Sentry Page Protection
Lesson 1: Buying a Set of Bagpipes
Overview
The following is a guideline of how to buy a set of bagpipes. However, no situation is ever the same, so email me any questions before you decide to buy a set of pipes so we can make sure you get exactly what you need.
Buying a set of bagpipes is like purchasing a car. You can buy a Civic or a Mercedes. You can buy the standard model or a fully loaded model with leather interior and a sun roof. These won't make the car run any better, it just looks nicer. Whats under the hood is what matters. However, its nice when your car looks as great as it drives. This is what you should be thinking about when buying a set of pipes.
Step 1: Don't be Cheap
Promise me and yourself that you will not buy a cheap set of bagpipes. Many people myself included bought a cheap set of pipes when they first started. DO NOT DO THIS, please learn from my mistakes. Many of the bagpipes you can buy online look great but simply don't work. You can buy a set of bagpipes on Amazon for $175! However, the only thing they are good for is hanging on your wall. The bagpipes are hard enough already, do yourself a favour and get a decent set of pipes.
Step 2: Old or New
Decided whether your going to buy a set of new or used pipes. Bagpipes are like a fine wine. They will sound better the older they get. Nothing sounds as nice as a set of 1930s Henderson bagpipes. However, these are very expensive, so unless you wanna spend $5,000+ on a set of bagpipes or have a trusted family friend who is willing to sell his pipes, I suggest you buy new. With a new set of pipes less can go wrong with them and you get a receipt.
Step 3: Where to Buy
I can get you a direct deal with Wallace bagpipes, so if you would like one of their sets send me an email and I will get you a great set of pipes at a very good price. The store I suggest is Lothian Bagpipes. These guys have a great selection at a very competitive price. Also, their staff are experienced pipers who know a lot about there inventory. On top of that they have offered to give all my students an additional 5% off all there merchandise.
Enter the Promo Code – BagpipeLessonStudent for a 5% discount on anything at the store.
Step 4: Choose the Make
There are many bagpipe makers out there and most of the current makers make a good bagpipe.
Here are my following suggestions:
For the beginner on a tight budget: McCallum Bagpipe - P2 Plastic
These pipes are great if you are a beginner. They are easy to maintain and tune. Plus they won't crack since they are plastic. However, they are plastic so once you get a little better you will probably want to upgrade and buy a set of Blackwood pipes.
Here is a link so someone playing these McCallum pipes.
These pipes are great if you are a beginner. They are easy to maintain and tune. Plus they won't crack since they are plastic. However, they are plastic so once you get a little better you will probably want to upgrade and buy a set of Blackwood pipes.
Here is a link so someone playing these McCallum pipes.
For the beginner/intermediate with a little more money to spend: Wallace Bagpipe - Classic #4
These are an excellent bagpipe. My personal favourite that you can buy for under $1,500. You will never outgrow these pipes, you will be able to play them for many, many years.
Here is an informational video about Wallace Bagpipes.
These are an excellent bagpipe. My personal favourite that you can buy for under $1,500. You will never outgrow these pipes, you will be able to play them for many, many years.
Here is an informational video about Wallace Bagpipes.
*These are my personal favourite, but all the bagpipes on the Lothian Bagpipe Supply are quality bagpipes. So, I encourage you to take a look at their website and select a set that is right for you. No matter where or what bagpipes you decide to buy please send me an email before you buy them so I can make sure you are buying a quality instrument at a fair price.*
Step 5: Choose your Bagpipe Bling
Many bagpipe manufactures offer a variety of aesthetic upgrades to your pipes:
Mounts
Imitation Ivory (The most popular, usually comes standard on most pipes. Its now imitation ivory and not real ivory for obvious reasons.)
|
Silver or Nickel (The second most popular. Silver is very expensive, however you can get nickel which looks almost as nice, is lighter and a fraction of the price)
|
Wood (usually blackwood, maple or satin wood. You don't see this very often but if you like it many makers will add it to your pipes.)
|
Imitation Horn (made of plastic to look like horn. You don't see this very often but if you like it many makers will add it to your pipes.)
|
Ferrules and Slide Combinations
|
|
|
|
It's simple pick whichever combination you like the best out of the dozens of combinations there are. Its purely about aesthetics it won't effect how good your bagpipes sound.
Step 6: Choosing a Pipe Bag
There are many good pipe bags on the market. These are the following pipe bags I recommend:
For the beginner and intermediate: Canmore Hybrid Bag
This is a great pipe bag for the very beginner and intermediate piper. The link above will tell you all about the bag and there is a video of how to install it as well. These bags are nice because they offer low maintenance, no seasoning, they are easy to assemble, last longer and are more hygienic than other bags.
For the advanced: Begg Sheep Skin
There is nothing better than a sheep skin pipe bag to achieve a great sounding bagpipe. That's why 95% of grade 1 players play a sheep skin bag. HOWEVER, there is more maintenance involved, you need to play them almost every day, there are not hygienic, they are a pain to tie in and they only last 2 years. Therefore, if you are not a top level player I do not recommend them to you.
Bag size guideline:
If you are under 5ft. = Small Bag
If you are between 5-6ft. = Medium Bag
If you are a very large person = Large Bag
For more information about buying a bag click here.
Step 7: Choosing Bag Cover and Chords
Choosing a Bag Cover and Chords is not that important of a decision. I suggest these Standard Bag Covers and these Chords. Just pick the colors you like and make sure the chords and pipe bag match. I personally like black chords and a black pipe bag cover, but its all about what ever you like. If there is a local pipe band you plan on joining buy chords in the same colour.
Choosing a Bag Cover and Chords is not that important of a decision. I suggest these Standard Bag Covers and these Chords. Just pick the colors you like and make sure the chords and pipe bag match. I personally like black chords and a black pipe bag cover, but its all about what ever you like. If there is a local pipe band you plan on joining buy chords in the same colour.
Step 8: Choosing Reeds
Drone Reeds: I suggest Ezeedrone
These are the most popular and easy to use reeds on the market. Plus, they are a little cheaper than most. I have been using these for 20 years and always come back to them.
Chanter Reed: I suggest G1 Chanter Reeds
These are my personal favourite at this time, but it changes every year. Most pipe chanter reeds on the market right now are pretty good, it's more a matter of preference. One piper will say they love a certain kind of reed and another will say how much they hate those reeds. I also suggest buying 3 reeds at a time because one will probably not work well and you always need a spare.
Reed Strength:
Easy = These reeds are great if you are a child or 60+ years old. They are easy to play but don't usually produce a good sound and don't last that long.
Easy/Medium = This is what I recommend for the general public. They are not super hard to play and will produce a good sound.
Medium/Hard = I don't recommend these to any beginners. To be honest I wouldn't even recommend these to anyone.
Drone Reeds: I suggest Ezeedrone
These are the most popular and easy to use reeds on the market. Plus, they are a little cheaper than most. I have been using these for 20 years and always come back to them.
Chanter Reed: I suggest G1 Chanter Reeds
These are my personal favourite at this time, but it changes every year. Most pipe chanter reeds on the market right now are pretty good, it's more a matter of preference. One piper will say they love a certain kind of reed and another will say how much they hate those reeds. I also suggest buying 3 reeds at a time because one will probably not work well and you always need a spare.
Reed Strength:
Easy = These reeds are great if you are a child or 60+ years old. They are easy to play but don't usually produce a good sound and don't last that long.
Easy/Medium = This is what I recommend for the general public. They are not super hard to play and will produce a good sound.
Medium/Hard = I don't recommend these to any beginners. To be honest I wouldn't even recommend these to anyone.
Step 9: Pipe Case
If you buy your pipes from Lothian Bagpipes I suggest you upgrade and buy the MADDOG pipe case. Its much nicer than the pipe case that comes with bagpipes.
Or if you buy your pipes somewhere else you can buy the case separately here.
This is just my personal favourite. There are many good pipe cases out there.
Or if you buy your pipes somewhere else you can buy the case separately here.
This is just my personal favourite. There are many good pipe cases out there.
Step 10: Other things you should buy
You should buy a Bagpipe Maintenance Kit. It supplies you with all the little things that you forget you will need and a reed protector.
*I have no affiliations with any of these products. I'm just simply suggesting the products I like and trust.*