Heya guys, ive been thinking about buying some uilleann pipes, and i have never played them before.
i would like a good quality set, which would still be useful to me once i get better at playing…any suggestions of good maker’s which sell them for around £100 and are nice playing quality?? and where to purchase them?
any info will be useful! thanks,
cheryl xxx
£100 would get you the bag…
hehe, i see.
are there any cheap budget pipes then? or are they not worth bothering with?
xx
Hi Cheryl
Where abouts in Wales are you - North, South ?
Some of the pipers clubs have sets that can be loaned - also try makers to see if any are willing to loan sets out.
If in North Wales try Alan Ginsberg in Bethal near Caernarfon
Another suggestion would be Chris Bayley - sometimes has demo sets that he lets prospective customers borrow - his prices are also quite reasonable. If you are really lucky he sometimes has an ex demo set for sale
Best of luck
Elmek
Heya, i’m in South Wales (by cardiff).
thanks for the info, i shall look into those makers you mentioned.
i havent heard of any pipers clubs around here, i shall have a look though, maybe there is one or two.
thanks for ur help!
Hi Cheryl,
My maternal family is from Barry. Great to have you here!
There are a couple of guys from Boston that have a wonderful (so I’ve been told) practice set available for $650 USD which would give you excellent value and playability. I’m not familiar with import duties on bagpipes to the UK so you’d want to check that out before purchase.
Their website is at:
http://www.uilleannpipeworks.com/thepipes.htm
All the best! BTW if you can send me some Brains beer, you’d have a friend for life 
- or I’d settle for some Double Dragon!
For 100 quid you’re not goting to have much of a choice. Here are a few suggestions:
- David Daye (in the US) makes what he calls Penny Chanters. They’re no-frills chanters which will get you started. His website is:
You can buy the component parts and make the instrument yourself. It’s probably the cheapest way of doing it and you’ll have something you can sell later should you decide to move on.
- Keep an eye on ebay. Occasionally, you can get a good deal there. In fact, there’s currently a Daye chanter on eBay:
-
Avoid any uilleann pipes for which the seller doesn’t specifically mention the maker’s name - it’s usually a sign that they’re made in Pakistan and avoid uilleann pipes from Pakistan (they’ve no resale value - no one wants them).
-
Save up the pennies for a year or two. If, at the end of that time, you’re still interested in uilleann pipes, then order a good practice set from one of the established makers (Ginsberg and Bayley, previously mentioned, certainly fall into this category).
Hi Cheryl
NPU site appears to be offline (again) so here are a few addresses to try - UK based maker may be easiest - see if any of them have customers near to Cardiff so if you cannot visit the maker you can get to see and hear their work
Alan Ginsberg (N Wales)
01248 671 381
http://www.hgt.gwynedd.gov.uk/UilleannPipes/Default.htm
Marcus Coulter (Birmingham)
http://www.coulterpipes.com
Christopher Bayley (Surrey)
01737 768272
http://www.bagpipeworld.co.uk/
chris.bayley@virgin.net
Beware the cheap sets from Hobgoblin music and similar music shops - they are of Pakistani origin.
Alan Burton, a Welsh piper and ‘primo’ reed maker may also be worth getting in touch with. He contributes to this board from time to time.
His Website: http://www.reedshaman.co.uk/
Good luck to your quest!
Hi Cheryl:
Don’t forget to read the FAQ, some good info there.
I am Cornish. I presently live in Somerset. No Welsh Connection
But eminently approachable anyway…honest. ..
Alun Berthyon
Cheryl don’t rush into this…there are a lot more makers available than the three just quoted to ye.When buying get as much background as ye can and watch out for the hard sell some of these guys give…price doesnae always = quality.
this is the link for all the pipemakers currently listed with NPU in Dublin.Some are good some are excellent and some are crap.
http://www.pipers.ie/en/pipemakers.lasso
Funny I’ve never had any problems with the NPU Website? 
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
thanks for all the info guys, i shall have a good think about which one to get…looks like i shall have to save up some extra cash too!!
hopefully i might find a session nearby or something in the meantime …fingers crossed anyway!
thanks again
Dear Cheryl,
I just got a cocobolo practice set from Chris Dixon and am quite happy with it. It was at a great price (under $700 with promotional discount and an easy put-it-yourself bellows kit). Check out his website too.
Best regards
Some old piping advice that has always stood me in good stead:
Confucius say “never blow kisses at an uilleann piper”
Boyd 
xxxxxxx