HELP! Need advice on purchpase of pipes!!!

BruceR · Post by **BruceR** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:23 am

Please forgive the intrusion of a non-musician.

I want to buy my wife a set of uilleann pipes for our 10th anniversary and I have no idea where to begin. She plays great and has an old set she got third-hand before we met and I want to get her something special, pull out all the stops (God knows she's got it comin after a decade with me) but I don't know jack about them.

So, if I wanted to get the very best I could get (I'm selling something of mine to buy them so not too worried about the cost), what would it cost and who would I want to make them? I realize "the best" is open to interpretation, but any guidance will be appreciated. What do I ask for/look for? Who's the best maker? What kind of chanter wood/materials are best? Extras? I understand they can take quite some time to have made?

I've also talked to a couple of dealers but wanted to get the opinion of people who really play and know their stuff and aren't just trying to sell me something. Again, sorry for the intrusion on your forum. Thanks!

Bruce R.

magroibin · Post by **magroibin** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:32 am

I hate to be the one to ask but - Did you read the FAQs?

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:49 am

And unless you sold the family car, did you look at the prices (and waiting lists) of 'the best'?

BruceR · Post by **BruceR** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 8:04 am

i'm as new to forums as i am to purchasing pipes and don't know where to look to find this information. and no, i'm not selling the family car; i'm selling my Harley.
but thanks for your help.

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 8:07 am

BruceR wrote: i'm selling my Harley. .

Man ! you must really love her .

RORY

jdevereux · Post by **jdevereux** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 8:35 am

Maybe what you ought to do is get the money together, and then find the right set together. In my experience, the pipes really have to be tailored to the individual player, and that way, you won't inadvertently pick up something that doesn't work for her.
I agree with Rory, your sacrifice of the bike is really admirable!

MJS · Post by **MJS** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 8:37 am

When is your 10th anniversary?? Three or four years from now??

If not, my advice, FWIW, is to give your wife a wonderful smaller gift and a card saying you'll pay for (and this really means put her on the waiting list, unless you come across a good second hand set on somewhere like Uilleann Obsession) her a set OF HER CHOICE.

She's the musician, so please, please don't guess, or worse yet, take the advice of strangers who have their own personal styles, likes and dislikes.

(its my 25th anniversary this year, and my husband has pretty much learned this lesson, god bless him!)
M.

djm · Post by **djm** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 8:47 am

What you need to know at this point is that a really good set of pipes can easily cost you $8-10K. The next thing you need to know is that there is no factory making UPs. Each set is crafted by hand by an artisan. An artisan can only turn out a few sets per year, so that a really good maker has waiting lists of 5-15 years.

If you aren't willing to wait that long, and if money is no object, the only way to meet your objective is to buy used. Here some places on-line where you can get an idea of what's available and what prices are being asked:

<A TARGET="NEW" HREF="http://uilleannforum.com/forums/viewfor ... ">Uilleann Forum - Pipes For Sale</A>

<A TARGET="NEW" HREF="http://www.uilleannobsession.com/classi ... ">Uilleann Obsession - Classifieds</A>

I agree with the above suggestion that you should get together with your lady and discuss what she might want. Pipes are not all made the same, come in different keys, have many optional bits, etc. You would score bigger and better by having her work with you in considering what is available and what she would like.

djm

tansy · Post by **tansy** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:07 am

definitely talk to her, she may know what she really wants, if she's a good player I would imagine she does. What maker is she playing on now?

BruceR · Post by **BruceR** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:47 am

I wouldn't want something factory made even if it were possible. I have a $6-7K and 14 months; could come up with more $ by the time they're ready (am assuming 1/2 down). No idea what make her current pipes are. Perhaps ur right, tho, and I should take a different tact. But, just out of curiosity, who are considered the top handful of artisans? Thanks for all the input. Much appreciated.

Dionys · Post by **Dionys** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:21 am

Ask her the 'make' of her current pipes. Talk to her more about how she feels about them. Your idea is really sweet and considerate, but musicians can be very, very particular. For example with me personally I have two favourite 'chanters.' One is very tempermental, kind of wanky but is by a now-passed maker and has an untouchable timbre/sound quality. The other one is by a somewhat contraversial maker but is spot-on all the time and has (again) a timbre I love.

She may have *the* set she loves. If it's not a 'full' set you could look into finding a maker to match the rest of a full set to the existing set she has. If she doesn't love her current set, then the suggestions of others regarding giving her a 'promise card' to get her the set of her choosing is a good one.

If you're dead set on getting her a set of one of the better makers, then you have to:

1. Figure out which makers you think are 'good.' (Please read the FAQ and various threads about makers!)

2. Check Uilleannobsession.com, ebay and the NPU site constantly for used sets for sale.

or
3. Find an excellent maker with less than a 14mo. wait (may be impossible -- I haven't checked around lately) and send them $ immediately.

Find out the maker of her current set first, though, and post it here. Find out if it's a full set, too (chanter + 3-4 drones + 3 regulators).

Regards.

PJ · Post by PJ » Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:00 pm

Hey Bruce. Will you marry me?

s1m0n · Post by **s1m0n** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 2:10 pm

If she has or had a teacher, start there.

rgouette · Post by **rgouette** » Sun Jun 29, 2008 4:05 pm

http://www.songsea.com/uilleann.htm#childress

BruceR · Post by **BruceR** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 5:47 am

PJ wrote:Hey Bruce. Will you marry me?

sorry, babe, your boobs aren't big enough.