I guess that living in a culture where one drives everywhere causes me not to think in those terms. I have been taught to do your tuning and set-up before you leave the house, so I have a case big enough that I can throw the whole thing in as is, and then pull them out nearly ready to go. Naturally there is some further adjustment as the reeds warm up through playing.
You'll be grateful for keeping your case light when you're biking to a session. The ride home's always fun, too.
I can't imagine carrying something that looks like it could safely house a small thermonuclear device. My pipemaker suggested making something tubular.(Totally.) I think that's a great idea.
It'd only have to be slightly longer than your set, you could either just slip the pipes in (with proper padding of course) or you could cut the tube in half lengthways, slap some hinges on one side and voila! An excellent case.
Most cases that I've seen conform to the shape of the instrument, but we seem to put a round instrument in a square case, causing child psychologists no amount of headaches. It doesn't help with the instrument's safety much, either.
For soft-shell cases I have a Ritter trumpet bag that's surprisingly strong for a soft case, and my practice set fits in there just nice and gilfilliterpookity.
I'm going to be picking up my pipes in about two weeks (yippee!!) and as i trust WestJet about as far as I can comfortably spit a rat I'll be carrying the half-set with me, which means something soft-shelled. The Ritter cases are cheap, too. And round.
My 2 cents worth,
Mark
two wheels good, four wheels bad. Ride yer bike.
The tubular pipe case sounds interesting and very do-able. I have seen these homemade for toting archery kits and fishing rods. Probably lots o' plans on the net. Yer man used to carry his first set in a soft gun case, with the bellows stuck in the outer pocket. Cycling from here to Toronto and back is not an option.
Joe McKenna traveled with one made from PVC tubing. He cut it to length, capped the ends, hinged an opening in the tubing, added a over-shoulder carry strap. It worked!
At the Florida Tionlo this last FEB, Orbis let me play his Childress set fresh out of the 'blue coffin' on the Friday evening before classes. It was 98% in tune, the bass drone just needed a slight tuning. My playing, on the other hand...........
Jim McGuire wrote:Joe McKenna traveled with one made from PVC tubing. He cut it to length, capped the ends, hinged an opening in the tubing, added a over-shoulder carry strap. It worked!
Haw! That was exactly my idea, PVC cheap, plentiful and only more or less poisonous. (Just don't breathe when cutting it.)
Joe had also suggested making a case out of leather, I thought about boiling leather (I used to know folks in the SCA who made armour 'in the traditional way') which would look kinda cool and would be pretty easy to waterproof. Oh, Joe said a telescope case was a possibility as well. I'm looking around for them now.
Tell us something.: I used to play pipes about 20 years ago and suddenly abducted by aliens. Not sure why... but it's 2022 and I'm mysteriously baack...
Tell us something.: I am interested in the uilleann pipes and their typical -and broader- use. I have been composing and arranging for the instrument lately. I enjoy unusual harmonic combinations on the pipes. I use the pipes to play music of other cultures.
Location: Minnesota, Birthplace of the pop-up toaster
I really liked the looks and size of that case. However, 40 pounds? Is the thing lead lined? It's true, I have the strength of five men, but this case sounds too unwieldy. And forget about the overhead bin on any flight you might take.
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Last edited by tommykleen on Sat Jun 05, 2004 9:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I guess that living in a culture where one drives everywhere causes me not to think in those terms. I have been taught to do your tuning and set-up before you leave the house, so I have a case big enough that I can throw the whole thing in as is, and then pull them out nearly ready to go. Naturally there is some further adjustment as the reeds warm up through playing.
