets with wobbly drone reeds still had a nice tone and it just had Ezeedrones in the pipes-- no cane or carbon tongues or anything. And I like the finish they put on the wood. I dislike a varnished finish and like the satin finish that McCallums and Naills have. The next chanter I get will probbaly be the McC²
granted, but you must understand that most pipe bands higher than grade 2, and even most grade 2’s for that matter, customize their chanters. They might be using the McCallum base, but the finished product sounds nothing like the stock piece. And as for the pro pipers that use McCallums, let me ask you this.
If you knew that you were going to be giving away/selling a set of your pipes to one of the better pipers in the world, would you unknowingly/knowingly give him a crappy set, or would you have someone hand pick the wood, and then work your magic.
As for the right amount of aging, thats a different story.
Aging can go anywhere from 3 years to as long as it takes. BUT when you begin to bead and comb a piece of wood that is still GREEN, you should rethink your place in the business.
If you want a real lesson, go talk to Dave Atherton, who was the master craftsman of Kron bagpipes for years, and now lives close to me. Send him an email, and he will gladly walk you through the whole process.
Ringo Bowen is also another person who will gladly walk you through the whole process. Roddy MacLellan, even the guys at Sinclare or Dunbar will explain it to you. McCallum, I fear, did not have time to explain their history, or take on bagpipes, which does not bode well for them.
I am not going to buy a cheeseburger for the same price as a steak, when I could just as easily have the steak.