can anyone tell me anything about this make of pipes ? Im really looking for a decent practice set and these caught my eye , the prices seem good and they look like they are good quality
I had a rosewood concert chanter made by Chris Dixon. The chanter was well made, easy to play and easy to reed. Chris is a very nice person to deal with. I’d recommend him.
Chris is a new maker. One of our locals also got one of his practice sets not too long ago. The workmanship is good, though not on the caliber of most of the “older” makers. The reed that came with the chanter was reasonably well in tune, but VERY hard to play. After a bit of sanding/thinning, it came to play a bit better. A decent set, though I would say there are others that compare as well.
Hi, I wouldn´t recommend him. As Brian has said, Dixon is a new maker, and he has to develop his pipe&reed/making skills. As a newcomer, remember this norm : Better pipes=Less problems.
There are much better options, but remember, it´s only my opinion: Go for a better known maker.
If people never buy from newer makers, said newer makers will never be able to develop their skills. Have you had first hand experience with this maker?
Hi,
CJ is very responsive with answering questions. After several exchanges I had spec-ed out a cobocol practice set and was prepared to send in an order when my fiance surprised me Christmas 2005 with a chanter. I felt rather guilty not ordering after so many questions, but I did not want to turn down the gift.
I continue to check on his site from time to time and I may upgrade my bag and bellows with him as I see how I progress. I have watched him progress from chanters & drones, to chanters w/ keyblocks & keys, to adding regulators.
– Glenn
(just starting out)
My 1st brief foray into piping was with a practice set of CJ’s. He was very helpful and professional, and his pipes played very well. The “hard to play” reed comment might be on…it seemed hard to squeeze, but that could be a beginner issue, and I never got to trying the 2 JES reeds I had. Unforeseen life/financial catastrophes forced me to sell it after only a few months, and it hurt to let them go. I would recommend him…for someone looking to get into piping for slightly less $$$, I think you could do far worse than C.J.
I also recommend CJ Dixon. I have a chanter of his manufacture that I like and have found him great to deal with.
DJones
yea his pipes look farely decent , but I know the way they look has nothing to do with how they play … hense starting the topic/discussion , even if he is new I think Im gonna give him a shot and buy a practice set off of him the price is reasonable … and I believe once I get more into the intrument I will invest in a more expensive (or well known) bagpipe , but what was stated above about pipe makers not getting the practice if people aren’t buying …I agree. Who knows maybe one day it will be a privledge to own an original set of his … who knows !!! haha he might be very successful one day , thanks for the advice everyone I’m gonna keep my eyes open , but the price seems to be right with this maker
I have reeded a few of Chris’s chanters and I have to say I liked their tone and playability. He has made vast strides since his first production models and I believe it shows… er… sounds. 
i bought a half-set from cj last year and have been very happy with them.the only problem i have found with them is me.i am a newbie on ups but as a ghbagpiper for 20 years i thought every thing would be plain sailing.i was mistaken ,its a whole new ball game.ive even become surly like the rest of the guys on the forum.the chanter reed did seem a bit hard but i bought 2 on the advice of the learned 'gentlemen’on this forum.i fiddled with the first one and messed that up but the second one plays quite well,or as well as it can with my technique.i can recommend cj dixons pipes as they are well made and reasonably priced.good luck
The question really comes down to refinement. A maker who’s been doing things for years, and/or has an extensive background in engineering or turing/metalwork will turn out a more refined product. Likely both in terms of visual asthetics and playability and tone characteristics.
This is a general assumption mind you and is not the rule for all makers. Time does NOT always equal any sort of superior product. There are several examples of well known makers that I would NEVER touch no matter how long they’ve been making pipes or how good they (or others) think they are for whatever reasons. It is hard to discern, for the beginner, these subtle differences
There is no replacement for getting out to a tionól, and trying as many pipes as possible in one sitting. Ask questions of the owners, not only about what they like, but also what they don’t like about their sets. No set will be perfect for anyone, but the best makers can come close for a large number of their clients I believe. It’s this ability that really helps to set apart the men from the boys so to speak.
You can tell to a degree how well something is made by physical apperance and fit/function. Great pipes will have an impeccable sense of style, everything will fit very well, and will have a sense of balance in asthetics - tonal and visual. A great set will have enough flexibility that the piper can do with it what they want as they play - rather than fighting as they go. A great MAKER will be interested not only in his end product, but the end player.
CJ is a top rate individual by all accounts I’ve heard so far. His workmanship is improving all the time. He’s not as refined as others of course, but at this point, one should not expect him to be. His reeds seem to ship out a little hard - though this is not the end of the world, as it’s always possible to thin them if needed. Can’t put it back if they were too thin/soft to begin with though of course.
Just idle musings. As always, mileage may vary…
I am currently in the process of waiting for my CJ Dixon set to arrive, was due in February, and he assures me its coming soon 
There has been a lot of speculation and discussion about the calibur of his workmanship. As I do not yet have my set from him, I cannot comment on this personably. However, I had the great pleasure of having a little chat with Pete Purvis, member and Uilleann piper of the band Gaelic Storm. He owns a CJ chanter (the lefty in blackwood on Chris’s chanter’s page) and was playing it that evening. He told me he was very impressed with Chris’s chanter, and the fact that he trusts it enough to use it for performances like that is a testiment in itself. Clearly, Chris’s instruments are not only being used by ‘out of their house’ music makers and hobbiests, but also being trusted by performers as well.
My set will be (to my knoweledge) Chris’s first complete 3/4 set. I should be happy to post a thread here when it arrives, and do a little review as there seem to have been lots of questions about his pipes.
I can say that Chris is an exceedingly nice person to do buisness with, and has done a lot to tolerate and incorperate my preferences oin a set. I do not think we should be quick to criticize him. I know (being a violin and whistle maker myself) it is rediculously tedious to build up a reputation and product from scratch, and in my book, Chris gets major props for coming as far as he has.
Mr. Woffe had to start somewhere too, after all
…bold italic added by moi…
This sums it up for me.
God bless you, Lord of the Strings! 
cj dixon,is making me a bag as we speak,he is a good man,and his pipes look good,drones look very nice,and iam sure chanter’s play well,just my two cents.
Has anyone tried those new style dixon drones yet?