Advantages of narrow bore chanters?

Baen · Post by **Baen** » Thu Sep 18, 2003 11:31 pm

I read a fairly recent post, in which a piper mentioned a narrow bore D chanter as having the great advantage of the wonderful old pipes sound, plus being able to be used in sessions since you're in tune with the other musicians.

Could someone elaborate on this? Are there any drawbacks to a narrow bore chanter? How does the volume compare with that of a flat set? And what makers build narrow bore chanters?

thanks,
Baen

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Fri Sep 19, 2003 2:21 am

Search the archives for "narrow bore" and you'll be drowning in commentary on the accursed things.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 7:46 am

Kevin L. Rietmann wrote:Search the archives for "narrow bore" and you'll be drowning in commentary on the accursed things.

Kevin, given a choice... does this mean you favor wide bore D chanters over the narrow bore D's??

What do you think of Brad's narrow bore D compared to ones of other makers?

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 8:13 am

I would really suggest that people interested in narrow bore/flat sets give them a try before taking the plunge. The advantages of a small bore set are not simply that the volume is lower, but that they require very little pressure to play compared to a concert D set, and the tone holes are much smaller, making them easier to cover, and the ornaments that much crisper. But the tone is much different than a concert D set; more nasal, and much sweeter.

As some people have correctly pointed out, you can tone down the volume of a Concert D with rushes and reed adjustments, but you will not necessarily get the same tone as from a small bore or flat set. The difference may be an acquired taste. Certainly the small bore does not have that "edge" to it that a concert D has.

Try to hear/play one and judge for yourself. Don't just go by someone else's tastes and preferences. These are definitely different. Make up your own mind first.

djm

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 8:25 am

djm wrote:....but that they require very little pressure to play compared to a concert D set....

I'll have to investigate that further. My Wooff seems to need about the same amount of 'pressure' though it may use less 'air' than my wide bore D's.

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 11:43 am

I'm more for narrow D, unless there's lots of car traffic, Paolo Sopraninis. Loud pipes have their place, too.
I've played a Rogge narrow D set, that's about all I know of other makers. Very easy to play and very bright tone.

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 12:32 pm

Dionys wrote:A store here in Portland, ORegon has a couple of Bradley Angus practice sets for sale at around $1000 (and could probably be barganed down). I have played both and they're very good. I almost considered purchasing a Brad Angus set (great workmanship and sweet sound) because of his sets, location (local to me), prices and lead-time. I think the store selling them is called 'Artichoke Music.'

Dionys

I know Dionys likes the Angus narrow bore chanters. I've known Steve, the owner of Artichoke Music, for years (and also Bill the previous owner) and Steve told me all about this guy who was just starting to get on to Brads work back about then. Dionys knows Brad by his full name, which must be pretty well considering all the good things he's said

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 12:40 pm

Artichoke also often have sitars for sale, this being the legacy of the followers of the Baghwan Shree Rashneesh [sp?] in the 1980s, who also bought their idol some 80 Rolls Royces.

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 1:03 pm

Yes, and a good red herring there, also some African thumb harps, and marimbas with nice mallots--good for knocking some knucklehead...well, you know what I mean.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 1:28 pm

I'd LOVE to have an Indian Sitar.
The same place that sells those ethnic instruments on eBay has them... Left handed, just what I need. But I would be wary of the quality.

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 2:07 pm

Shark in the Morning has hundreds of ethnic instuments from all over the world. Their catalogue is enormous. I doubt quality is an issue, but for all the wrong reasons.

djm

Michel · Post by **Michel** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 6:04 am

Anyone here who can suggest me a pipes album played with narrow bore
D instrument?
thks be4hand
Michel

Pat Cannady · Post by **Pat Cannady** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 9:06 am

Jimmy O'Brien Moran's CD, "Sean Reid's Favorite" contains some very lovely piping on a narrow set that plays somewhere just north of D.

The majority of the album is recorded with an old narrowbore B full set by Colgan, made of some kind domestic hardwood, maybe pear. Nothing on earth sounds like that old Colgan

Well, except maybe an old Kenna

I did get a chance to hear a brand new Rogge narrowbore D in recent weeks and thought it pretty sweet sounding; of course it was in Noel Carberry's expert hands, too, so that had a bit to do with my impression. As for the chanter, it was louder than I expected, but still softer than a wide D and everything was in tune. I did not get a chance to play it myself. Noel seemed to like it quite well when I asked him about it.

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 10:03 am

Pat Cannady wrote:Jimmy O'Brien Moran's CD, "Sean Reid's Favorite" contains some very lovely piping on a narrow set that plays somewhere just north of D.

That's an old set by Robert Reid, better known for his Northumbrian pipes, with a chanter made in Delaware by two makers - O'Doyle and Someone, I think - their names are stamped on the C natural key. It's a Taylor copy, not precisely narrow bore. Jimmy still has the original Reid chanter, of course, it's pictured on the back of the CD - too bad he hasn't gotten it reeded (Reided?) up proper, or perhaps he has. Craig Fischer told me it was a really great chanter, too.

phcook · Post by **phcook** » Thu Sep 25, 2003 1:22 pm

Do anyone own one set with 1 narrow bore and 1 wide bore chanter? What do you have to adjust if you want to play the one or the other? (I mean drones or regs)

Philippe