Top Ten Tips for Buying Uilleann Pipes

[@jackmurphy600]

This was brilliant. We need more of this kind of guidance for total and absolute beginners. It's great to hear people playing tunes flawlessly but that doesn't help anyone learn things like set up ,tuning and maintenance . That side of things is such a mystery and it stops so many people getting into such a beautiful instrument.. being able to fix problems for example; like a back C key that sticks in the open position but won't close.. or things like tools needed and where to source supplies to make your own reeds. All that stuff is Gold. Thanks for the vid mate Jake

[@hillhopper50]

Love your videos, very informative. I have just bought a used half set this week for £105, guess what, it's a Goeffory set. The guy I bought it off put it together once, tried it and put it back in the bag. Having wrestled with it for a few days from getting nothing, I have now managed a scale once I used your tips on silicone grease to stop the air leaks, also the return valve is crap but managed to get it to seal. The reeds are suspect (cane) so have been out foraging elder branches before the sap starts rising. Must admit, when I spotted the , made in Pakistan, it made me a bit suspicious. But hey, I have them now so let the challenge begin. Keep the vids coming, love them.

[@sionrouse]

Keep at it! £105 is wild for a half set, see what you can do to improve the sound and playability. Maybe you can get a salvageable instrument going and hopefully make some progress in your piping!

[@cwilde]

Jason, you're doing the world a great service (and saving me a lot of email time LOL). You deserve a medal! Thank you! 🙂

[@GetBagpipeReady]

So helpful, Jason, thanks! 🙏 I’ve been playing Scottish Smallpipes for more than 20 years… I’m hoping I can get away with a full set! Also, I have my own KZbin channel and I’ve got to say you’ve put up an amazing video! Excellent editing and quality!

[@sionrouse]

No problem! See how you get on, I know a lot of folks with a full set who play with just the bag, bellows & chanter for starting off. Good luck on your piping journey !

[@jimobrien84]

I got a David Daye starter set a few weeks ago. They sound great

[@sionrouse]

I’m glad to hear. He makes great & affordable pipes!

[@stansmith4054]

I have been playing a Daye set for about 5 years now. He makes a good affordable instrument.

[@jimobrien84]

@@stansmith4054 absolutely! Yea after a few months I can still say I’m totally happy with them. Ended up ordering a partial stand of drones from him now too

[@cymrych79]

@@jimobrien84 I have a nearly antique Penny Chanter from 2005-ish, but back then I was fresh out of college and nearly broke so built my own bag and bellow. They worked OK (not great), but they've fallen apart on me now after more than a decade sitting in storage. I've emailed David about purchasing at least a bag and bellow from him, but no reply. Actually, I'd prefer to upgrade to a 3/8 or 1/2 set, but god only know how long the wait might be. Did you end up getting the partial stand? What do you think of them?

[@jimobrien84]

@@cymrych79 I started out with just the practice set which only includes the chanter and bellow and bags, and that’s still what I’m using; but several months ago I ordered that partial stand of drones to make it a 3/8 set. He does not appear to be responsive to emails at all, I’ve emailed him about 3 times and he’s never responded via that route. He always answers the phone right away when I call though. He told me a one year wait for the practice set and he was very close to meeting that; I think it was 13 months. For the drones he told me 6 months, and it’s already been about 8 and just the other day he said it will probably be another 2-3 weeks. I don’t share this info as a complaint, or to deter you in any way, I’m just trying to let you know what you could expect. With Patrick Skye having passed I think David is making the only budget set of pipes that actually sound and play nice, so I’m quite grateful for him and more than willing to wait. If you just want to get playing on the chanter fairly quickly, I believe you can get bags and bellows from NPU for a decent price that are immediately available to ship instead of sitting on the waitlist. Then you can be playing as you potentially wait for drones from David. Edit: I forgot to respond about what I think of them. I’m overall very happy with them. They are in tune and they sound and play well. I think the tone lacks some of the body and richness that my teacher gets out of his Woodson chanter, but for what you pay for it I couldn’t be happier. I think, if anything, the bellows could better, and then just little odds and ends. For instance, I don’t care for the plastic tubing blowtube, but that’s easily and cheaply replaceable. And obviously the chanter doesn’t look as nice as any wood one, but that’s of lesser concern to me. Full disclosure, I have gone on the waitlist for a nice chanter by Will Woodson, so obviously I think there’s room for improvement. It’s all in context of value though. The Woodson chanter alone is going to cost me 3x as much as the whole Daye practice set.

[@JJ-zz7zv]

Im looking to get into the pipes so this video is fantastic!!

[@patrickodonnell4109]

Wow. Excellent video. Lots of great info. Much appreciated 🎶

[@jacobmolyneux-ln7yc]

Good advice, will try the penny chanter

[@jonlilley2832]

Very sound advice, Jason! Thank you very much! I play the Great Highland Pipes, the Scottish Small pipes and a few years ago I attended the Piper's Gathering in Connecticut and was so warmly accepted into the group that I think I'd like to see if they're really for me. I've played Ian Kinnear's pipes in C and the pipes were wonderful. It's the piper than needed to work on things. 🤣 I've never considered rental pipes, but it's an avenue to pursue since I'm not sure if this is what I really want to do.

[@sionrouse]

Good luck on your uilleann journey :) thanks for commenting

[@hludovicus4478]

Nice, thank you ! I'd just add one thing : be sure you can play it ! I live in a flat, in a major city, and I'm still not able to play it, and to learn it yet...

[@sionrouse]

I’m lucky that my neighbours don’t seem to mind. I’m always weary about piping in a flat. One time (in Wales) the flat upstairs asked me about the noise, turns out her brother was a famous all Ireland champion on the pipes. I made sure to practice a little bit better after that!

[@jamesdonalfaulkner]

"May play it"? :-))

[@hludovicus4478]

@@jamesdonalfaulkner Unless you're currently in Paris, it's going to be difficult ;).

[@banjoroo1515]

Super helpful tips. Now just to save up for a set...nothing happens fast in the pipe world

[@michanawara5087]

Awesome 😍

[@heathrichardson4242]

Great vid. I’m in Tasmania…. My set made by Mark Donohoe are great, had to wait around 18months before coming to collect them. Been making my own reeds due to isolation and constantly changing weather since the start of this year….and now I’ve got the bug….I want to make pipes! I’m considering the NPU makers course in a few years time once I can afford the extended holiday in Ireland. Am I mad?

[@sionrouse]

Haha sounds like you’ve got the bug alright! Mark makes lovely pipes, very like Dave Williams and he’s a great fella too. I know Geoff Wooff spent many years down in Australia, so the pipes can certainly do well in that climate. Would be worth reaching out to Dicky Deegan as he lived in Tasmania too and would have a good idea as to what reeds suit the environment. He’s a fantastic reed maker to boot! I’d brush up on some wood turning classes locally first too so you can hit the ground running when you get to Ballyfermot for the pipe making classes. All the best with your piping journey!

[@heathrichardson4242]

@@sionrouse Dicky gave me my first chanter to get me me started many years ago 😀 but he’s based in north UK now. There’s a few makers on the mainland I plan to visit at some point… I’m in the process of building some kind of workshop in my garage, I have a very basic lathe (I bought it to make sanding cylinders…lol)… and maybe I’ll have a crack at some highland pipes in the mean time, they’re all just chunky sized drones and stocks, how hard could it be?

[@sionrouse]

Reed making is a good start for sure. Highland pipes would be easier made, less metal work and soldering. I have a set of Uilleann pipes made by a highland maker, they sound great, the wood is quite beautifully turned but the metal is shocking !

[@jonscott8647]

What do you think about the Fred Morrison Uilleann pipes made by McCallum?

[@sionrouse]

I've only played one of their prototype chanters many years ago and it was great. They seem to be aimed at folks moving to UP from highland piping and looks like they have a relatively quick turn around time, which is unheard of in uilleann pipes. I'm a little bit shocked as to how many people I've seen with these go straight for a full set as their first venture into UP. I would recommend a practice set, personally. Or a half set at a push.

[@davidohara5505]

Hi Jason, I'm a Dubliner but now I live in Australia, please tell me where I can buy a new full set of pipes made in Ireland?? Oh and whats the cost too?

[@sionrouse]

You can pay anything of €5000 upwards for a full set. Not the cheapest instrument to get involved with but I’d probably recommend getting a practice set first and seeing how you get on with it. And the made in Ireland part doesn’t really matter, some of the best pipes are being made in different countries around the world. People in the USA, France, Germany & Japan all turning out incredible instruments. Funnily enough, I have a gorgeous set by Geoff Wooff that was made when he lived in Australia and he’s widely considered to be the best living maker. It might be worth having a look and seeing if there’s someone nearby to you who makes pipes or if there’s someone you can find to help with reeds & setting up. If you’re still after someone in Ireland there are plenty to choose from like Martin Gallen who does very reasonably priced pipes. Or if you want someone in Dublin you could have a chat with Tommy Martin. Good luck on your piping journey!

[@g_od2080]

Very informative

[@jackmurphy600]

On that note, how do you fix a stuck back C Key? Any chance of a vid on that? Thanks again Jake

[@sionrouse]

Hi Jake, you could pop the key out and check if theres anything gunking up the key block. If the wood or metal has moved/expanded/warped you might carefully take a high grit bit of sandpaper to either the key or the channel. I'd probably hold off and see if its something that is just seasonal though, pipes will change with the weather and it could just be a temporary problem. Thanks!

[@googleuser3163]

Do they have them in aldi or lidl

[@homolgus1]

Try the mystery aisle

[@carolineharry6605]

Hi, I've recently seen you on a Planet Imo video. Are the Uilleann pipes similar to Northumbrian Pipes? Thanks in advance. :)

[@sionrouse]

They share a few things, like being bellows blown but the uilleann pipes are their own beast really. They’re the most evolved of the bagpipe family with all the extra innovations and notes. Pretty complicated but you can start on a basic practice set and add bits as you go!

[@carolineharry6605]

@@sionrouse really interesting. Thank you. Until I saw Imogen’s video, I’d never heard of them. Thank you for taking the time to reply. 😊

[@TheRoloHDGamesAndFails]

so where can I get pipes if im on a budget? Also I live in Costa Rica… it is kind of difficult to get those here

[@sionrouse]

I imagine you’ll have to import a set, either second hand or from a maker. I don’t know of any pipers nearby but you could put a message up on the uilleann pipes Facebook group. For budget sets someone like David Daye, Martin Gallen, Sam Lawrence, Tommy Martin, Andreas Rogge all make cheaper & more basic sets. A practice set would be good to get you started! And best to avoid buying something from Pakistan, even though they’re very cheap they don’t work well and are inconsistent. Happy piping!

[@thecountrygentleman6670]

Hi i have a set of uilleann pipes made by Michael vignoles m having trouble with the set the bellows arnt the best quality but when i get the chanter to work it has a nice tone but manly asking do you know if vignoles was the right maker to go with or should i buy another set and give up on this set

[@sionrouse]

Hi, Michael made fair enough starter sets in Galway. As far as I know he’s still making so would be good giving him a message for any issues. If you have any pipers nearby I’d recommended getting them to have a look at the set-it could be a simple fix like a leaky valve which you might find on any set. Persevere with the pipes and maybe upgrade if you outgrow them

[@pauldavies9360]

Hi Jason great video! Would you say the irish wooden flute in D to be the same as the chanter on the pipes? Im considering starting on flute then moving to pipes later on. Thanks

[@sionrouse]

The fingering is a little bit similar. Like a second cousin or something. Main difference is you have extra holes on the chanter! Flute is good, I know a lot of pipers who play it too. Sadly, it’s never been one of my instruments. I started on the whistle. Either are good for learning the tunes. It’s worth bearing in mind a lot of the piping techniques are different from the flute. You should be grand starting the flute and working up to the pipes. Enjoy the learning!

[@ozwhistles]

I just got off the phone with Ian Mackenzie .. Like .. If you are serious about the pipes .. start with a maker? There's a few of them around this world .. maybe 5 or so .. but that's where you start. The tradition is millennia deep .. so start at the well - where all the water comes from?

[@sionrouse]

I’d say there’s maybe 50 or so makers around. I don’t think we’ve ever been in as good a place for uilleann pipes as we are now. Best to get a maker who is close to you if you can !

[@materdeimusicd.buckley2974]

Agreed. As former player it's good to get reed making lessons from your maker. I never succeeded in making a good one, but it helped me maintain the reeds I had, as well as giving me respect for the reeds that they deserve.​@@sionrouse

[@V081WLBlue]

Crazy prices for these things, I'll stick to me penny whistle I bought 45 years ago for £1

[@sionrouse]

That’s 2p a year! Good value!

[@materdeimusicd.buckley2974]

I'm back playing the whistle now. Too busy to maintain Uilleann pipes. Cillian O Briain in Kerry is doctoring ordinary tinwhistles for 35 euro in 2023 and improving their sound. In my view a better option than these fancy whistles going around. If you can get an O Brain set of pipes incidentally, they are amazing.