The joys and dangers of Ebay pipes

[OC Richard]

Quite a bargain, an early Kintail set for around $750 when you reckon in the shipping:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16527099369...AAAOSw1MphqQZT

My Pipe Major plays a 1980s silver & ivory Kintail and the tone he gets is outstanding.

The bass in particular is powerful.

I don't know a better way for somebody to get a great-sounding first set or backup set. I know the Catalin is offputting to many! But I love those old Catalin pipes.

And anyone wanting an extremely cost-effective way to get into the wonderful world of the Border Pipes here's a lovely vintage Henderson set, the size we call "three-quarter size" today but what all the Victorian and early 20th century pipe makers called "half-size" (in reality they're closer to 7/8 size).

Purchase a Border chanter, reed these drones to play in A=440, and Bob's your uncle.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/14435652838...YAAOSwTFVh05fs

I did the same, several years ago, with a vintage Glen "half-size" (7/8 size) set. Using home-made drone extenders I got the drones to play beautifully in A=440. I ended up purchasing three different "Border" chanters (by Hamish Moore, Nigel Richard, and Jon Swayne, none of whom, by the way, called their chanters "Border" chanters).