Unboxing! Full Set of Morrison Uilleann Pipes - Play test & photo gallery included!

In today's video Matt Willis Bagpiper unboxes a full set of Fred Morrison Uilleann Pipes! These pipes are amazing!
Play Test: 16:52
Photo Gallery: 22:11
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[@liammartinez4687]

Background is never messy when you have a display of first class bagpipes. (In my opinion)

[@lotowner7240]

I'm like 5 months into my wait for a FM halfset. This video is helping me with my anticipation. I've even started ordering tools to make chanter reeds. I'm pumped.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

That's awesome! I wish I had more time in my day to get practice on this great set. Too much time goes by between uilleann pipe practice sessions....

[@jfmaccoll]

Thanks Matt, because of this and Fred's videos, I've just bought my first practice set. My wallet may be crying, but I'm not!

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Fantastic!

[@brianburdette2283]

Excellent Matt!!!!! I am glad that they finally came in for you. They really look Great!🙂

[@jean_enzo_xxx_du_2812]

The drones at the end while "going home" was playing were just the bagpipe equivalent of winning the lotery

[@claytonschase]

Thanks for the video Matt! I've been looking at Morrison Uilleann Pipes and your video was awesome. Can't wait to hear more from this set.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I could not be happier with this set. Now to get good on them!

[@dduncan900]

I’m excited with you Matt! Nice addition to your collection, huh? Thanks for all you do Mr.Talented.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I appreciate the comment! I've always had a thing for music. Trust me, there are plenty of things I'm horrible at doing, I just don't film those! ;)

[@brianknoble]

A nightmarish exercise in evil plumbing, that there! That said, I’m so jealous of your new acquisition. If you get tired of it, send it my way.

[@bostonbagpipes2817]

Great video Matt thanks ! Would love to get a set of these they sound awesome

[@carsonelidavisla.k.asonicf3763]

Wow!

[@FiddlingwithmyWhistle]

Wow... super nice

[@randallmorris1231]

Sounds great😎

[@celticmusic5129]

fantastic video, it is incredible to be able to have a uilleann pipe !! thanks for your videos !!! (I hope that one day a video of Galician bagpipes lol) greetings from Galicia

[@Goetterdaemmerung86]

WHOA that is awesome! I'd love to get a set myself, gotta save up

[@davmatt941]

Ah man, so jealous!! I had sold a secondhand set of uilleann pipes recently and have been eyeing up Fred’s set. One at a time though as I’m waiting on a set of smallpipes haha

[@emiliodamianrocha4061]

Hi Matt ! thanks for the video, this instrument really sounds wonderful. also the making of it is incredible !! Cheers!!

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Glad you like it!

[@maggiepaine483]

Uilleann pipes are bellows driven

[@maggiepaine483]

Poignant

[@Teamcurtisbjj]

How cool!! I’ve heard this is the hardest instrument to play... and it looks like it. But you are playing them like a champ. So glad I found this channel. Thank you!

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Thank you! It is quite challenging, but so much fun!

[@Teamcurtisbjj]

Ok. I signed up for Patreon to support. Thank you.

[@Piobagusfidil]

It's not easy, but people learn to play them. Getting a good instrument and access to good teaching early on makes a huge difference, as well as having the time, ability, and discipline to practice every day.

[@ElijahG98]

Nice, just saw your link to this on chiff and fipple. I wish there were some affordable uilleann pipes. I'd love to dabble but things arent cheap. Good review.

[@patrickcannady2066]

It’s a copy of a good Dave Williams instrument. It’s a fine set of pipes but you’re still going to have the usual struggles all uilleann pipers deal with, ie, weather, adjustments, maintenance, not to mention learning to play well. They don’t hop out of the box and play like Fred or Liam O Flynn or Paddy Keenan all by themselves.

[@cheefussmith9380]

Double reed people always have a razor lying around :) Thanks for posting!

[@stevethepigeon7159]

Hi Matt hope you are well, i only play uilleann pipes but am a big Fred Morrison fan as you mentioned you have a lot of his books just wanted to ask is there much uilleann pipe music in his books and if there was a particular one of his books would be best for uilleann as I ken he plays a lot of highland and small pipes

[@alanmolox2095]

I've heard horror stories of Highland Pipers trying to go to Uilleann's and becoming discouraged and giving up, you my friend are amazing, I LOVED Rowan Tree! (only one sour note and it's just the pipes need to played in!) CHEERS!

[@patrickcannady2066]

The struggles are real, but it’s usually not the instrument’s fault unless you buy a South Asian instrument.

[@alanmolox2095]

@@patrickcannady2066 Yes, if you are going to commit to such a monuments endeavor you should start with the best instrument possible, so blame falls squarely on the handler.

[@stevehardy4694]

And I thought there was a lot going on with GHBs........ Very interesting video.

[@coenwatt9458]

What is the tune you played on them?

[@peterbaileybagpiper]

They look and sound great! I have the opposite humidity problem here - never goes below 65% - probably gonna have to treat the bag with an anti-mold product! How's that popping strap suiting you?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

The strap is great! Really helps seal the bottom of the chanter. Thanks again!

[@timeastwoodbagpiper]

Try finding dry air in either Ireland or Scotland! Nice pipes indeed.

[@williammidgley3905]

15:30 Glad I live in the north of England where you're lucky if you can see blue sky then.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I'm pretty wimpy when it comes to the cold, so I'll take my big Texas skies and heat (and occasional humidifier). :) :)

[@stansmith4054]

I would like to get a good set like that one day. I have a half set by David Daye now. I love and hate them! The Reed and tuning are a pain! I actually play GHPs by Dunbar. Poly drones and plastic reeds. I haven't had to tune them in over 5 years! No joke. Took them to Iraq with me. No issues. But the Uilleann pipes, are a different story!

[@Pteromandias]

In honor of Mr. Morrison, you should play Kansas City Hornpipe.

[@matthewdenty7760]

Blows my mind to think bellows... lol...just looks very tough multi tasking

[@1humac]

Don't let put you off. I found bellows almost impossible at first when I got my first set of Scottish smallpipes. A week later, and after a Hamish Moore course it has to be said, I wasn't even thinking about them, just playing.

[@genericamerican327]

I really need to get a set of uillean pipes. . . problem is, a full set of the fred morrison pipes costs more than my car did. Do you recommend starting with a half set or practice set? Any specific videos, books, or lessons you can recommend for learning how to play?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I recommend a half set if it could be afforded, but a practice set is also fine. Just nice having the drones available from the start of learning (helps maintain pressure and tone). The Na Piobairi Uilleann DVDs are a good place to start.

[@brandontheblinddude5302]

Just got mine today

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Congrats! 🎉

[@brandontheblinddude5302]

@@MattWillisBagpiper thanks. Loving them so far

[@loch1352]

You should check out the song creid from xenogears creid, some of the best uilleann pipe work I’ve ever heard

[@debbielegros9828]

I’m a highland bagpiper and love the sound of these pipes. I’m so tempted to learn but looks difficult. Are the notes similar to the highland pipes?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Yes, they are difficult and scale is totally different. But they can be learned! Maybe I’ll do an uilleann pipe learning series down the line.

[@evankeefer5321]

Hey Matt, do you know how to get the bottom D to stop gurgling on a set of uilleann pipes?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Perhaps a bit more pressure? How much stuff is crammed into the bottom of the bell?

[@evankeefer5321]

I just fixed it, bridle had to be raised a teency bit. Thanks for the reply

[@1humac]

Matt, how easy was it to learn the different fingering for the uilleann pipes after being used to the Highland variety? And how easy to go from one to the other?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

A very good question... I had already learned several different fingering systems (clarinet, saxophone, flute, penny whistle) before learning the highland pipes, so I took to it in a few hours, but suspect most would take at least a few days. In any case, since you already have bellow technique down, I suspect it would go quickly for you.

[@peterbaileybagpiper]

For my part (recent experience) learning the new fingerings isn't especially difficult - but connecting those fingerings to the correct note on the page & correct note name - that's a bit harder after playing nothing but Scottish pipes for 5 years

[@brandontheblinddude5302]

I put an order in for a set of these pipes about a month ago. Did you have to install and adjust the reeds or did they come pre installed?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

They came installed and set up.

[@brandontheblinddude5302]

@@MattWillisBagpiper awesome thank you.

[@No_Ghosts]

@@brandontheblinddude5302 just curious have your Uillean pipes arrived and how do you like them? I've been eyeing the same set.

[@KyleHowie]

I HAVE to get the regulators for my set! 🤞

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

And I have to get your fingers, good sir! It's been awesome watching you get your half set up and going so quickly! But the regs are fun, though you really have to get those bellows pumping...

[@KyleHowie]

@@MattWillisBagpiper haha I bet, 7 reeds is not something to laugh about! 😅 Yh it’s been so much fun to get them going, an excellent, excellent job by Fred and McCallums in the production of the pipes, top notch stuff! Like your set my E is a wee bit sharp, I’ve put a small bit of tape on it for now but I really need to take a deep dive in to how the things are setup, I don’t think Fred will want to se my pipes up every time a new reed is purchased haha! Great stuff Matt! 👌

[@wetootwaag]

Wow, they really do look far more beefy than I had suspected.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

11.6 pounds including bellows!

[@williamharris9218]

Please make a video on how to play Lexie mckaskiel

[@RenaissanceEarCandy]

Is it me or does the chanter always sound a little sharp on Fred Morrison uilleanns?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

A few notes were off on day one here, but it’s settled in nicely.

[@frotz661]

Has anyone tried making a humidification device for uilleann pipes that acts like an oiler for an air compressor? The idea is to add moisture just to the air as it goes into the bag, not the whole room.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

EJ Jones at Tidy Cottage pipes had a humidifier tube built into the bellows on a set I used to own, but I don't know if it really put enough moisture in the air quickly enough to do much... Better than nothing, but certainly not as good as a humidified room...

[@18Unity48]

Maybe off topic but I'm curious as to what kind of humidifier you use for your room.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

smile.amazon.com/dp/B000G0LDRI/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_3Ih7FbZERKJKZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

It appears this model may have been discontinued, but that's the one I use.

[@18Unity48]

@@MattWillisBagpiper Thanks! I once bought one for my practice room but it leaked like hell. So I'm still looking for an alternative.

[@uilleannman]

Matt Willis are you still happy with these? do the drones and the chanters hold their tune well? How easy is it to match up the regulators?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I am still happy overall, though I'll admit I rarely play the regulators. The uilleann pipes are a part time hobby for me (the Highland pipes taking the bulk of my increasingly scant time). Drones are super solid. Chanter reed is a bit on the tough side, but the bellows are big enough to move enough air to power everything.

[@uilleannman]

@@MattWillisBagpiper Well if you ever decide to sell them... :P

[@gapdragon01]

You mentioned bellows... Is it the case that Fred Morrison uilleann pipes and small pipes use the same bellows?

[@deadskimountaineer]

On the website they list the same bellows as suitable for small pipes, reel pipes or uilleanns, so I think so.

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Yep, all McCallum are the same

[@cheefussmith9380]

How’s it coming with these Matt? Gonna post a video soon?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

I hope to be posting uilleann pipe tunes on my TikTok, but the extreme cold here in Texas has definitely slowed things down.

[@cheefussmith9380]

@@MattWillisBagpiper oh man, forgot about that! I even have family in dfw. Hang in there:)

[@timkelly4213]

I’ve played the highland pipes in marching bands for over 20 years, but would like to try something new. Is there any way to enter the Uilleann pipes world without breaking the bank?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Not really... You can get one for his starter sets for about $2000, but that's a pretty steep starting point. You could also check out David Daye, if he's still making his penny chanter sets

[@timkelly4213]

@@MattWillisBagpiper Afraid that was the case, but appreciate your response.

[@labonephysics9400]

Oh wow, these really are built like a brick shithouse! My old half set was rather lightly built in comparison. I wish I'd never sold them. Love the heavy spoon style regulator keys, the Taylor style is just not up my alley. I like that synthetic O-rings are used on this set, nice to see some of the GHB practicalities being used on uilleann pipes for a change, I know a lot of makers and customers are more conservative and use hemp on every joint, but I guarantee if Leo Rowsome et al had access to 2021 silicone O-rings they would have used them too.

[@darylturner2321]

Fred Morrison pipes made my McCallum?

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Yep! McCallum makes the Morrison line of pipes.

[@gunnsmoke357]

Tic toc

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

14 folks waiting!

[@daniegrove5658]

Price now for full set 2023 🤔

[@MattWillisBagpiper]

Googling "fred morrison uilleann pipes" takes you right to the sales page...