FS: soon Ray Sloan Practice Set

tommyk · Post by **tommyk** » Thu Mar 04, 2004 3:43 pm

Before too long, I will put my Ray Sloan fully mounted narrow bore chanter with 4 keys (all in Nickel Silver, African Blackwood, and immitation ivory) with it's generously sized bellows and bag with black velvet bag cover up for sale on eBay.
It's a great-sounding and -playing set. However, I have a handle on a half set near me and that deal is too good to pass up.
The full-sized case and two reeds (in great shape) will be included.
If you've any questions a priori, please email me directly (I just don't check this site as often as I'd like): tommyk@stickist.com

tommyk · Post by **tommyk** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 11:01 am

The practice set will go up for sale in April on eBay (unless someone makes me a good offer before that time).

African Blackwood, Nickel silver, and immitation ivory, narrow bore, two good reeds, 4 keys, windway shut off key, black velvet bag cover, double-padded bellows. Sounds very sweet. In all but perfect condition (the all but = the bag to chanter joint and the bag to bellows joint could use re-threading).

Dionys · Post by **Dionys** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:07 pm

Why not post an asking price, and consider waiting until it's closer to selling time. Anticipation my be nice for some things, but "I'm selling my set in 2008" gets kinda tedious.

Dionys

JoeKrepps · Post by **JoeKrepps** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 3:52 pm

Why not post an asking price, and consider waiting until it's closer to selling time.

I agree. You never know who's lurking on the uillean list (a whistler like me who has an interest in a practice set) who lives near you (across the river in York Co.).

Joe

tommyk · Post by **tommyk** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 5:50 pm

Well, it's not 2008. It's one month away.

I just want to hold onto my set for an upcoming scheduled lesson.

I haven't posted an asking price because I really don't know what to ask for it:

It's a fully mounted practice set in african blackwood, imitation ivory and nickel silver with wooden reed cap, windway shut-off key, four keys, and a double-padded bellows and black velvet bag cover.

I got it in November, so by mid April I will have owned it for five months and it's in almost perfect condition ("almost" because I probably should rewind a couple of the connections - bag to chanter and bellows to bag). It comes with a full size case, two good working reeds, and a popping strap.

I paid $2,100.00 for it. Right now, the same set new would cost $2,530.00.

Perhaps someone can give me an idea of a fair asking price (someone not really interested in buying, that is

AlanB · Post by **AlanB** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 3:00 am

[quote="tommyk"]

I paid $2,100.00 for it. Right now, the same set new would cost $2,530.00.

quote]

And the award for 'most expensive practice set' goes to......................

Alan

tommyk · Post by **tommyk** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 8:56 am

AlanB wrote:
And the award for 'most expensive practice set' goes to......................

Alan

Actually, no. I just checked Seth Gallagher's site. An analagous set (Blackwood and silver with 4 keys and windway shut off, plus the bag cover - which is $50.00 extra) would cost $2,540.00 right now, before shipping.

Plus, that's with a standard chanter. The narrow bore costs more than a regular chanter.

JoeKrepps · Post by **JoeKrepps** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:43 am

Ouch! Ouch! OUCH!! Sufferin' Succotash!

Well, I appreciate your honesty but that's a wee bit more than I wanna' spend on somethin' I've never played (meaning not your set, just never played a set myself). I'm NOT criticizing. I know you get what you pay for!

Wow, I could get a golfbag full of high end whistles for that.

Hey, it doesn't hurt to ask. Oh well...off to the bargain basement for me.

Thanks anyway!

Joe <- your neighbor across the Susquehanna

tommyk · Post by **tommyk** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 10:56 am

Wow, I just added it all up: my collection of high end whistles (8 Abell Bodies, 5 Abell headjoints, a Lon Dubh, a Fred Rose, and a Sweet pro blackwood with 3 keys and an interchangable fife head) actually cost me even more than that!

Time to stop, me thinks?

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 12:42 pm

Ray is the only maker I know who charges more for a narrow bore than a wide bore of the same pitch. He's probably trying to pay for his new reamer. He is a great craftsman and one of the highest price NSP makers. He is NOT known for his UP chanters, and I know of no experienced UP players who play his stuff. However, bags, bellows and turning are common to all the pipes he makes and he is no newbie to making pipes. The only wide bore D chanter by him I have seen did not have a very good tone, but it looked good. The bore is a straight cone of his own design. He is another maker of of Scottish pipes trying to cash in on the UP demand. Let the buyer beware. Price is what the market will bear. The tone of his chanter is not in the same league as K&Q, Williams or Wooff etc. but his prices are up there with them. Pictures of his full sets are now on his web site. Some strange stuff IMHO.

Ted

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 12:48 pm

Ted, thanks for that honest and revealing glimpse into who a particular pipemaker really is and what he's up to. It would be nice to get more inputs like this on other makers from people who are able to make an assessment based on experience with multiple makers, and not just on one or two.

djm

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 12:59 pm

Amen. There's something about a qualified assessment that rings true. Every once in a while we get lucky, and it's good to have Ted around.

JoeKrepps · Post by **JoeKrepps** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 1:34 pm

Time to stop, me thinks?

What? And tamper with a perfectly good case of WhOA?

No Overtons? No Copelands? ...well, okay, me neither but I do have 1 thing by Overton!...one of their awesome multi-whistle bags. It's as close as I get to high end.

BTW, I got PM'd by someone about a UP group forming in Harrisburg. If, sometime, you see a short, pudgy, early-40s guy who looks partly lost and partly like a kid in a candy store, that'd be me.

Joe

tommyk · Post by **tommyk** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 2:15 pm

I've never really liked metal whistles (sound or playing feel). The closest I've come is truly entertaining some Burkes.

That would be our UP group. I'm the tall, pudgy, late 30s token liberal.

snoogie · Post by **snoogie** » Thu Mar 18, 2004 7:42 pm

Ted wrote:Pictures of his full sets are now on his web site. Some strange stuff IMHO.

Ted

What specifically is it that you find strange?

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FS: soon Ray Sloan Practice Set

FS: soon Ray Sloan Practice Set

For Sale in April: Ray Sloan Practice set fully loaded