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Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:30 pm
by make_fast
I've been looking at/thinking about/getting close to pulling the trigger on a David Daye practice set. I play highland pipes and have picked up a little tin whistle. I've been back and forth on trying uilleann pipes for a couple of years (okay probably close to a decade) and have decided to take the plunge.

The penny-chanter seems to be a really good value, but I also don't mind paying a bit more if I am going to be getting something more. From reading it seems like the only real downside is that it is not made of wood. Otherwise I sent him an email and it seems like I could get the practice set and then in a year add a halfset of drones pretty easily (and inexpensively).

Am I missing anything? I've been waiting around to see if I could find a practice set used at similar pricing, but it seems to me that there is/would be a pretty big benefit to getting the practice set reeded and well playing as I get going.

Thanks for any response.

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 3:06 pm
by an seanduine
David provides a good value. Sometimes his health delays his production, but then none of us are robots. I trust you, as well as he, stay well in these pandemic times.
If he still offers a chanter cloaked in black acetal, you might go for that, and have the outward appearance of a ´traditional´ appearing chanter. . .at least as ´traditional´ as an acetal chanter can be. :D

Bob

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:09 pm
by make_fast
Good tip on the black chanter - hadn't put thought into that, but I am guessing it'll look like my poly bagpipe chanters and most wouldn't know the difference (visibly) until you get up close.

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Tue Mar 31, 2020 12:04 am
by an seanduine
To make the masquerade complete. . . :lol: I have access to a small lathe. The ´mount´ on my chanter was PVC. Meh.
A trip to Wood Worker´s Supply and for under $10 USD I had enough faux ivory (from the pen making section) to replace it. Brew up a cuppa tea, let your mount steep to ´taste´ :lol: and you can fake age it.

YMMV :D
Bob

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2020 9:58 pm
by myrddinemrys
Can't go wrong with it. I haven't met a penny chanter I didn't like. You may wish to troll ebay for used, too.

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 5:05 pm
by pancelticpiper
I used to do a large amount of teaching including uilleann pipes and when a new student showed up with a Daye set I knew we could get right down to playing, because EVERY Daye set I've encountered worked.

What do I mean by "work"?

-reed playing at a good easy/medium strength
-2nd octave easy to obtain
-low octave solid
-both Bottom D's easy to hit, both in tune
-scale in tune
-octaves in tune
-crossfingered C natural in tune
-Back D doesn't sink

If the new student showed up with anything else, anything from a horrid Sialkot thing up to a gorgeous Irish-made blackwood chanter
with ornate mounts and dripping with keywork and costing thousands of dollars, the first thing we would have to do is try to get their chanter working.

But there are downsides to Daye practice sets!

-they're ugly as sin
-the bag, bellows, and especially the stocks are crude and barely function

I haven't seen a recent Daye set, so he might well have improved the stocks, bag, and bellows.

In any case what I've long urged people to do is get a Daye chanter with its original Daye reed, but get a high-quality bag, stocks, connector, and bellows.

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2020 9:09 pm
by an seanduine
Everything Richard says is true. When Kelleher first came on the scene they were an outstanding value for stocks, bags, and bellows, and gave Dave''s stuff a good competitive run for the value. . . beautiful and functional and attractive price. They are still outstanding quality and good value, but just not as inexpensive as Dave''s ''kit''. Dave's mission is to supply a workable reliable set for the lowest reasonable price. Style simply isn't in that equation. "Ugly as Sin" is probably a fair characterisation. But then, he is actually aiming to save some newbie with a burning desire to start on the Uilleann path from squandering his few pennies on a useless pipe-like-object from fleabay. A slightly more knowledgeable beginner, with a slightly heavier purse OTOH has the option of adding a certain amount 'style' into his consideration.

Bob

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:25 pm
by pancelticpiper
Yes I just want the thing to work, with instruments in general performance is far more important than looks.

Not to offend anyone, but a while back there was a thread about "displaying your collection" and I stated that to me instruments are tools to do a job and 1) I don't "collect" instruments and 2) I'm just as likely to display my instruments as I would my set of socket wrenches.

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2020 4:28 am
by Driftwood
I was almost ready to agree with you there, Richard, when I remembered the old saying:- "You don't look at the mantelpiece when you poke the fire" and that reminded me that even old sayings need to be challenged sometimes. IMHO when both form and function are at their best then they can make make something truly beautiful:- the highest form of art perhaps. I think people have been decorating and beautifying musical instruments for thousands of years.

Re: Daye Practice Set - downsides?

Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2020 9:36 am
by Tunborough
Driftwood wrote:I think people have been decorating and beautifying musical instruments for thousands of years.
Not just musical instruments. Even basic hand tools may be crafted with grace and beauty. Here's one at random. Perhaps somewhere there is a machinist who has seen fit to ornament their socket wrench set.

Image