I’m looking for a practice set, preferably blackwood, for $1000 or under in D.
Hopefully with keyblocks, though likely not keys. And I would prefer a quality maker.
Thanks
Mark
Why Blackwood? 
Perhaps because he likes it.
Hi, I have a Robbie Hughes practice set that will be up for sale soon 
Another piper has it on loan right now while waiting for his own chanter to return from Rogge with new mounts
(to match new regs and drones).
Ebony with imitation ivory mounts, c-key and brass top. Comes with the original LM bag, bellows and three reeds.
The set is from the early nineties and I’m the third owner.
For anyone wanting to take up the pipes I’ll let this set go for 550 EUR, which is what I paid for them 5-6 years ago.
/MarcusR
There’s a cheap practice set on eBay:
Greetings all,
Blackwood preference is a result of two things. One I’m a highland piper, so it’s what I know, and know how to take care of.
Two, I’ve played flutes in several woods, and always found blackwood had the best results!
Beannaichde
Blackwood is probably the most common wood for concert pitch chanters, certainly these days. Its tone is considered by some to be brighter than other types of wood, such as rosewood or ebony.
There is much debate at present about the over-harvesting of hardwoods, particularly African Blackwood, for musical instruments (clarinets and oboes, GHB, etc.).
Bear in mind that works best for wet-blown instruments doesn’t necessarily work best for dry reed instruments. This also applies to care and maintenance - for instance, one doesn’t oil uilleann/union pipes. Blackwood is very valuable for wet-blown instruments as its natural oiliness reportedly makes it less susceptible to cracking when subjected to extremes of wetting and drying than ebony.
While there is a range of opinion, I think you’ll find a general preference for ebony over blackwood among established uilleann pipe makers. That doesn’t mean that blackwood is unworthy of consideration, it’s just “different”. Blackwood, unlike ebony, is botanically a rosewood and I consider it more like the other rosewoods than it is like ebony.
Unlike a number of other timbers, blackwood is not listed as endangered by IUCN (it’s classified as “Lower Risk/Near threatened” which is one of the lower categories) - it seems to thrive as a shrub in a number of areas, still. However the big trees, suitable for making instruments, are getting very scarce, so it can be hard to obtain good quality wood.
Hi Bill,
could this possibly go for Cocuswood even the more? You mostly come across flutes and GHPs made from it. I only heard about one “real” set of pipes made from it and I´m not sure about that. Isn´t the Coyne that Willie Clancy had from Cocus?
Cocus is extremely beautiful and nice to work with but very rare:
http://www.mcgee-flutes.com/materials.htm
I haven’t worked with it, since as you say it’s very scarce nowadays. On the rare occasions when I’ve seen pieces for sale, I’ve left it for the flutemakers 
I am pretty sure the Clancy chanter is ebony. I’ll be seeing that set again soon so I’ll take a closer look at regs and drones.
Bill
In my opinion, Ebony will always be king for Uilleann Chanters, rosewood, Box, Laburnum, Holly. all the best.
Here is a nice and not too expensive practice set.
David
Where is KMcN these days?
The lower mount is an unusual look for a concert pitch chanter - I’ve seen it on old Coyne sets and associate it with the flat “union pipes” style.
I used not to like this style (preferring a ferrule on the bell to make it more resistant to cracking) but it’s growing on me.
Have you played this set Davy?
Ditto Davey the set is a bargain and plays well.Kenny is now making D Chanters copied frae my 25 year old Dave Williams one.Whoever gets this one will be a happy bunny plus his after sales care is good.
Kenny is in Paisley in Scatlandshire.
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
PJ the end ye describeth is on the end o mine own chanter the 30+yrs Ginsberg.If anything whittling down the wood to accomodate a ferrule in the first place is weakening the piece in my opinion so ye therefore need to put the ferrule on …which ye didnae need in the first instance…but hey that piping ???
Hi PJ
No I only have a C chanter by Kenny, but it is a nice one.
This is it in the hands of our own SilverSpear.
I have a D chanter on order from Kenny, to complete my new frankenset, and I have no worries as to it sounding OK. I have liked the sound of every chanter Kenny has brought to the session, whether C, B or D.
BTW if the finalised B chanters sound as nice and mellow as the prototype, then they will be well worth the buying.
David
I noticed the maker also sells a CD of just D drones to play while on a practice set.
Is that like some kind of Gaelic shruti box?