Being impatient?

[mapmgr]

Hi all,

I sent in my starter set to be modified in June 2006 by a pipe maker other than the original. A couple of times that I've sent an email I've received a response stating that the person had been busy on other things, but would get to the pipes in a couple of weeks. Other times the emails go unanswered. I send an email about once a month. Last response was in December.

I understand that this person would be very busy, making new sets from scratch and performing. I also understand that it can take several months.

Am I being too impatient sending the emails or should I continue them? Should I call by phone? Trying to balance being the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, but not become a person that will tick the maker off.

-- Glenn

PS: I'm purposely trying to be vague so I don't cause any bad will.

[PJ]

9 months is a long time to be without your pipes. What sort of modifications were you having done? Adding drones? If so, I can't imagine any reason why the maker required your practice set all along. At most, he'd require them briefly in the beginning to gague the volume and tone and then at the end to tie in the new drones (assuming that you're having new drones added).

If you think that the maker is ducking you, definately phone him/her.

[Joseph E. Smith]

You never know for certain what a person has lined up to work on, what effect the day to day necessities they must meet to stray corporeal or the unexpected stuff that puts many things on the back burner.

Give them a shout via the phone and try to suss out what is taking so long but understand, everything that has anything to do with this instrument requires an inordinate amount of waiting... nature of the beast and all that.

Good luck to you.

[djm]

It would be easier to gauge the length of time if you described what needed doing. If its just to re-reed a practise set, then this maker has had more than enough time.

Perhaps it would be better to get your stuff back and find someone else who has more time to work on your set. Next time, make sure you set a reasonable time period with the maker in advance. There are some people in this business who float along to their own schedule and damn everyone else's time. Then again there are some really quality people who just get overwhelmed by the amount of work that gets thrust upon them.

Be aware that higher profile players will take precedence over your stuff with most makers.

djm

[Joseph E. Smith]

Be aware that higher profile players will take precedence over your stuff with most makers.

djm

I have to agree with, and support, this fact.

[snoogie]

Be aware that higher profile players will take precedence over your stuff with most makers.

djm

I have to agree with, and support, this fact.

Yes, true. But if the maker doesn't have the time to do the work, after a few months he should own up to it and send the practice set back with an apology..."sorry, just cant get to it please find someone else to do the work"

He shouldn't hold onto someone's practice set for an indefinite period...but as stated above, it'd be helpful to know what the nature of the work is.

If you are adding drones, you should have held onto the practice set til the drones were completed, then the drones could have been mounted to the practices set in a reasonably short period.

If its just reeding, then a few weeks should have been enough...or find a reed maker (like our own JES) who could have reeded you up.

Not sure what other work could have been added to a practice set...perhaps keys?

-g

[Tony]

.....Not sure what other work could have been added to a practice set...perhaps keys?

-g

Scalloped tone holes?

[mapmgr]

Thanks everyone for the replies so far!

The work being done includes a chanter reed and shaping of the tone holes. Other work may or may not be required. No drones are being added.

I agree that pros should get priority. The maker is also a performer, so I am sure that is also a factor and is understandable.

I apologize for the earlier lack of information, but I do not want to tarnish the maker's reputation-- especially if they are being worked on as I write this!

-- Glenn

[Joseph E. Smith]

I apologize for the earlier lack of information, but I do not want to tarnish the maker's reputation-- especially if they are being worked on as I write this!

-- Glenn

Thank you for being discreet.

[Brazenkane]

I've heeard stories like this and hate to be bllunt, but dream on if you think they are being worked on while you were writing,..

it's one of the more frustrating things about owinging pipes, which is why i've learned to make my own reeds. i believe if i'd paid some attention while my tone holes were being scalloped, I too could do that job w/the proper file blablabla. recently, i needed my bellows releathered and that is something i had to send back for. happily, the maker is very quick about turn arounds etc.

all in all, i empathize with you frustration and wish for things to turn out......

[MarcusR]

When I first got my Hughes practise set I managed to split the reed in half with the reed cap and I had to send the chanter away to get new reeds. As Robbie Hughes was very busy at the time I choose to send it to someone else.

I whish I had taken the time to check for references before I made my mind up. The deal was that I should have the chanter back in 4-8 weeks, I was expecting the later. In the end it was close to a year. Worst of all was that the maker moved his shop during this time and for a while the chanter was lost, but I wasn’t informed of that, heard it later from someone else.

In the end, I waited almost a year, paid for two new reeds and shipping, but none of two reeds worked. After that I was really frustrated and it took about year and a half before I considered taking up piping again.

So my next quest in life, after learning to play them things a bit better, is to learn to make my own reeds.

/MarcusR

[Beau Comiseau]

So my next quest in life, after learning to play them things a bit better, is to learn to make my own reeds.

/MarcusR

Amen to that! Otherwise, we remain in a very vulnerable position.

[BzzzzT]

I think the person you are dealing with has very poor business skills. My experience is when someone does not contact you about a delay promptly and then makes excuses for it and often numerous ones, you are really just better off asking for your pipes back and going to someone else. Almost anyone worth their salt will give you a time frame anyway and have good communication. I think this is true for any business or person you deal with.

Whenever I am running a bit behind on a project I immediately contact the client about the delay. People who hide from you when the work is not on time and make excuses are often just being dishonest.

I would take your business somewhere else.

- Jason

[billh]

I.... i believe if i'd paid some attention while my tone holes were being scalloped, I too could do that job w/the proper file blablabla. .

Hi Folks;

A heartfelt request: Please, please everybody, do not attempt to scallop tone holes yourself. In fact please do not ask anyone to scallop tone holes on a chanter they themselves did not make. In general scalloping toneholes on a decent chanter will spoil it, and most makers will disown chanters that have been modified in this way, considering it vandalism. Scalloping alters the 'chimney heights' which changes not just tuning but can dramatically change the entire behavior of a chanter. Sadly I have seen numerous examples of crude scalloping that appeared to be the work of a former owner - even when scalloping doesn't spoil the chanter acoustically, if it's poorly executed it can make the chanter less comfortable, and make it harder to seal the toneholes properly.

(I don't know the circumstances of 'kaine 's mods, perhaps the chanter was a no-name modern chanter, etc. - so, I don't mean to pass judgement on something that's already taken place)

If you want scalloped toneholes, shop around for a maker whose design includes them from the start.

Thanks for listening.

Bill

[mapmgr]

Again, I thank everyone for their input.

-- Glenn