John Walsh Shuttle Pipes Review
Review by David Peck
- Product:
- John Walsh Shuttle Pipes (3 drone) (company site)
- What's Good:
- Minimal air required, stable plastic reeds, perfect indoor volume, no maintenance required.
- What's Bad:
- Pricey, polypenco chanter could be more "polished".
Anyone who has spent time learning and playing the Great Highland Bagpipe knows that they're quite a handful. They require a midsize air compressor to feed them, rarely stay in tune for more than ten minutes, and can annoy even the nicest neighbours. Did I mention that they can't be used outdoors (without risk) in the winter, which we seem to have a lot of here in Atlantic Canada.
I needed something that fit in between the practice chanter and the highland pipes. The practice chanter is key for learning tunes, but it's no good for practicing breath control, or hearing a tune with the soothing hum of the drones. I also wanted a set of pipes that could be put on a shelf for a week or two, then picked up and played with little or no tuning. Try that with a set of highland pipes!
After scouring the Net for a few weeks, I was repeatedly pointed back to a man who lives right here in Atlantic Canada - John Walsh. He's been making various types of pipes for some time, and is a well respected piper, so he should know his stuff.
I ordered a set of 3 drone pipes through a local retailer as they were getting a new order in within a month. Demand for these pipes is quite high... you can expect to wait up to four months if ordering directly from John Walsh. I was lucky to have mine in just over a month.
I got the 3 drone set as the baritone drone adds an extra depth to the 2 drone, bass and tenor, setup. Once tuned, the single stock drones require almost no adjustment. Only large fluctuations in humidity have any effect on their tone. The plastic reeds are very similar to a practice chanter reed, yet produce a very warm, steady tone.
The polypenco chanter uses a platic reed as well. The fingering is the same as for the highland pipe, although the holes are a bit smaller and closer together. The holes are countersunk which I quickly got used to, but the holes are a bit rough to the touch. One other thing I don't like about the chanter is the placement of the thumb hole on the back. It's very close to the larger diameter turned out piece at the top of the chanter. This causes your thumb to strike the chanter and push it out on embellishments such as an A- Doubling. It takes some practice and can cause a bad strike every now and then if you're not careful.
Aside from these minor complaints, the Shuttle Pipes are perfect for everything from practicing your favourite tunes in a small apartment to performing on stage. They're only slightly louder than a practice chanter, making them playable almost anywhere. The sharpness of the highland pipes is replaced with a warmer tone, much like a set of smallpipes. Best of all, you won't work up a sweat playing them. They require only a minimal amount of air. Overblowing was a problem at first, but I've since adjusted and find the sensitivity of the shuttle pipes has actually helped me improve my breath control on the highland pipes!
If kept out of direct sunlight, and other harsh conditions, these pipes should keep pumping out tune after tune for a long time.
Comments
Yasir Hussain - July 13, 2004 5:47 pm
WE ARE MANUFACTURERS & EXPORTERS OF BEST QUALITY BAGPIPE REEDS, PIPE REEDS, OBAC REEDS, PRACTISE REEDS CHANTER, BASSOON REEDS, CLARINET REEDS.
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ASSURING YOU PROMPT SUPPLY OF QUALITY PRODUCTS.
AWAITING YOUR KIND RESPONSE. MOST ANXIOUSLY.
BEST REGARDS.
Yasir Hussain
Director
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Street Loharan Sahi Etbar Shah.
Sialkot - Pakistan
Ehtisham - July 30, 2004 3:56 pm
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Christian M. Cepel - March 9, 2005 4:04 pm
How nice that the Pakistanis are the first to reply to a great review of splendid craftsmanship pipes. It's not enough for them to peddle their unplayable garbage off on people hoping to learn and enjoy a musical instrument, usually turning them off to it, thinking that it's the player, not the instrument that's garbage. Now they've turned to littering blogs and such with unsolicited advertisements and email.
I just got my hands on (for a couple of days, alas) one of John Walsh's A-2000 Scottish Mouthblown SmallPipes, and I found your blog when trying to learn more about them. I must say that I'm extremely impressed with the craftsmanship, material, and ingenuity of these pipes.
We just a few weeks ago had a fellow show up for lessons on the practice chanter, who had already purchased himself a new set of pipes on Ebay. They were, of course, Pakistani. We fiddled with them a bit and eventually reached the same conclusion we've reached with every Pakistani (Especially Mid-East Manufacturing) instrument we've ever laid hands on. Shoddy, unplayable, never would be playable, and not worth the effort and expense to try to salvage them. How were we to tell him this. Tell him that he'd blown his budget on what he thought was a 'good deal'.
I've seen their rubbish in every single music shop I visited in Ireland (and believe me, we drove around the whole island with me looking for music shops.) was selling this garbage, and the poor tourists go home with a worthless piece of junk that looks 'real perty' sittin in it's case.
I'd personally like to see everyone of these manufacturers (and the jerks who sell them to tourists, first-timers) slowly branded with hot iron again and again.
Thanks for a great post on a great pipe manufacturer. I enjoyed the review.
Martin - October 11, 2007 12:44 pm
Well after my experience with Pakistan, I spend allot of $$$ to find a real maker for bagpipes on a reasonable price, but all sells junk, only good for hanging on the wall.
Finally I reached hakamdin.com who are capable to make a real set of playable pipes.
They looks good, drones playable, chanter in tune, nice sound, bag is excellent. Great for learners… if you are willing to buy a set to play music!!! just log on to hakamdin.com
Andrianna - December 16, 2007 1:19 am
I agree with the first post - I just moved into a small apartment and was finding it tough to practice pipes everyday related to noise limits in the building. I just bought a set of Walsh shuttle pipes, 3 drone version, and they are excellent! I agree with you wholeheartedly! Wonderful tone, easy to set up, and a lot fewer noise complaints. And most importantly, they are incredibly fun to play! Well done Mr. Walsh!
Andrianne - December 16, 2007 1:20 am
I agree with the first post - I just moved into a small apartment and was finding it tough to practice pipes everyday related to noise limits in the building. I just bought a set of Walsh shuttle pipes, 3 drone version, and they are excellent! I agree with you wholeheartedly! Wonderful tone, easy to set up, and a lot fewer noise complaints. And most importantly, they are incredibly fun to play! Well done Mr. Walsh!
Jean Wilmarth - January 23, 2008 10:32 am
Thank you for the excellent information including what you like and what you don't about the shuttle pipes. I'm a highland piper (4 years now), and had never heard shuttle pipes played until last night - and I'm ordering a set TODAY! Like you, I struggle with finding a place to practice in the dead of winter. My family will kick me out if I fire up my pipes in the house any more. I don't know why I didn't do this sooner! Thanks for all the info!! Can you remove the 'ad' in the 1st post from the Pakistan guy? that's just plain offensive!
Birck Cox - September 13, 2008 2:32 pm
I'm an old beginner-I played pipes almost 50 years ago(1963), as a rank beginner, loved them, but had to stop owing to facial injuries precluding a tight lip. In 2006 I encountered Walsh smallpipes and, lo, I could play them in spite of lip problems. My wife bought me that selfsame set of Walsh smallpipes, then, in 2008, we went to Antigonish, N.S., and I purchased a 2-drone shuttlepipe from the man himself. Milady charmed Mr. Walsh, an award-winning piper, into giving us a tune on my new pipes. Objectively, the shuttlepipe is available as 2-drone or 3-drone, so you can calibrate it according to neighborhood reactions and your wind power. Since I have the 3-drone smallpipe, I got a 2-drone shuttlepipe, but there is an upgrade option to 3 drones later. Same size shuttle. The smallpipes are Polypenco, the Shuttlepipe is blackwood and maple with imit. ivory mounts. In both cases, the sound is fine, slightly louder than a practice chanter, and they really do stay in tune (both smallpipe and shuttlepipes) after you've practiced. What's more, you can set them aside and come back a week later, the bag will still be full, and still in tune! A note on construction: The Smallpipe reeds are built (turned on a lathe) into the drone stocks-you won't need to buy reeds separately. The Shuttle reeds are, essentially, chanter reeds( I know-it sounds strange. Drone reeds are singles, chanter reeds are double reeds, but it works fine this way) The finish and detailing of the shuttlepipe is of musical instrument quality, i.e., it looks good, it sounds good, it stays in tune, it's in the key of A, and the party won't end as soon as you start playing. The rest is up to you.