No sweat! ( I wish)

A forum about Uilleann (Irish) pipes and the surly people who play them.
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WireHarp
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No sweat! ( I wish)

Post by WireHarp »

Returning to a topic I saw earlier.
I am primarily a fiddle player.. I can saw away at 90mph all night without trouble BUT..
When I play pipes, I am sweating like Seabiscuit inside of two tunes. I am playing a real Frankenset,
a Guinnsberg chanter with Chric Bayley drones/reg from a pastoral set. It doesn't seem to be the bellows doing me in, but the intense squeezin' o' the bag. I am soon going to be in a position to go for a new set.. huzzah.I recently tried for the 3/4 Rogge set on ebay and lost ( lesson: just hit the damned but it now button if you want it). I had played a friend's super-duper dee-lux Rogge set and I was STUNNED at how long it held air, and it felt much easier to play. I know it all depend on setup and reeds, etc. but my question is: are there some makers sets that are known to be easier to play ( or more difficult). If this is cruising dangerously close to slagging anyone, I am happy to listen in private. I was looking at Brad Angus' work since I knew him when he lived here in Reading and I do lean towards historical sets (I really do want to be able to play with others so a concert set looks like it)...BUT... I don't really want to wait year/years..I'm 63 ...*tick tick tick tick* (hence the ebay try). Any help deeply appreciated...thanks.

Robert Mouland
http://www.wireharp.com
awildman
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Re: No sweat! ( I wish)

Post by awildman »

When I visited Brad a few months back, he had a full flat set almost completed with no buyer. He said he usually doesn't have much of a waiting list. Give him a call, you might have a lot shorter wait time than you think.

(Phone is best way to contact him, in my experience)
Steampacket
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Re: No sweat! ( I wish)

Post by Steampacket »

It sounds like your bag ought to be checked to ensure it is airtight. Also check the connections to your bag.
Chris Bayley
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Re: No sweat! ( I wish)

Post by Chris Bayley »

It will not be the pipes themselves but will be either the way they are setup (i.e. reeds are far too strong) or the bag is leaking with either a stock or two come loose (can they be rotated?) or bag gone porous in which case a new bag or suitable dressing. Are the blowpipe and bellows inlet valves working properly and allowing enough air to pass? If bag has been dressed in the past check all the stocks have a clear air passage into the bag as have come across stocks obstructed by inappropriate dressings before as well.
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dyersituations
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Re: No sweat! ( I wish)

Post by dyersituations »

I agree with Chris that it's likely more about the setup than the pipes themselves. Ginsberg and Bayley both make quality instruments. I owned a Bayley 1/2 set for a while before I got a full set, and it played well. I haven't heard of a particular set or maker being harder to play. But I have ran into leaky sets, like leaking bellows, that made the set super uncomfortable, and I've ran into reeds that I had to wrestle to get the second octave. That reed was on someone else's set from a dry climate, and I didn't want to go messing with it.

Like Chris recommended, look for leaks first, then look at the reeds. I don't know your experience with reeds, but there are ways to make reeds play easier. In fact this weekend I'll be working on the bass reg reed I recently made to make it easier to play. These are also great ways to destroy reeds, so proceed with caution. Do you have a local piper that could help?

If you decide to go the route of a different set, Brad Angus does indeed make beautiful sets. I live near him as well and play a concert full set of his make. It plays excellently, and I would recommend any of his sets.
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WireHarp
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Re: No sweat! ( I wish)

Post by WireHarp »

Okey doke... I tried some seriously intense investigative work, and I think it may very well be the bag as culprit.
I yanked the stock and played it with just the chanter, and with the end kneed (is that a word?) I could definitely feel
it giving way at an noticeable rate. I'm using Tim Britton's fancy drone reeds ( lil buggers sound great) and a home made
reg reed ( there's only one, thank God) that doesn't speak at all. No doubt they contribute to the passing o' the air, but I'm
reasonably sure the total, especially with a sieve-bag, is the cause. Not much I can do by way of reeds...years ago I could make some fairly decent ones but for some reason I can't seem to make them even crow anymore ( despite looking at the NPU DVD over and over.
I will give a new bag a try, but I have summer gigs to worry about so I will sweat on through till it's safe to tsart muddling with things.
I look at baggery as major surgery. Thanks to all for the advice!

RWM
bensdad
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Re: No sweat! ( I wish)

Post by bensdad »

Get a new bag, or you will require surgery yourself! You can seriously (bleep) up your shoulders playing a leaky bag.
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