Hello fellow pipers,
I made my first chanter in 1973… key of D …Rowsome copy. It played OK but it took me quite a few years to get the chanter together. In the 1970s I made quite a few practice sets for the huge sum of $150.00. but spent most of my time making reeds and getting other sets going. I made reeds, and did bags and repairs for Seamus Ennis, Tommy Reck, Mattie Connely, and Liam O’Flynn and did work on innumerable sets over the years. Eventually I was able to make a very good chanter.
The idea behind a budget set is to make a nice playing bag, bellows and wood chanter that plays in tune, has a nice tone and volume that does not blow you out of the room, and does not cost an arm and a leg.
The sad fact is that a very large percentage of new pipers, who have spent thousands of dollars on sets of pipes, put them away in the attic after realizing what a very difficult instrument Uilleann pipes are to play. The point being… if you are a beginner start out with an affordable chanter in order to determine whether or not you wish to continue playing the pipes.
All the best,
Pat Sky http://www.patricksky.com