I’m looking for a chanter top with a stop key; not so much a twisty one, or one with a peg, but preferably a key. I’d prefer one in brass, but would consider whatever you might have. I know makers who make them, but would like to try to get one without the waiting time.
Please let me know if you happen to have a spare, or one you’re not using.
Thanks all,
Unless you have regulators, you don’t need it. Even then its usefulness is dubious. Mostly it just sits there, looks cool, and leaks air sometimes if it’s not well-made or well-maintained.
I have two full sets, one with a stop key and one without. I don’t miss the stop key on the set that doesn’t have it.
Since you just started anyway, you should not even be playing drones. Just play the chanter. There is no point in bringing drones into your practice regime until you have some tunes under your belt.
I’ll second Pat’s recommendation here, focus on the chanter/bellows/bag stuff and worry about the stop key and drones at a later date. You’ll get there, not to worry, but getting there in a proper way is a key toward good piping.
Now, get back to your studies!
That’s how my wife describes me …
I bought a brass chanter top with stop key from Marc van Daal in the Netherlands. I’ve had it about 18 months and no complaints.
Wring the neck of the bag. Or what I do when I’m mucking about with the drones is just pull the chanter out and plug the bag neck with my thumb. Of course, if the drones are a little tough to tune a helper monkey is great.
I have used Nano in the past. He is a great tuning helper-monkey.
Thanks for the advice, guys. Truth be told, I’ve been playing for over a year now, on a DIY pvc chanter, bellows and bag. I know a handful of tunes, and while I know I have a loooooooong way to go, I still have some expierence. This difference now is that I have a well made set that is in tune and am not ashamed to be seen with publically.
I do understand the reasons to have a stop key, and the troubles they can be, and that I might not need one right now… but I still want to get one.
I’ve looked at Mr. Van Daal’s site- looks pretty good. I’d still like to find a ‘pre-used’ one if possible, but thats an option. If nothing else, I might just try to make one. I have my top with the ‘pin’ I made last year, and that works great, but doesn’t match the set worth a darn, and doesn’t offer the ‘switch on/off’ capabilities a key would.
So I’m still looking…
(I’m also afraid that a helper monkey might not get along with my seeing-eye parrot…)
I’m in agreement w/Cannady and Smith. In fact, every maker I know have, has, or continues to cuss those thing. They indeed are not necessary
I bought mine after I dropped my chanter while tuning the drones. I had disconnected the chanter and was balancing it on my knee while I was keeping the bag closed with my left hand and tuning the drones with my right. Luckily no damage was done. So I wouldn’t say they’re not necessary but you can get by without them.
I find it easiest to simply pull the chanter back to my left thereby kinking the neck of the bag. Cuts off the air flow and allows me to tune the drones and then bring the chanter back in quickly to check the drone tune against the chanter, then kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck, kink, retune, recheck
…
until finally I have the drones in tune with the chanter without needing to disconnect anything.
Not one of the professional pipers I have seen live has used a stop key.
If I think about it, I have never seen anyone using a stop key even when they have them fitted.
Mukade
My point may have been missed. Even if many many people think they are not necessary, and can offer many reasons why not to have one, and offer many alternatives to using one, I still want to get one. It seems that in order to get one, I’m just going to have to order, and wait.
Thanks, sorry if I sound frustrated,
You could hire an illegal immigrant to squeeze the bag neck on command.
Have him/her change their name to Stopp Kee.
Mukade
If you want to make your own there is a drawing somewhere on this forum showing different styles. Ran a search on ‘Stop Key’ and came up with 1724 results - anyone know where it is
I know those drawings; I can’t remember where they are, but I have them saved on my computer somewhere… They’re really well done!
The drawings in question were from Chris Bayley’s website. Thanks to Chris for sharing:
lord of the strings
I suggest you order on of marc van Daal
It works fine and I use it a lot
not only for tuning, also for playing the regulators
He makes different systems
mukade wrote
Not one of the professional pipers I have seen live has used a stop key.
Well I did. Micky Smith uses a stop key with great effect
(the typical sound when he starts the chanter)
Carel
Also, David Power, Paddy Keenan, Benedict Koehler, Mick O’Brien, not to mention Patsey Touhy, Willie Clancy, the Dorans and Leo Rowsome.
having isn’t the same as using. Often they aren’t working properly anyhow.
I said using
not having
carel - didn’t mean your reference to Mikey, but some of PJ’s older references seemed speculative. IIRC the Clancy Coyne B stop key is ‘mostly’ working at the moment, but I don’t know of any reference to either Doran using the key.