Buy Uilleann Chanter, Ebony, with Keys - RoosebeckUilleann Chanter, Ebony, with Keys - Roosebeck Product Description:
- Beautiful instrument imported from craftspeople around the world!
- Perfect for aspiring world musicians!
- Made with authentic materials!
Product Description
Uilleann Chanter, Ebony, with Keys (UILC) Includes 1 reed (ULRC). This chanter fits on our Uilleann Starter Set (UILS). It is solid Indian ebony and has 3 brass keys.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Nice chanter, unfortunately paired with an inferior reed
By West Elk
This is a five star chanter paired with a one star reed. I decided to take up the uilleann pipe after building some experience with the Scottish smallpipe and parlor pipes. I purchased this chanter from The Other Worlds music shop. The chanter is prettier than the website pictures suggest. The brass keys function well; although, I had to push one a few times to free it up for smooth operation. The brass is not polished. The wood is stained black so that it is darker than natural African blackwood. I used a tap to thread the reed seat, and the tap revealed that the chanter is truly blackwood. This is important information because many web postings disparage "blackwood" Pakistani pipes as being inferior wood painted black. My chanter came with a sloppy cork joint. I removed the cork and replaced it with waxed hemp. The chanter is decently tuned and it will play two octaves, when I use a good reed. The plastic reed that came with my chanter did not play in tune and it plays only the lower octave. The reed did not play in tune because the staple was too short. I managed to get the reed to play the lower octave in tune by extending its length with a bit of 3/16 inch brass tubing. If you do not know how to tinker with double reeds, expect to pay someone at least $100 to get the chanter working.I paired this chanter with the companion top called "ullieann pipe connector" in the Amazon listing. The top is OK, but you should read my review of it to avoid surprises. I completed the set with bag, bellows, and stocks that I made.How could I write this generally positive review contradicting the multitudes of negative postings on Pakistani pipes? Many people seem to think that Pakistani pipes are unplayable. Some of those people have no experience with Pakistani pipes, but they believe internet rumors. Many people who can't get Pakistani pipes to play couldn't get the best Irish-made pipes to play. Much of the criticism against Pakistani pipes is aimed at rosewood pipes, and it is true that rosewood is very much inferior to blackwood. However, it is unfair to compare a $50 rosewood chanter to a $1500 custom blackwood chanter.Among Pakistani pipes there is considerable difference. As with any manufacturing, mistakes occur. When an instrument has a flaw, a manufacturer has three options: Destroy the flawed instrument, mark it as a second and sell it as-is for a reduced price, or just sell it for a reduced price. If you purchase Pakistani pipes for a fire-sale price, you should expect them to be an unmarked second. There is little point in buying cheap flawed Pakistani instruments, because the even the highest-priced best-quality Pakistani pipes are inexpensive. And, the best quality Pakistani pipes are a spectacular value.There are just a few shops in Pakistan that produce pipes, so one manufacturing shop will produce pipes for several retailers. The key to getting a decent instrument is quality control, and that is stipulated by the company that retails the pipes. When I began considering purchasing a Pakistani uilleann chanter, I looked for knowledgeable reviews of Pakistani pipes. I found numerous internet chat comments asserting that all Pakistani pipes are crap. Most of these comments seemed more like bigotry than like an honest assessment. I also found some thoughtful comments that detailed what to expect with Pakistani pipes, and those thoughtful comments lead me to buy a Mid-East brand chanter.
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