Well I ordered myself some pipes. A C practice set from the lads in Boston (UPB) and a half set in D from Seth Gallagher.
The practice set should be here in a month or so and the 1/2 set within the year (hope I’m ready by then).
Anyway, I’m pretty psyched. 
Thanks to all for good advice and patience with a newbiewannabe.
Doc
Congrats Doc, have fun when the C chanter arrives. I trust you have an instructor lined up? Also, should you want to at a later date, I believe that practice set can be upgraded to a half set featuring drones by Davey Boisvert… unless he’s only doing D sets… hmmmm… gotta look into that one… hmmmm…
I’m sure you’ll do okay Doc. One piece of advice: don’t mess with the reeds before asking here first. Boston or NY is one climate, Idaho quite another. The reed will have to climatize. Leave it set for a while. Reeds are sooooo important, yet sooooo temperamental. These are dry reeds. The only moisture they’ll ever get is in the air. You might need a good day, a humidifier, or a tea pot going in the kitchen on some of those dry hot days, or indoors in the winter with a forced air heating system.
Nope, I’m afraid I’ll be going it alone. There is another piper not too far away though that can give me some pointers. She plays a Gallagher 1/2 set and is quite good for an Idahoan. 
And, of course, I can always come whine here right? 
Doc
Lorenzo,
Do you mean I should let it set a few days before I play it or just before I “mess” with the reed?
Doc
Well, realize some of us had to learn the hard way and probably tend to give overly protective advice.
If it plays okay right out of the box, you’ll not need to let it sit. If it seems hard to play, or closes up…you might need some humidity or just let it adjust to its new environment. The trouble is, you may not be able to tell what’s okay and what isn’t. That’s what get’s a lot of new pipers in trouble – not having a second opinion from anyone near by. You may attempt to play it and wonder all kinds of things, even about the second octave. You might decide after a few tries that something don’t seem quite right (how do they do it?). At that point, remember many other new pipers have handed it to someone who’s been at it a good many years that will play it a while and hand it back and say it plays just fine. How can this be?
You might even accidently ruin the reed from having no experiece taking the top off the chanter or putting it back on, or handling the reed. Always handle it by holding the base (staple), keep your fingers away from the cane, and read, read, read any instruction books you can get. The blades should always be centered before placing the reed cap back on the chanter. (that’s just one of many things on the check list)
It takes time. Somedays will go better than others. Just don’t rush to judgement. Take it slow and don’t be quick reaching conclusions. Start with a tune that only requires the first octave. Don’t play it too long. The second time might seem easier than the first. Chances are, if your first set is from UP of Boston, you’ll be in good hands. Talk to the reed/pipe maker and let him hear what you’re trying to accomplish. Always seek advice before adjusting…and perferably by phone.
Just my two cents…
“gotta look into that one” for Doc Jones, or “gotta look into that one” for yourself?
… yes.
Wow! what a friendly forum. I’ve only posted a few times and the moderator’s already buying me a half set!
Thanks Joseph you’re tops!
Doc
Thanks much Lorenzo. I promise not to take myself seriously enough to mess with the reed for a long time. I realy appreciate the input…great counsel.
If I have any problem that seems to be something other than gross ignorance I’ll be sure to have my piper friend play the set before I do anything, If she thinks it’s a hardware problem I’ll call Alex and Patrick before I proceed.
Thanks again,
Don’t mention it Doc… no, really, don’t mention it.
Hey Doc,
If when your sets arrive you need any tweaking advice, let us here in Salt Lake know. We’ll be getting together again in about two weeks to go over reed making 101. You’re most welcome if you can make it. I’ll show you some of the finer points of adjustment, and how to sleuth out leaks. With luck, we may even have you making your own reed by the end of the day.
Stay in touch with Stephanie and Mark S. there in Ogden. They’ll keep you on the right track too.
Cheers
Brian~
SLPC