I hope I’m not breaking any etiquette here, but curious as to everyone’s thoughts on fair pricing for a used chanter.
Backstory: I’ve got a great 1/2 set C set from Seth G., all nickel-silver, keys…the whole works. Being it was a C set, I had him make up one of this plain D chanters in brass just in case I end up playing with a group. Fast forward a few years and the only time that D chanter ever got played was during practice. I almost exclusively play the C chanter and just play a bit on the D each time to keep it in check.
So - I’m ready to move the D chanter now to fund a possible regs purchase for the 1/2 set. What’s a fair asking price for a good condition Seth G. chanter in D, plain (no keys), but well cared for? I see these are going for about $1400 new but looking at the for sale forum didn’t see much in order to base market on.
Anyway, I know this is a bit unorthodox to ask before posting but: 1. I’m a lonely solo piper and not ‘in touch’ with any groups, thus no clue what used instruments are going for around here and 2. won’t be offended if you just tell me to take a hike for this post.
I like Seth’s work. I have a gorgeous B chanter he made which I’m hoping to eventually have to money to build a full set around. So I might be biased but don’t think his instruments will lose much, if any, of their value and I think that the “new” price (i.e. $1,400) is a reasonable starting point.
Assuming the chanter hasn’t been damaged, then there are 2 main considerations for pricing your chanter:
How recently was it made? Seth redesigned the look of his chanters (D and flat) in about 2002. I believe he also modified the bore and tone-hole placement of his D chanters in the early 2000s.
Who made the reed and do you have any spare reeds? Obviously if it’s Seth’s reed and you have one or two spare reeds made by Seth, this will justify a price at or about the new price. Also, if the reed is by a well known reed-maker, you might be able to ask the “new” asking price. But a home-made reed or one made by an “unknown” reed-maker might make a prospective buyer offer a lower price (a new reed from Seth costs $160).
So ask $1,400, and depending on how quickly you want to sell, consider the offers.
One tip, though: I suspect it is easier to sell a plain (no keys) chanter as part of a practice set than on its own. So if you have a spare bag and bellows, or can pick them up cheaply, it might facilitate the sale.
The chanter was made in 2008, and it’s got an original Seth reed in it. No issues at all there, hasn’t been ‘tweaked’ or messed with by anyone but Seth. I don’t have a spare D reed, though.