Pakistani specials. $1,140.
And then of course, there’s always the fully plastic practice set:
looks like the sister model to my own…it’s actually prettier than the brass and brown model…i wish tim britton did these, too…
are there any cons to having a plastic practice set? and do the pakistani products actually work? i purchased a flute wayy back and i’ve been dubious of their products ever since.
Psychic, be afraid. Be very afraid …
If you use the Search tool (top of page) and scan the UP forum for the word “pakistan” you will see this topic comes up repeatedly, with the same warnings and wonderings everytime.
djm
I’ll straighten this up once and for all:
- are there any cons to having a plastic practice set?
Yes there are. The only decent plastic chanters I know or are made by Pat Sky and Andreas Rogge.
- do the pakistani products actually work?
No, never.
- i purchased a flute wayy back and i’ve been dubious of their products ever since
And rightly so.
Thank you, and, good night.
Patrick.
Um, the piper from Calasaig plays a pakistani set, apperently… I guess you could argue that it doesn’t work though… 
sorry, I couldn’t resists the poke
Do Calasaig use uilleann pipes too or just more primitive sticks? 
PD.
Never say never, Pat. 
At the risk of repeating what others have noted on other threads again, some Pakistani sets can be reworked and re-reeded to play somewhat, but that is not all sets, and not all people have the knowledge/tools/skills to pull it off.
Caveat emptor! Try them if you like, but be prepared for the consequences.
djm
I have yet to see one and stand by my guns on this. They are just so crap that I find it very difficult to believe that a good functioning set could ever be made of them.
Maybe someone at the tionol NEXT WEEK will have one of these “working” Pakistani sets… I hope there is. But until then I can say nothing other than they are crap. I have first hand experience with a couple of these sets that poor unknowing people invested in and can catagorically state that they are completely and utterly unplayable… and crap.
Patrick.
Pat, Several of us, as you know, do have Britton reworked sets and are fairly pleased with them. I’ll give you that they started as crap, but they can be made to function quite well. If you’re ever in Rochester, NY (although I couldn’t imagine why anyone would willingly come here) give mine a try. They surely can’t compare with the great makers’ sets, but for the price and the lack of waiting lists they can be worth it. Of course, one should go straight to Tim for these.
Yes, the britton reworked sets give me hope WannaBePiper… I’d love to give one of these sets a spin some time. Rochester… hmm… stranger things have happened
Another day… another attidude
PD.
Pat, I’d actually love to get an opinion from an experienced piper sometime. Tim himself seems to be confident in his work with these sets (except for the regs). Maybe I’ll make the trek over to N. Whitmer’s place sometime in the future and see what he has to say, if he’s willing. For now, they’re at least better than I am at playing them.