Practice Set

Uilleann Pipes
1

Hey there,

After playing the whistle & flute for a good 5-6 years I have conditioned my family for the pipes ( here’s hoping )!!

I wanted to get a good practice set that I could build on over the years. But with the sad passing of such makers as Froment & Williams,
and Kohler & Quinn & Cillian O’Briain closing their books I am not sure whom to look to.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Kind Regards - Michael

2

Hi Micheal,

Sounds like you haven’t started playing the pipes yet, so why are you aiming for a set from the “top makers only” club?

My suggestion is to get a good affordable practice set as soon as you can and get playing. There are many pipemakers, perhaps one close to you, who could help you out in this regard. Or go for a used set…

The reason I say this is that years ago I lucked upon a practice set by a very reputable, top-notch pipemaker. The chanter was great looking, great sounding and easy to reed. The thing was after a good time of playing I realized that I just didn’t like the way that chanter felt in my hands…just a personal preference thing really…but that ended with my playing it less and less. With both time and experience under my belt I eventually came along a chanter that was “just right” and I built my set around that.

So don’t worry about getting a perfect set for now. Just get a set!

3

Standard List of All the Usual Questions You Need to Answer to Get Good Advice:

  1. Where are you located? UK, US? Specific town or region?
  2. How much are you looking to spend?
  3. How long are you willing to wait?
  4. Have you contacted any pipers locally, who might provide lessons, leads to instruments, etc?
4

Another option would be to buy a used set or even buy used components (chanter, bag and bellows).

There are several nice concert pitch chanters for sale on uilleannobsession.com:

Williams.
Preshaw
Rogge
Stephenson

You can get a bag and bellows for different sources.

5

Hi micealo

The advice you get here will definitely depend on your location and budget.

If you are in the UK, then the best bang for the buck and shortest waiting times would probably be either Kenny McNicholl or Mike Hulme.
On the other hand there is this Practice set by Brian Howard on ebay UK.

If you are in the US, then the US chiffers would be in a better position to advise you.

David

6

Below is the advise given by Na Píobairí Uilleann on their website. For a beginner I agree totally with #2, “buy from a pipemaker near you.” This will minimize non-playing time due to any issues with the pipes. It is probably also the quickest way to be playing again if you have reed issues. If you have other experienced pipers around, this might not be as big a deal as they can help you.

I bought a used set that was made by my local pipemaker. A few months after I started playing, my reed stopped working due to weather conditions, and I broke it trying to make it play. My pipemaker had three to give me on the spot. :slight_smile:

Anyway, here is what NPU says:
This article by Martin Nolan appeared in An Píobaire III.2.
Some suggestions when buying pipes
All too often aspiring pipers set off to acquire a set of pipes, be they practice set, half-set or full set, with very little knowledge as to what they should look for. These few tips may save someone, somewhere from heartache and frustration. If so, they will have served some good.

  1. Do buy from an established fulltime maker.
  2. Do buy, when and where possible, from a maker near you.
  3. Try to establish a reasonable date of delivery that suits both yourself and the maker.
  4. Ensure that the pipes are in tune and made to your satisfaction before you pay.
  5. Both new and second-hand pipes should be reeded before being purchased. Some reeds need to be “played in”. However if a reed is badly out of tune there is a possibility that it is the chanter which is faulty.
  6. It has been suggested that if you intend to buy a full set from a particular maker you could perhaps buy a chanter (practice set) first, and if this proves satisfactory you could safely proceed with the rest.
  7. Know exactly what you want before you order. No good changing your mind about pitch and other details when the pipes are half made.
  8. Check bellows and bag for leaks and porousness, keys for stiffness and side play, and of course key leaks.
  9. Try to see other pipers who play similar sets and ask their opinion. You could ask the maker for a list of satisfied customers.
  10. Be prepared to look after on-going repairs and general upkeep activities, e.g. re-hemping the chanter top, regulator tops and drones. Key springs can become soft and can easily be re-sprung.
  11. Be sensible - buy a saxophone and play some REAL music!!!
7

Just a quick note about conditioning your family - The first time I played at home, I started on a G, and just held the note to try and eliminate any wavering of the pitch as I pumped the bellows. My two kids were ready to run outside because “The fire alarm is going off!!” You cannot overestimate the amount of prep work your family will need to bring these pipes into your house. :laughing:

8

As a horrifically untalented beginner piper and the proud owner of a practice set by Mike Hulme i would just like to big them/him up - fantastic workmanship and great support from the maker.

9

I’ll second this. I bought a practice set from him, and later upgraded to a half set and the amount of support you get from him is absolutely fantastic.