I have a Daye Daye practice set, and I'm thinking of upgrading the body, i.e. the whole bag/bellows/stock/connector business apart from the chanter. I'm looking for something more traditional, and a bit prettier (not difficult) but still reasonably priced.
Since the chanter isn't an issue, there might be reccommendations other than the usual for a practice set. Any suggestions? I'm in no hurry.
Best Wishes
Andrew
Bag and bellows
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Joseph E. Smith
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Re: Bag and bellows
If you would please, define what you mean by "the usual". If it is everything but the chanter that you would like to replace, why not pick a pipemaker of good reputation and go with them.smithand wrote:
Since the chanter isn't an issue, there might be reccommendations other than the usual for a practice set. Any suggestions? I'm in no hurry.
Best Wishes
Andrew
We all can suggest the pipemakers we prefer, but if you can be a little more speciffic about what it is you are looking for, that'd help us help you.
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smithand
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Re: Bag and bellows
Well, pipemaker X might offer great bags, bellows etc. at a good price, but make mediocre chanters, so he might be recommended in this case, but not necessarily for a complete practice set. Somewhere down the line I'd like to get a really good chanter, perhaps Seth Gallagher. In the meantime, my finances are limited, but I would like to upgrade the rest of the kit. I have a penny chanter and I'm getting on a bit better with my friend's Maguire chanter, and I wouldn't have the money to buy a good chanter for a while, but I might be able to afford a nicer bag and bellows.Joseph E. Smith wrote:
If you would please, define what you mean by "the usual". If it is everything but the chanter that you would like to replace, why not pick a pipemaker of good reputation and go with them.
We all can suggest the pipemakers we prefer, but if you can be a little more speciffic about what it is you are looking for, that'd help us help you.
Andrew
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Joseph E. Smith
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Have you given thought to Pat Sky's practice or budget practice sets?
http://www.patricksky.com/
Prices for sets and accessories here:
http://www.patricksky.com/Pipes%20prices-5.htm
http://www.patricksky.com/
Prices for sets and accessories here:
http://www.patricksky.com/Pipes%20prices-5.htm
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smithand
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Yes, that would be a possibility, Joseph.Joseph E. Smith wrote:Have you given thought to Pat Sky's practice or budget practice sets?
http://www.patricksky.com/
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Joseph E. Smith
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I would think that throwing a bag and bellows together could possibly be within your budget. Or, instead of the budget set's vinyl bag, upgrade to the L&M bag... which would make the set more receptive to a future upgrade.
I've recently had an opportunity to play one of Pat's budget chanters, and they're very well made, in tune and possess a good tone... not a thing wrong with 'em. They aren't mounted or anything like that, but that sort of thing is really eye candy. I have played and reeded his non budget chanters, and found them the same as the above in tone, tune and playability. These are very nice pipes, and very affordable.
I've recently had an opportunity to play one of Pat's budget chanters, and they're very well made, in tune and possess a good tone... not a thing wrong with 'em. They aren't mounted or anything like that, but that sort of thing is really eye candy. I have played and reeded his non budget chanters, and found them the same as the above in tone, tune and playability. These are very nice pipes, and very affordable.
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Reepicheep
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Andrew - Having a Daye halfset myself, I can empathize with your desire to make certain parts of the set more aesthetically pleasing. But consider this... by the time you purchase a bellows, bag, stocks and connecting tube from a pipemaker, you're looking at spending anywhere between $500-700 (depending on the pipemaker).
If you are resigned to spending that much merely for aesthetics, you might as well go ahead and purchase a complete practice set from Dave Boisvert, Nick Whitmer or Pat Sky's budget set (with a leather bag upgrade) and then sell your Daye set. If you look at those pipemaker's websites, the individual components added together cost more than their standard practice sets. In other words, it's a better deal to purchase a complete practice set instead of parts individually (and based on the decent resale market for Daye's sets, you could recoup most of what you spent on it).
Not to confuse the issue further, but you could make a bag and blowpipe cover for your Daye set (hiding some of the less pleasing aesthetics... that's what I did) and then put the rest of your $ towards a stand of his drones.
Trust me, I understand how easy it is to get obsessed with wanting to move on to a set that is prettier to look at... a brief glance at my web browser history will show you that I spend ALOT of time looking at pipes. But somewhere along the line I realized that I'd rather impress someone with my playing skills than with a pretty set of pipes (and trust me, it will be years before either comes to pass).
Don't you wish you had taken up an obsession that is less addictive like say heroin or crack?
Enough rambling by me... I'm off to vote...
Peace!
Reepicheep
If you are resigned to spending that much merely for aesthetics, you might as well go ahead and purchase a complete practice set from Dave Boisvert, Nick Whitmer or Pat Sky's budget set (with a leather bag upgrade) and then sell your Daye set. If you look at those pipemaker's websites, the individual components added together cost more than their standard practice sets. In other words, it's a better deal to purchase a complete practice set instead of parts individually (and based on the decent resale market for Daye's sets, you could recoup most of what you spent on it).
Not to confuse the issue further, but you could make a bag and blowpipe cover for your Daye set (hiding some of the less pleasing aesthetics... that's what I did) and then put the rest of your $ towards a stand of his drones.
Trust me, I understand how easy it is to get obsessed with wanting to move on to a set that is prettier to look at... a brief glance at my web browser history will show you that I spend ALOT of time looking at pipes. But somewhere along the line I realized that I'd rather impress someone with my playing skills than with a pretty set of pipes (and trust me, it will be years before either comes to pass).
Don't you wish you had taken up an obsession that is less addictive like say heroin or crack?
Enough rambling by me... I'm off to vote...
Peace!
Reepicheep
"... when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan's country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise..."
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smithand
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Thing is, I might want to hang onto the penny chanter itself, especially since we have hot dry summers here, in contrast to the cool wet winters, which might make the penny chanter more reliable than a traditional chanter. Yes, I'm tempted by Daye drones too. Ah, decisions...Reepicheep wrote:Andrew - Having a Daye halfset myself, I can empathize with your desire to make certain parts of the set more aesthetically pleasing. But consider this... by the time you purchase a bellows, bag, stocks and connecting tube from a pipemaker, you're looking at spending anywhere between $500-700 (depending on the pipemaker).
If you are resigned to spending that much merely for aesthetics, you might as well go ahead and purchase a complete practice set from Dave Boisvert, Nick Whitmer or Pat Sky's budget set (with a leather bag upgrade) and then sell your Daye set. If you look at those pipemaker's websites, the individual components added together cost more than their standard practice sets. In other words, it's a better deal to purchase a complete practice set instead of parts individually (and based on the decent resale market for Daye's sets, you could recoup most of what you spent on it).
Not to confuse the issue further, but you could make a bag and blowpipe cover for your Daye set (hiding some of the less pleasing aesthetics... that's what I did) and then put the rest of your $ towards a stand of his drones.
Peace!
Reepicheep
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Reepicheep
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Another option: A bag from CJ Dixon with stocks tied in runs $195 and his bellows is only $225. His DIY bellows kit is only $115 right now. If you use the DIY option you could get into a bag/bellows/stocks combo for $310 US.
"... when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan's country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise..."
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PJ
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It's hard to beat CJ Dixon's bellows kit.
Nick Whitmer sells "Bag, stocks & blowtube for practice set" for $175. I've one with my half set. It's black suede. The stocks are blackwood and have brass mounts. Here's his site.
With CJ's bellows kit and Nick's bag you're in business for less than US$300.
Nick Whitmer sells "Bag, stocks & blowtube for practice set" for $175. I've one with my half set. It's black suede. The stocks are blackwood and have brass mounts. Here's his site.
With CJ's bellows kit and Nick's bag you're in business for less than US$300.
PJ
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AaronMalcomb
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L&M bags are great and you're probably looking at around $150. The only issue is you have to find a vendor to deal through because L&M itself only deals with retailers, not direct to customers. They have specified measurements from some makers or you can give them a template for a custom bag.
MacHarg bags are $125 I believe and you can deal directly with the maker. You will need to give them a measurement for the chanter stock.
Jim Schaefer's bellows are good value for the money. Depending on what features you want you should able to get bellows and connector for under $300. I believe David Power got a bellows from Jim. For around $40 he could make a stock too. Jim can customize to just about any specification. Jim can be found on C&F.
So you could come out with a setup that appeals more to your aesthetic for $400-500.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Aaron
MacHarg bags are $125 I believe and you can deal directly with the maker. You will need to give them a measurement for the chanter stock.
Jim Schaefer's bellows are good value for the money. Depending on what features you want you should able to get bellows and connector for under $300. I believe David Power got a bellows from Jim. For around $40 he could make a stock too. Jim can customize to just about any specification. Jim can be found on C&F.
So you could come out with a setup that appeals more to your aesthetic for $400-500.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Aaron
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AaronMalcomb
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billh
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You can order the L&M bag from NPU, and their (NPU's) standard pattern is a reasonable shape and size.
The Daye bellows can probably be improved cosmetically with a re-jig of the padding and/or straps. You can also modify the bellows outlet to fit a more 'traditional' blowpipe.
The blowpipe stocks and chanter stock are the part you'll have to source elsewhere. It's quite possible that one of the more volume-oriented makers (like perhaps Hevia in Spain) would sell those parts separately for a resonable price and lead time.
Bill
The Daye bellows can probably be improved cosmetically with a re-jig of the padding and/or straps. You can also modify the bellows outlet to fit a more 'traditional' blowpipe.
The blowpipe stocks and chanter stock are the part you'll have to source elsewhere. It's quite possible that one of the more volume-oriented makers (like perhaps Hevia in Spain) would sell those parts separately for a resonable price and lead time.
Bill