Where's your Bagpipes?

[cajuncelt]

The "impartial" point is this. It has NOTHING to do with an axe to grind and everything to do with knowledge from people who actually play as you put it. "Far-Eastern" pipes are made with inferior material, period. The stresses put on the wood and joints that result from humidity/temperature differences will destroy an inferior set of pipes relatively quickly. The modifications you speak of relate to reed and chanter not pipe modifications. Looks like you have already received plenty of "qualified" opinions, but will probably join the countless clueless crew who believe you found a better cheaper way. You seem to feel there are axes to grind and some ridiculous "us vs. them" issues being sat on. It's experience, both personally and seeing countless others like yourself waste time and money only to see cracks and warping as a result. I say go for it. You seem to have found the only "Far-Eastern" pipe manufacturer in the world that makes pipes from material that doesn't go to crap quickly. Another one lost in the woods...

I'm just curious about hearing from someone who plays the pipes AND doesn't have an axe to grind in this "Far Eastern versus the 'Real Thing'" discussion AND who has actually tried the FC pipes. Judging by the photos on the FC website, they're selling what looks like the same stuff that other internet dealers...I would expect that it's possible, though, that someone over there might be working up to the tolerances necessary for a set of those pipes to be considered "playable" but not necessarily "excellent".

From what I heard over the past weekend at the Highland Games, even the name-brand pipes end up needing modifications to suit the individual player and to fit in with a band's sound. We've heard that someone in the forum did get a set of the "Far-Eastern" pipes "playable" after a certain amount of re-adjusting and part substitutions.

I'm not trying to be pro or con on this topic but I would like to see someone who's a qualified player give an impartial opinion once and for all...

Best

AA

[highlander_Daz]

Ive a set of eastern pipes and Eventually got them to work with a Warmac chanter and some Souter reeds, however I had to saw the tenor drones shorter in order to get them to tune and even then they had no tone, the chanter that came with them was so far out you wouldnt believe.

My own set were made by Colin Winstanley (how invented the universal blowpipe) african blackwood very good