Hello! I’m in the market for a concert-D full set with a four keyed chanter (currently playing a Daye half set), and I’ve been doing a lot of online shopping around. I have really found myself aesthetically drawn to Tim Britton’s work. However, given the difficulty of hearing a variety of uilleann pipes, I find myself needing to rely on the thoughts and opinions of others.
I know it’s always a risky topic bringing up opinions on any maker’s work on an online forum, so I respectfully ask folks to send me their thoughts via private message. Please include how long you’ve been playing the pipes in your message!
Much appreciated everyone. All right, off to practice!
First, thanks to those folks who’ve already sent responses! If anyone else has an opinion or thought on Britton’s work, I’d love to hear from you!
JES wrote: “Do you know what sort of sound you are looking for?”
I know I want a bold, full and bright chanter sound, for many reasons. I plan on using this as a solo instrument for performance, in local sessions, and on stage with rock instruments and want an instrument with enough volume to allow it to be heard acoustically as well as mic’ed easily…
My Daye penny chanter (as reeded) are a little quiet and thin, and they are simply over powered by the drums and bass guitar.
Of course, volume is all relative. I have a Lynch chanter that plays at a “medium” volume, and a Daye chanter that plays significantly louder. Either one, though, isn’t enough to cut through bass, drums, etc. in a live band situation. I mic pipes (chanter only) and whistles (as well as melodica and harmonica) several times a month, and am told by the sound crew that they don’t usually need to adjust levels from instrument to instrument. Of course, we’re using an Aviom system, and if I keep my instruments at a good level in my own mix space (usually by mic proximity, though there can be issues there the further you move from the mic), the house mix stays pretty balanced too, with just an occasional tweak.
I’d find a chanter that sounds sweet while playing all by yourself in a quiet space. Since you’ll need to mic it anyway, let the sound crew make it cut through the mix.
the idea of who makes loud and quiet pipes is fairly ridiculous. Indeed narrow bore by their design, are quieter, but you can close a reed way down on a wide bore D and it’ll become extrememly quiet.
Newbies, that the reed is so much apart of the chanter that a crap reed can bring a historical chanter to it’s knees, just as a Historical chanter with a brilliant reed can bring the listener to their knees!
Tim’s pipes are wonderful. Tim and his colleagues have absolute commitment to quality, and very intense quality control. Anyway, if I can play the damn things and get some some good tunes out of them, they must be good. And Tommy and Kevin told me a couple of weeks ago, that I can play a few tunes fairly decently. I would encourage you guys to talk to Tim and Mark and get the straight stuff. They are good folks and they really work hard and are totally dedicated to the pipes and to helping of pipers. And they can teach you how to make reeds, a really great thing for you beginners to get, right off. My advice to all beginners: Learn a method , any method, of making chanter reeds, before you even start the practice set.
All of this is just my personal opinion; if any of you do it otherwise, God Bless,.
My left hip hurts so much now that I cannot even go to play a few tunes. Just gonna’ go to sleep and hope that the hip thing is over next week some time. Maybe the Doc from TN can give me some advice about what to do about my having run with old shoes for the past few weeks.
Well, one of them is a Veterinarian and the other deals with female reproductive aspects… need a rabies vaccine or are you planning on getting your hip pregnant?
my research continues - Tod