jeffers
12-22-2006, 04:18 AM
Hello,
Does anyone have any information on half sized bagpipe chanters, or know anyone making them? Here's the story:
Bid on a set of pipes on ebay a few years back and won, only to find that they were actually a half sized set. Kept them all the same because they were very nice for what they are - very good condition, full set, full ivory, ?c.1910, unmarked, ??Henderson. They came with a half sized wooden conical pipe chanter that is unmatching, made by J&R Glen. They hadn't been used in decades so I took them to Garvie Bagpipes in Edinburgh who did a great job putting a goretex bag on and some new half sized synthetic drone reeds.
The problem is that the Bb chanter is pretty much untunable. With an easy pipe chanter reed the top hand is either so sharp that taping the holes won't solve it or the bottom hand is so flat that the holes need carved out, which I am reluctant to do.
I think the problem may be that modern reeds are made to be higher in pitch than older ones used to be? I guess the solution is either to find someone who can make reeds for the older half size Glen chanter or someone who is making modern half sized pipe chanters. The pipes are very beutiful and the drones sound great. It's a shame I've never really been able to set them up properly. Does anyone have any leads?
Thanks, Jeff
Does anyone have any information on half sized bagpipe chanters, or know anyone making them? Here's the story:
Bid on a set of pipes on ebay a few years back and won, only to find that they were actually a half sized set. Kept them all the same because they were very nice for what they are - very good condition, full set, full ivory, ?c.1910, unmarked, ??Henderson. They came with a half sized wooden conical pipe chanter that is unmatching, made by J&R Glen. They hadn't been used in decades so I took them to Garvie Bagpipes in Edinburgh who did a great job putting a goretex bag on and some new half sized synthetic drone reeds.
The problem is that the Bb chanter is pretty much untunable. With an easy pipe chanter reed the top hand is either so sharp that taping the holes won't solve it or the bottom hand is so flat that the holes need carved out, which I am reluctant to do.
I think the problem may be that modern reeds are made to be higher in pitch than older ones used to be? I guess the solution is either to find someone who can make reeds for the older half size Glen chanter or someone who is making modern half sized pipe chanters. The pipes are very beutiful and the drones sound great. It's a shame I've never really been able to set them up properly. Does anyone have any leads?
Thanks, Jeff