Hiya! I’ve been playing a David Daye chanter for about a year now, and it seems that I have sort of outgrown it
So now I’m looking to “upgrade” to a wooden chanter (just the chanter though, I’ve already got a bag and bellows)
I’ve been looking at Kenneth McNicholl’s pipes. I’ve only read good things about him and his pipes here on the forum, and the soundclip on his webpage is encouraging. Anyone here who has one of Kenneth’s chanters in their possession and can tell me about their experience with the stick (or do a recording of it? Any feedback on Kenneth’s pipes is gladly appreciated. My budget is about 600 USD (450 GBP). Are there any other makers that sell chanters within my budget? I’m not looking for a budget/student chanter.
Oh, also, I live in Sweden. So there are no makers close to me. I’d rather use the term “Less far away”
Unfortunately 450 GBP (currently about 500 euro) is very much “budget/student” price. 1000 euro would be more likely to get you a good wooden chanter.
Since I know you were making great progress awhile back, I’d advise you to shop around for the best chanter regardless of price, and then find some way of accumulating the pennies needed. You would be better off this way than buying chanters that aren’t quite right and then reselling them.
I have only very limited experience with Kenny’s work but it gave a positive impression. If you get a chance to try one of his chanters and it suits you, then of course go ahead!
As the owner of D and C chanters by Kenny I will say that you would get a nice instrument from him. In fact the C chanter of his is the one that gets the most play of any of my chanters.
A thought though - Kenny has been experimenting with Delrin, and he has been playing his experiments at the session that he, Uilliam and I attend. The experimental chanters have a nice tone and he has been told to warn me when he makes the first one in C so that I can nab it.
