Chiff and Fipple Forums

Just curious...from a pipe-making point of view, is there any reason why the regulator tuning pins are made short? All I have seen (at least) only sit a few inches into the bore of the regulator leaving little to attach a rush should one need to pull the pin out more than a short fraction of its len...

That was a bargain price 6000 USD for a full C set by Dave Williams. It is easy worth double the price, even more. Congratulations. True, but that would only be a bargain of a fully working full set by Dave Williams. The listing photos showed it in pieces (supposedly complete), it has been observed...

So is the Argentine variety actually related or just similar looking and sold as the real deal? I've seen a lot of green stuff called lignum vitae in wood working stores these days - looks similar in the rough, but the surface is never "waxy" (not dipped in wax) and it does not have the st...

I'm glad that you posted this as I was thinking about posting the same topic - about a very sharp B in second octave...is this simply a fact of life or a problem that can be fixed? All other notes, except the C#, are not sharp in the second octave. They are in tune. Since the 3rd D is played as a C ...

My Dave Williams set was made this way - still is, in fact. I've not noticed any real difference in tonal quality or stability compared with other sets I've run into. I would not call the set 'low end' though I believe these drones were made to DW's "un-mounted" design - the others being &...

Check to see if the D hole didn't move down a bit. That's been my problem lately.

Years ago, I saw Paddy Keenan pull out a reed and take it apart in a few seconds. This was for a small group of us and he explained a bit about how he made reeds - this reed looked like it was loosely tied with fuzzy pink yarn. The slips were so wide and rough looking that I wondered if he'd shaped ...

Lignum vitae smells a bit like caramel when it is turned....very sweet. Even old junk I find in antique stores smells like caramel if rubbed a bit.

Just curious about the construction/mechanical effects of the reed itself...saying that other factors are not a problem. Let's say that I have some cane reeds that seem a bit too loud. I'm wondering if the mass of the tongue and/or the stiffness of the tongue section are factors. I would assume that...

Howard reed has a stainless staple that is milled into a conical bore. What does that mean, exactly? Is the staple not flattened at all? If it is, how can it continue to be conical? I have one of these reeds and while it is very nice/responsive, it is too sharp (by a good semitone) to work in any D...

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I think, however, after getting an e-mail from the owner of the set (a loaner/practice set) that I should probably just replace the bag at this point. If I fail to seal it correctly now, I'll have to replace it later plus I can always keep it/use it for my own evil...

I have a bag made of what that was sold as 'bag pipe' leather that has proven itself to be quite porous. I inflated the bag and held it under water to see that it is leaking right through - almost uniformly. I need to seal this bag and I'm hoping for a solution that will not bleed through the leathe...

So, Kevin, are you using maple twigs and cutting/splitting the tongue as you might for cane or elder? Please explain more...

Reeds close in dry air and open in humid circumstances. If you get down to the twenties you either get yourself a reed made to play in conditions like that or, what I would do, leave the pipes in the box until things improve. I have the opposite problem. I live in a relatively hot & humid regio...

Holy Cow! ... could we ask where/how you found this? Could you post some before & after photos?