Some Do’s and Dont’s Of Buying Bagpipes
Imagine this scenario: you’ve taken an interest in piping; after securing yourself a practice chanter, learner’s book, and an instructor, and practicing until you’ve memorized a handful of tunes, you’re ready to purchase your first set of bagpipes! There’s just one problem: how the heck does one go about doing this?
Alternatively, you’ve found yourself in possession of a set of bagpipes, but the wood and metal quality is dubious, some of it looks unfinished, especially on the inside, and no matter how hard you blow or strain yourself, they just won’t work like the recordings you’ve heard or the YouTube videos of bagpipes with flamethrowers or pipers in mini-skirts you watched to inspire you! What’s the matter? you think to yourself, I payed a whole $200 for these on ebay, they should be a steal!
Fear not, there are straightforward remedies to both of these scenarios! Below I’ve put together some guidance and tips on what to look for, and how to recognize a good instrument, as well as incidentals to be aware of. Now let’s get started!
*Disclaimer, I don’t claim to be THE expert, nor end-all-be-all of buying bagpipes, this is simply a discussion that I hope you find helpful. Please reference other resources on your hunt for bagpipes and information!
A beautifully adorned set of brand new Duncan MacRae bagpipes. Check them out here!
Buying New: Easiest and Safest
Most bagpipe makers today operate out of modern facilities with state-of-the-art equipment. Whereas before the drones and chanters would be hand-turned by dedicated, skilled artisans from start to finish, these days computers and laser-guided CNC machines can cover the basic elements of construction, leaving those craftsmen to focus on the important parts and refinement, creating a wonderfully consistent, high-quality product. Wood storage facilities are better and more stable than ever, ensuring the lowest risk of cracks and deformation. Decoration comes in a wide array of styles and materials, and their attachment methods have modernized along with the process, meaning they’re less prone to loosen with the changing shape of wood over time.
If you have the means, I highly suggest purchasing a new instrument, especially if you know that piping will remain a part of your life. The downside is that, aside from sought-after vintage sets, this is usually the most expensive way to go. The good news is that buying bagpipes either from the manufacturer or a highland outfitter can be optioned as a complete set (bag, reeds, cover and chords, etc.), accompanied with some basic maintenance equipment and modern moisture control, and are generally ready to play, or close to it.*
*Work with your instructor, or take your pipes to your local pipe band, to help get your instrument set up to the correct strength, especially if you’ve never played the full bagpipe before. If you’re new to this, you won’t physically be able to play it, even less so if it isn’t modified for your strength and learning process.
You can find a catalogue of new bagpipes here, and here!
Expect to pay anywhere from $850 - $1700 for a new set. Note that some of what you’re paying for is decoration; the “base model” of a model lineup will have the same internal dimensions and sound characteristics unless otherwise noted.
Buying Used: A Reasonable Gamble
A small assortment of used sets for sale from the internet.
Like anything else, buying used is going to come with a couple extra things to think about to ensure you get the most for your money without having to pay for things like repairs down the road. It will take more energy from your side of the equation, but I always enjoy the process of browsing listings to see what’s out there and how the instruments are moving around on the used market. Sometimes you strike gold, but that’s for a different blog post!
Do note that sometimes you will find a complete set for sale (“complete” meaning with a bag and reeds and put together), and other times sellers will list just the “sticks and stocks”. Both are equally valid, and what you choose to purchase depends on how much you’re willing to do to complete the instrument, or not. If just buying sticks, you will need to supply the bag, reeds, probably chanter, and sometimes blowpipe to make it playable; definitely work with an instructor or advisors from local pipe bands for guidance if you’re unsure.
As a general rule of thumb, your eyes and gut know best. Observe the listing; are the pictures decent? Does the seller care about their instrument and its presentation? Do they make a concerted effort to tell you about what their selling? Do you see damage in the pictures that they fail to mention in the blurb? While none of these are necessarily deal breakers, I would argue that bagpipes are, by nature of construction and mechanism, heavily effected by their owner history and how much care and effort was put into them pertaining to each category. If an owner was unkind or rough, it will show. Simple logic. The good news is, bagpipes will adapt (respond) to conditioning applied over time, so any TLC you can give them will pay off. They’re an instrument of war after all!
Pricing for used can vary wildly. I’ve seen desirable sets on the low end around $400, and others fully kitted-out and beautiful asking $1200+. Start by seeking out bagpipes made by brand names that you recognize, like those listed for sale new. Many bagpipe companies have been around for multiple decades, some for more than a century!
Before moving too far along, it’s simply due diligence to briefly discuss the most common trap brand new players or interested parties fall into: the dreaded Pakistani Pipes, cheaply made copies of Highland Bagpipes from various places in the Middle East, but commonly Pakistan. This is the offender in the second scenario at the start, the $200 ebay bagpipes.
To the untrained eye, the bagpipes pictured above look fine; the decoration is all there in the right place, the wood is even beaded and combed, the drones are straight, the bag cover looks sharp, and it even comes with a practice chanter - what a deal! Unfortunately, the beginner’s enthusiasm is quickly curbed as they realize these are simply impossible to play out of the box, and, honestly, an exercise in futility to make them sound decent even with an expert’s touch. It’s a matter of quality. Rosewood is a poor substitute for the much harder and denser tone woods used for making bagpipes for hundreds of years (African Blackwood, Cocuswood, Ebony, sometimes Maple, etc.). If you get the chance, pick up and hold a set of Pakistani pipes and a set of Blackwood pipes and feel the huge difference in weight and tactile sense; it’s revealing. The bores are usually unfinished, the decoration is cheap metal that dents easily and usually falls off, the bag is unusable, the reeds are terrible if they function, and simply objects if they don’t. All in all, they make for great decoration or fodder for pranks!
A cracked section of drone - stresses me out just looking at it!
If you’re a first-time buyer or new to bagpipes, damage is the most critical thing to avoid. Cracks require specialized repair work, done by someone who is experienced with bagpipes, incurring additional cost, time, and hassle; all things detrimental to beginners’ progress.
Now, damage to the decoration (ferrules [rings], mounts [the flying-saucer-looking bits], and end caps [drone tops]) is, practically speaking, non-consequential with exception to certain areas of the end caps. If you’re someone who drives a car with a terrible paint job but a pristine interior, this is an option for you! Remember: it’s what’s on the inside that’s most important! The decoration has no bearing on the sound quality.
Breaking in Your Pipes
Pictured: the late Alasdair Gillies, one of this century’s greatest and most awarded pipers. An example of lightly decorated bagpipes played by a master of the instrument.
Now that you’ve received your pipes, it’s time to get to work. For the next step, it’s imperative that you work with either your instructor or local pipe band to inspect, set up, and make sure your pipes are in enough working order to begin playing them. At the time of writing, I have a backlog of articles waiting to be posted, and many of them feature tips and discussion on maintenance and mechanics of the instrument, so I won’t go into detail here in order to remain on topic. At minimum, ensure the instrument is airtight, and consider re-hemping it.
Please be gentle at first; your pipes have likely travelled quite a distance and experienced some major environmental changes. It’s best to slowly increase your playing time over the course of a few weeks. African Blackwood is a very strong and dense wood, and holds up well to compression, but it’s vulnerable to “expansion”. If you play too vigorously in the beginning, for example straight out of the box for an hour every day, there is major risk that both the hemp and wood will absorb moisture very quickly, applying stress to the wood in a direction it’s not strong against, resulting in cracks and damage.* Playing a few minutes daily for the first week or two, with a slow ramp up in time, always remaining aware of changes in airflow, hemp tightness, and tone will ensure healthy acclimatization.
*This is especially true for hide bags due to the moist environment in the bag.
So, Where?
As mentioned, your instructor or local pipe band will be invaluable resources of information, so they should be the first you go to when dealing in this subject. Otherwise, there are a healthy selection of websites catered to bagpipe sales. Here are a couple examples:
Facebook Marketplace: Although sometimes exclusive (some groups aren’t open to the public, but many have low or no barriers of entry), these groups are an excellent repository of instruments, parts, accompanying equipment, and everything else bagpipe. There are a high number of good posts, and commenters can sometimes call out fakes, clarify the listing, ask for better pictures, and provide additional information the seller might not have or know. Plus, it’s more likely that sellers are members of the piping community, and so hold themselves, and their instrument, to a decent standard.
Bagpipe Central: I only recently discovered this gold mine! So far, the site is extremely reputable and well-designed with filters for your searches, and they accept postings for every kind of bagpipe under the sun (Spanish Gaitas, anybody?). They also have a backlog of sets that have already been sold, providing good viewing of pipes in circulation as well as a means to practice observing the listings that sold them! Check out the website here!
Highland Outfitters and Bagpipe Supply Shops: Websites or stores that sell highland attire and supplies are very often bagpipe dealers. They will have a selection of new bagpipes available straight from the manufacturer, but they will often also keep used bagpipes in stock. This is where you’ll likely find a fully setup, ready to play bagpipe. The shop will also have an obligation to keep the set in good condition, or have any repairs done that are needed, lest it become a blot on their reputation. These are a couple of my favorites that sell used pipes as well:
As with everything, don’t take only my word for it! Make connections, spend time with the music and culture, ask every question you can and the answers will find you. Take your time and enjoy the journey,
Cheers!
A beautiful set of Grainger-Campbells, courtesy of BagpipeCentral.com