Well, Patrick Murray, is opening shop again, but seemingly on a larger basis. Remember The Pipers Cut? This will be new and improved.
Patrick, who also happens to be a fantastic piper, has a new website up,
but they will be opening the books in April, and the website is still under construction. This is good news, as he did come out originally with a pretty good practice set:
thats awsome, good news
:adminok:
Elbogo…
How do you sniff out all these links and tidbits?
You always seem to hear things coming first.
Everytime I put my ear to the ground to hear what’s coming, someone always tries to step on my head!
I got this today as a E-mail:
Hello. You are receiving this email because at some point in time
you expressed an interest in ´The Pipers Cut´, a business devoted to
making and selling uilleann pipe practice sets. This was probably a
long time ago - perhaps more than a year. Well, we finally have some
information to share on the subject…
A little over one year ago I shut down ´The Pipers Cut´, a difficult
thing to do, but necessary for a variety of reasons. At the time I
spoke of a distant possibility of reopening with a partner as early as
the summer of 2004. Well, here it is, spring 2005, and I am happy to
tell you that a partner appeared and that ´The Pipers Cut´has reformed
as a new entity that shall be known as ´Uilleann Pipeworks of
Boston´.
We´ve been working hard, and soon the Pipeworks will open its doors
to the public, offering inexpensive practice sets crafted by
experienced musicians. But before that, we would like to offer first
dibs to you or anyone you send our way.
Sets will be ready for send off soon, and while we plan to be
producing very quickly to keep the wait down, waitlists are
unavoidable. So, if you or someone you know would like to be at the
top of the list, let us know.
our website is still in the making, but can be found here -
www.uilleannpipeworks.com
and to be placed on the waitlist, or for more information, email me
here -
patrick@uilleannpipeworks.com
thanks for you patience!
Patrick Murray
Tony, I’m not privy to ‘secret info’ and got the same email as Irishpiper. I had met Patrick in San Francisco at the 2nd last Tionol there, so we emailed a little. Damn, he’s an incredible piper, I was just amazed… and he loves performing.
As for the reed-making of Tom Kennedy, well he called me up, and asked if I’d be willing to post for him. Since we’d discussed on the phone about the reed he made for me, he had called me several times. I like Tom, so we kept in touch a little.
I got another e-mail today:
Hey Sean,
This is Alex, the other half of the UPB. Thanks for the interest in
our
pipes.
We´re working on our website these days and when that´s up we´ll have
pics
and sounds galore as well as the info you might want.
In the meantime, I can send you some stuff if you´d like. We don´t
have
any sound clips yet but hope to be doing that soon. We do have some
pictures as well as product descriptions, prices, etc. Just let me
know
what you´re interested in or if you´d just rather wait until the
website
goes up. I should be up by the April 15th or so.
Anyway, thanks again and we´ll talk to you soon,
Alex
Hei Irishpiper,
I would be interested in getting in touch with Alex so I can get some of that material. I have exchanged a couple of emails with Patrick, but he seems very busy so replies are kinda slow…
If you dont mind, pass over what he sent you so I can take a look?
I am already on the waiting list, so I wont get in your way 
BTW, Patrick said one could get just the chanter for $400.. would you consider that a good deal, or would you rather go for the practice set at $650 (I think)..? I already have a used practice set, but am unsure about the condition of things. There might be leaks etc. you know. Perhaps an all new and tested set is the best thing to go for.
Cheers,
Eivind
The chanters Pat used to make were great to play - I only recently sold mine to aquire a Gallagher stick instead - but regret that desicion from time to time (not getting the Gallagher, just letting Pat’s go!) Still, it’s new owner seems quite pleased, and it’s gotten rave reviews at the local piping club. The best thing with Pat’s sticks is that they were relatively easy to reed. I assume this trait is carried over to the new and improved Bagpipe Works of Boston now. For $400, you’d be hard pressed to find a better chanter out there I would imagine.
Thanks Brian,
I appreciate your review and realize I want at least the chanter 
But the real question is: would I want the rest of the set as well?
I am not sure, but I guess it is not so much of a problem getting you bag & bellows in order (or even deciding wether they work properly or not), as getting your chanter in order. Right?
So the real question is something like: is it feasible to get only the chanter, or should one throw in the the rest of it for only $150 more?
I guess this is kinda impossible to answer. I guess the most work has gotten into getting a good chanter, and perhaps the rest of it is OK but I’d be better off using my existing B&B. Hmmm…gotta think about this
:roll:
Thanks,
E.
Thanks Brian,
I appreciate your review and realize I want at least the chanter
But the real question is: would I want the rest of the set as well?
I am not sure, but I guess it is not so much of a problem getting you bag & bellows in order (or even deciding wether they work properly or not), as getting your chanter in order. Right?
So the real question is something like: is it feasible to get only the chanter, or should one throw in the the rest of it for only $150 more?
I guess this is kinda impossible to answer. I guess the most work has gotten into getting a good chanter, and perhaps the rest of it is OK but I’d be better off using my existing B&B? Hmmm…gotta think about this
:roll:
Thanks,
E.
His bellows were great, I have yet to find another I liked as much in regards to comfort and efficiency. The bag looked quite nice, however, both the bag and bellows were of a vinyl construction as opposed to a good quality leather. I did have some minor problems with cracks in the material and some subsequent leaks, but I ordered a new L&M bag from Seth Gallagher for something like $110, and tied the old stocks in. Worked (and is still working from what I hear) like a dream. As far as bellows, our own Jim Schaffer is the man to speak with about that. In fact, I need to speak to him as well. Hope that helps somewhat…
I had to know:
Eivind, why buy a another chanter when you have a perfectly good Charles Roberts? If it isn’t working at all it is a reed problem for sure - I know - I used it for two years without much problems -smooth and in tune.
To be honest it has never caused me the amount of problems my dear Williams did this winter - completely silent. Not a tiny squeek. Nothing. 
/Morten
Hi Morten,
don’t cry!! That’s the chanter you always wanted, your tears should be of joy?!? 
Well, I always tried to get one of Patrick’s sets. And it’s really hard to start out on a set that has some problems but you dont really know what. If I had any experience (or practical sense) I could probably cope. But I haven’t
So, I thought why not start out with a brand new tested set with a couple of confirmed working reeds..? It would get my playing going, as well the maintenance bit. Then, one can eventually start tinkering with the sets.
The reeds arrived yesterday in fact .
They looked really nice, very good handywork! Your craftsmanship is impressive to me
Though, being made for another chanter, they played horribly. So, do I start with some sandpaper or…?
I also have to find some way to prevent the neck/stock from leaking.
I contacted L&M but of course they only produce the bag itself so they didn’t really care.. Any suggestions?
Cheers and all the best,
Eivind
BTW Morten, is your 333.. number an MMS-capable cellphone?
You would need to tie in your own stocks if you get an L&M bag - it’s not all that difficult. And L&M are wholesalers and won’t sell to the public - you’ll need to get the bag directly from Seth or a similar maker if that’s what you decide to do. I really like the extra responsiveness a leather bag affords and wish I would have gotten one sooner. That being said, Pat’s bag and bellows worked just fine for several years before the first hint of splitting was noticed.
Hi all,
while I do play quite a few instruments, uilleann pipes isn’t one of them. However, I’m thinking about buying a set to start out on. I live in the SF Bay area in California. I know it’s usually a good idea to get pipes made by someone locally.
However, Patrick seems to have some decent reviews here and excellent prices for a practice set. Could anyone make a general recommendation for me?
Would it be worth it/advisable to try a set from Patrick, or should I really look more locally ??? I know there’s a few a makers around here.
Also, assuming I stick with learning the pipes, how long would it be before I “outgrew” a practice set from him? …whatever that might mean. I guess, someday, wanting to get a set with keys/chanter, etc…and something with leather rather than vinyl (assuming that’s a superior material)…
Thanks!
Hmmm… Good
Hmmm…Good
That all depends on you. I’ve been playing a practice set for about 5 years and only recently have I felt ready to move onto a half set. Others I know have started on half sets. My own view, for what it’s worth, is that you should start with a practice set from a good maker (Pat Sky has a good rep but I’ve not had first-hand experience). Get something that will either allow you to add to it as you go on, or sell it quickly if you quit. Don’t mess around with Pakistani sets for no other reason than there’s no second hand market for them.
This is a matter of personal choice. Some people love leather and hate synthetic bags. However most leather bags need to be treated every few years to ensure the leather doesn’t dry out and start leaking. My practice set was made by Kevin Thompson (Ireland). The original bag (synthetic) leaked after about 3 months. He replaced it with another which has given me no trouble for 5 years.
Hmmm… not so good .
Bay are in CA is not so good? How come? …I mean, apart from the cost of housing and gas…
So, synthetic is not always a bad thing…okay, good to know. I guess I appreciate more though “the olf fashioned/tradiotnal ways”. But again, I’m just starting out..as long as it works well…
It would be nice to have a practics set that I can add some keys and drones later on…
I’ve been working on re-reeding a Gallagher set for a friend and it’s as airtight as they come. The leather bag is well over 7 years old from what I understand. Never been seasoned. Who knows?
I’d recommend you get in touch with some of the local pipers. There are quite a few in that area.
Yes, but in my opinion it is better to get started on a decent practice set right away, rather than wait years for a set to be made. Then as you gain experience you can go for a 1/2, 3/4 or full set later.
After hearing different makers sets over a period of time, you may change your mind about what you really want.