On eBAY: Uilleann (Irish) pipes D chanter by Peter Hunter

Stefan_Kayat · Post by **Stefan_Kayat** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 12:22 am

Hello Chris,
Yes, the reeds work just like they did in England. Thanks for all your help, it was a thoroughly enjoyable visit. Good luck with your trip to Saint-Chartrier!

john · Post by **john** » Thu Jun 30, 2005 9:32 am

bidding currently over £800 sterling

I know of a South African piper called Dave who got a chanter from P Hunter about 6 years ago for £450

Peter doesn't appear to be doing much pipemaking at the moment but he does endorse younger makers who've been apprenticed to him and who are probably cheaper - £500-600?

kenr · Post by **kenr** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:25 am

John is right. Once again E-bay has generated some totally insane valuations. The reserve value looked about right, but for £800, you'd expect something more than a plain chanter with one key. Less than two years ago I bought the chanter pictured here for less than the current bid......

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/kenrcktts/hunter.html

Ken

PJ · Post by PJ » Fri Jul 01, 2005 5:24 am

I'm not sure I understand. You bought a fullset for less than STG800? Or ar you referring to the fully-keyed chanter?

kenr · Post by **kenr** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 8:58 am

Sorry I meant the Hunter chanter pictured not the rest of it. I've amended my previous post accordingly.

Ken

ausdag · Post by **ausdag** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 3:49 pm

My sentiments echo Ken's. It may be a good chanter made by someone with a good reputation and obviously there are people willing part with lots of money to pay for a name. Others will say that being plain looking shouldn't be a consideration - it's the quality of the tone that counts. But hey, if I was going to consider spending over 800 pounds on a chanter, I'd want it to at least look like it's worth that much. No chanter looks cheaper than a chanter with no mounts, one key and a plain old brass chanter top.

Cheers,

DavidG

Elmek · Post by **Elmek** » Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:19 pm

Peter doesn't appear to be doing much pipemaking at the moment but he does endorse younger makers who've been apprenticed to him and who are probably cheaper - £500-600?

Who has apprenticed with him ?

There seem to more pipemakers than ever before so who are they learning from - is it theoretical from books and plans or are there pipemakers taking on apprentices ?

leremarkable · Post by **leremarkable** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:06 am

Hunter chanter, bought by a piper/bodhran player in a well known Irish music group. An old leather flap from a bellows valve for the first person to guess who it is!

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:35 am

Hmmm, bodhráni and a piper ... could it be .... Donnchadh Gough of Danú?

Did I win? Did I win?

djm

leremarkable · Post by **leremarkable** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:15 am

Winner alright!

reedman · Post by **reedman** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 7:46 pm

Whats the point of having a chanter that looks like its a £800 one, with all the fansy keys and all that tarty stuff,
I've seen many a chanter that looks like a £1000 chanter, which sounded a right olde bag of Sh-ght, don't go on looks, go on sound and tone, and feel of the chanter, the secret of the Hunter chanter is in the reed, to play right, its needs a hand rolled staple of 54mm in length, a slip thickness of between 1.05mm-1.10mm,and a reed head width of 13.7-8mm,and made of medium hard cane, it will certainly test the best of reed makers, to make a good one,

O' bye the way anima,I'm
basing my opinion on two of todays finest pipers playing Mr Peter Hunters Chanters.

Kevin L. Rietmann · Post by **Kevin L. Rietmann** » Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:40 pm

Larry Dunn, and who's the other one?
No E!

ausdag · Post by **ausdag** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 1:36 am

reedman wrote:Whats the point of having a chanter that looks like its a £800 one, with all the fansy keys and all that tarty stuff,
I've seen many a chanter that looks like a £1000 chanter, which sounded a right olde bag of Sh-ght,

Then obviously it wasn't worth 1000 pounds. Looks and tone quality go together to make a valuable chanter. At least some bone or mammoth ivory, one more key - an Fnat - and a wooden top, in sterling silver, PLUS the quality of the tone that reputedly is to be found in these and other makers' chanters, THEN I'd be happier to attach that sort of a price tag to it, but not if it LOOKS like it fell into my breakfast bowl when I was pouring out my morning Cornflakes. I consider good quality pipes to be works of art and craftsmanship as well.

Cheers,

DavidG

john · Post by **john** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 8:13 am

I spoke to Peter a few months ago. He mentioned something that I remember him saying in the past, that he was aiming to produce cheapish high quality pipes from plastic. Does anyone out there who knows Peter better than I do (I've never met him although I play one of his chanters) think that he'll ever get round to it?

benwalker · Post by **benwalker** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 3:49 pm