Hi there,
Just to let you know that I’ve just put up my new blog which is all about my personal incursion into the world of Uilleann Piping - after just under 3 years. Perhaps newbies might find some of it useful or even entertaining. It includes a series of short writings entitled My Uilleann Journey (or Mo Thuras Uilleann) and will later detail my further progress as a student piper.
Feel free to post comments on the blog.
Terry
My blog’s been much updated, and included info and pics of my new Roberts full D set. Tulip rosewood, brass, artificial ivory mounts, 4 drones, no shoulder strap and a very beatiful finish.
Check it out here: http://tradpipes.blogspot.com
Incidentally I’m sure experienced players will be interested also.
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Incidentally I’m sure experienced players will be interested also.
Why would you think that?
I’m not sure if your question is meant to have some subtle inference, Peter, but if so, it has passed me by.
Jeezzzus.
How long has Charles been in Spain. I thought he was in Ireland.
Doc
I’m not sure if your question is meant to have some subtle inference, Peter, but if so, it has passed me by.
All other things aside and probably being a bit contrary, I am interested why are you ‘sure’ this is interesting. Idle curiosity, maybe.
Terry, good luck with learning the pipes.
Peter, have you nothing better to do?
Maybe he posts it for the same reason Laban imagines we’d be interested in “theyllbegoodyet.com”… ?
Someone has bought a not-working set of pipes and is proud of it. That’s fine with me but why presume I would be interested in it. That’s all I am asking, nothing against anyone blogging to their hearts content and posting links to it here but I’ll determine what I find interesting myself, thanks.
Peter, let me just put you straight on a couple of things.
The pipes are working satisfactorily in the main and I am very happy with them. My experience, such as it is, leads me to believe that I will save a great deal of time and be even more satisfied with different reeds. My new drone reeds actually arrived this morning and they will be steady and satisfying, I can rely on that. If you’re not interested in my blog then that is absolutely fine - it is of absolutely no consequence to me either way. Many, many people have said they do find it interesting to know how a newbie has got on in his piping journey and I have had many wishes of good luck and congratulations.
The site stats on the blog have shown that this morning alone there have been 70 new visitors, who I know are always interested in seeing pictures of new pipes, because pipes are their passion. So I suspect you’re pretty much on your own. But do me one favour, if you have nothing of value to say, then say nothing.
PJ and Anvil, many thanks!
DJ nice one!
Hi Doc
Charles has been in Spain for a few years now. He use to live in Sligo but he’s opted for a quite life in a little shack in the sun, and very nice it is too. Seems to still get orders. The place where he lives is a charming bit of real Spain but its not very good for reeds, I don’t think. He’s as happy as a pig in muck.
Substitute “may be interested…” for “I’m sure…” and this whole tempest in a teapot blows over.
Buying a set of pipes without working reeds is an act of enormous faith. I hope it works out well for you.
Spot on. On both counts.
it was difficult to properly assess the playing potential of the pipes.
The reeds supplied are not performing well at the moment and I don’t want to waste any time, so out they come.
The pipes are working satisfactorily in the main and I am very happy with them
The first two statements seem to be in contradiction with the third. FWIW, if you accept a set of pipes which isn’t working properly you are,as Bill also says, leaving yourself open to a lot of trouble.
if you have nothing of value to say, then say nothing.
When buying a set of pipes you need to assess them properly before you accept them. How else can you be sure you are not buying a bunch of sticks? How can a set of pipes be set up and tuned in a climate where reeds won’t work? How can you be sure they ever will work properly?
Maybe there’s a lesson there for new pipers who want to hear it. And I do hope things will work out for you.
Peter
This could on forever mate but, Peter, let me clarify something. I had the foresight to take with me to Spain a very experienced player, Cameron Edgar, who owns three Roberts sets himself, 2 x D sets and a flat set. He also has much experience with dealing with Charles Roberts. I also had the opportunity to try the new chanter with Cameron’s own reed and therefore we could work away on adustments with Charles making sure the chanter was in tune. I think I already said that. I also said that the chanter reeds Charles had to offer were not playing well, and he won’t mind my saying that his reeds are not the best. However, I could be satisfied that the chanter was essentially OK because we had a good reed with us.
The drones worked OK, but I like synthetic drone reeds - they work better. They worked better in my Bayley set. The regulators all work but I have no intention of getting bogged down with tuning those at this stage in my learning. My colleague assures me that they are fine. So whilst your offering in this thread attempts now to make me look stupid in the way I bought my pipes, you are way off base. Cameron and I are, cumulatively, adequately competent to know that we are not buying a “bunch of sticks”.
Now, all that said, my new drone reeds arrived today, I’ve fitted and adjusted them and they the pipes are playing well, better than they did in Spain - no surprise there, as far as I’m concerned. With a new Alan Burton reed the whole set will be superior to many sets I’ve seen from reputable makers. I waited only 1 year for them, they are taylor-made for me (with the extra drone and the reduced weight) and they are extremely well fabricated, and already playing well, even without the Burton reed.
In any case, this thread was not about how I bought my pipes, it was about me letting people know about my blog, and you stated that you were not interested. So let’s assume that you’re still not interested and move on. You are not interested but many others are. You know, I was in your part of the world recently. Had I known you could have stopped me buying a “bunch of stick” I would have come to visit. Missed opportunities, eh? Thanks for keeping the thread at the top of the list of threads,btw. Seriously, if your comments are well meant, they would have relevance had I indeed been naive enough to just go to Spain alone, pick up the pipes and them struggled with them having spent the euros. But I wasn’t.
Let’s agree to let it lie now. I need to go off and listen to some of your piping.
What are the components of your set that look like Taylor-made?
AFAIK, there are only very few makers who are capable and willing to make Taylor-style sets.
BTW, I like your blog and set. Alan Burton is a nice chap his heart is half Hungarian 
don’t mix Taylor and taylor, i think he meant custom made set, as taylor makes the suit fit perfectly
Hi Nemethmik
I might have misled you a little there. When I said taylor-made, I really meant bespoke, especially made for me. It’s not a Taylor-style set. My old set from Chris Bayley is a Taylor style.
I’m pleased you liked the blog and yes, Alan Burton is a sound fellow, as we say up here in the North of England. I’ve had the odd restaurant meal with him after reed-making sessions. As far as I’m concerned he really is the reed shaman. I’ll be sending my Roberts chanter to him soon.
I believe the term is “tailor-made” (as in the context of custom-fit clothing), not “taylor-made”.