Cheap pipes?

[billmcc]

I have had a Dunbar P-3 for 7 years and I love it. Do not buy Pakistani pipes because most are basicly just expensive firewood.

[auld argonian]

Oh, frankly these Dunbar pipes sound ideal....say what you want about plastic...it seldom warps under the normal range of atmospheric conditions. Think I have to de-accession a few odds and ends on ebay before I take the plunge on the pipes...I'll speak to my music store buddy and see if he can hook me up with a Dunbar chanter...the kitchen pipes on hotpipes.com sound like a plan, though.

best

AA

[billmcc]

Oh, frankly these Dunbar pipes sound ideal....say what you want about plastic...it seldom warps under the normal range of atmospheric conditions.

Correct, and the better stability of plastic pipes typically allows them to stay in tune better than wood pipes. Plastic is more durable, too.

[Jerry]

I haven't joined in, but my daughter is also interested in learning the pipes. She plays any woodwind instrument from the baritone sax to piccolo. Her major instrument in college was oboe and she has played the oboe in local symphony orchestras, so I think she could handle the fingering and such. My problem is that being on a retirement income, I don't have 500 to a thousand dollars to spend. If I did, there would be at least one tank on its wey to Amelia county Va. She doesn't have the cash either as she is only working part time while working on her Masters degree.

[haukehaien]

The thing is, she doesn't need a set of pipes to start with - she needs a practice chanter (and an instructor.) She should probably find an instructor first and get the PC that he/she likes, but at any rate, a PC is $45-75 depending on type and where you buy it. She will be 6 months or longer on the PC before going to the big pipes - I would guess the time might be longer since she's also working on a master's, which is likely to cut into practice time. That's 6 months or longer to save up for a set of pipes ....

[KiltedCodeWarrior]

The thing is, she doesn't need a set of pipes to start with - she needs a practice chanter (and an instructor.) She should probably find an instructor first and get the PC that he/she likes, but at any rate, a PC is $45-75 depending on type and where you buy it. She will be 6 months or longer on the PC before going to the big pipes - I would guess the time might be longer since she's also working on a master's, which is likely to cut into practice time. That's 6 months or longer to save up for a set of pipes ....

Ok, probably showing my ignorance here, but what in the world is a chanter and what does it have to do with pipes? Is it like practice pipes?

[haukehaien]

The practice chanter (PC) is similar to the chanter of the pipes, which is the part of the pipes that is fingered to play the melody. The PC is designed strictly for learning the fingerings and embellishments; it's not really very much of an instrument on its own. The PC is mouth-blown rather than using a bag to supply the air. Its primary purpose is to train your fingers to play the notes before you have to deal with the pipes. It's very important to have the notes and so in muscle memory when you start on the full pipes, because there is a lot else going on then - breathing and squeezing the bag, smoothly so as to maintain a steady tone, balancing the pipes, marching if you're planning to play with a band ... it's basically impossible to begin learning on the pipes, you have to have a PC. The PC is also useful for working out tunes that you're learning, so that you don't have to deal with the full instrument while you're still learning them. I use mine all the time.
If you get one of the electronic PCs, then you also have the advantage of being able to plug in headphones and practice while watching TV at home, riding the subway, on airplane flights and so on.