Colin Kyo Pipes...WOW!!!

[macdaddy65]

CK7-Ms arrived last week. Whoa. I took some pics to share:
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o53/chantermac/CK1_small.jpg
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o53/chantermac/CK2_small.jpg
Moose antler projecting mounts, chanter sole, and under bushings and (free)hand engraved silver with the Acanthus pattern.
The sound? Forget about it. I was swimming in a bubble
of harmonics today, my friends. Unreal.

One of the things that really drew me to Colin Kyo was the fact
that Murray does all the work himself. Top to bottom, it is his thing. From the drones, to the chanter (his own unique design), to the projecting mounts, to the silver, to the engraving (free hand?? no pattern laid down?? what?!?!?!), it is ALL Murray. He even makes the drone reeds!! His fingerprints are on every piece.

I guess I have been on a bagpipe Odyssey for the past
couple of years. Who knew the answer was right up the
road in Oregon!!

[The Bad Piper]

This is what I have been talking about, all along!! Just needed someone else to validate my opinion.



www.colinkyobagpipes.com (http://www.colinkyobagpipes.com)

[Piper Power]

Good to see some one else appreciating good well made American bagpipes. I have become a fan of American product lately. Have another set of American made pipes but have been waiting now for about 3 months to get my pipes from Murray. Ordered a AWB set mounted with Moose antler. Expect to get them in about three week time. Very much looking forward to having them and if they are anything like his AWB chanters and not to mention his Delrin chanters I should be getting something special. Have found his chanters to be exceptional tonal wise and also extremely well made and am particularly impressed with the wood used--- straight grained and deep coloured. Murray advises that my pipes wood are the same and the timber is not stained.
Looking forward to comparing them with other makers pipes I have.
Wonder how many other silent achievers are out there producing top quality bagpipes and piping supplies. Would be interested to know. You never know I just might buy another American made set of pipes. :thumb:

[macdaddy65]

You can believe what Murray says about the wood, Piper. It is going to be
amazing. I wish I could come to Australia to be there when you crack that box, man.
Hope you have the day off or something when they arrive. I had to wait all freaking
day to get home. Talk about a long day! The cool thing is, I bet Murray would
love to be there, too. I took about 4 seconds to realize how passionate
he was about his pipes. His passion is well placed, IMHO.

Love that chanter, too, Piper. He really seems to have done something different there. The holes on Murray's chanter seem to fall under my fingers just
a bit better, especially that all important Low A. My birls have a glimmer of hope!!

I have so many assignments at work today I could not even bring the CKs
to play at lunch...How much of a drag is that?!?!?! So now I gotta wait 'til I get home to play...UGH. Oh, well, the pics will help see me through.

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o53/chantermac/CK_close.jpg

http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o53/chantermac/CK_small2.jpg

[keydetpiper]

I've never heard of these pipes... are they popular on the west coast? Has he been making them for a while, or is he relatively new in the business? I like what I've heard so far, and the pipes are gorgeous.

[Piper Power]

I've never heard of these pipes... are they popular on the west coast? Has he been making them for a while, or is he relatively new in the business? I like what I've heard so far, and the pipes are gorgeous.

Thats how I was Keydetpiper till I chanced on his website and got a couple of chanters from him. Like I said in my previous post " a quiet achiever" or did I say silent achiever. same difference I guess. Yes about the fingering on the chanter. My fingers also just seem to fall on the holes just as my mate over here has found. He wanted to purloin one of my chanters and I told him to get his own Ha!!!!!!!!!! No worries about taking the day of when the pipes arrive though I'll just do it. Love the silver on Mack's posted pipe pic :thumb:. Same pattern that is on the blackwood chanter I got from Murray. Will keep you posted when I get the pipes and If I can work out how to post a pic will do that too. :thumb:

[macdaddy65]

I guess Murray has been actively in the biz for about 13 years now, but
had been working on/with pipes and chanters before then. I think he said he
had been playing for about 30 years. Playing experience + hands on making experience? Nice.

Gee, I hope CKs are not just a West Coast thing! West Coast, East Coast, Australian
Coast, XYZ Coast...I for one hope they cross any coast that is in need of an outstanding pipe...

By all means, start a thread when they arrive, Piper!!

[The Bad Piper]

Murray started his love affair with the Great Highland Bagpipes when he was about 9 years of age. He is a "few years older now". He has been making pipes for a good 15 years, I believe. He makes many of his own specialty tools. Murray constantly seeks to improve upon his product. He takes his time with each and every set he fabricates. No CNC production here. No stained or painted pipe components. This is strictly a one man operation, from start to finish. To the best of my knowledge, Murray is the only fabricator of the GHB, using mostly traditional materials, on the west coast, U S A, today

[Troy Jesse]

very high end models....

[Bruce Neill]

I have been in contact with Murray a few times. He is very knolegable about pipes and playing. Great fellow at that.

I can't wait to see him play. I am anctious to listen and check out his pipes and chanters. Check out his site.

Bruce

[flyinpiper02]

We need a sound byte of his pipes if possible. Anyone care to share their talents on this beautiful instrument?

Kind regards,

[Jan-Erik Steel]

There are some audio samples on his site:

http://www.colinkyobagpipes.com/index.php?pr=Sound_Sample

Jan-Erik

[C. Martin]

Murry's products are all top rate. About 2/3rds of the Pipes and Drums of the CDF Firefighters Honor Guard learned from him. Consequently, most had their pipes made by him. We use his chanters also since most of the group already had one. We use his earlier chanter which is on the higher pitched side, but very well made and tuned. If you like the upper end of the pitching I would highly recommend that model. Also, that model has a tighter finger placement that would be great for folks with small hands. The chanter is very easy to reed and takes especially kindly to Warnocks. Even with easy reeds, the volume and tone are great. I've played his newest chanter and some of the band folks own one. It is pitched a bit lower, now considered in the mid range. A lovely, well balanced chanter.

Murry's pipes are well made and nothing is skimped on. Tone is Henderson based. Several of my bandmates play his drones. They tune well and hold there position, even considering the grade 5/4 level of playing. It is testemony that the band is often tasked with playing at the end of a funeral and his drones hold as well as any I've played.

His drone reeds also are a great product. They are the only reeds that allowed my Granger-Campbells to tune well with a higher pitched chanter. Compared to several other brands of reeds I used in those pipes, his had the best tone, ballance, and volume. I had fun watching him make the reeds he sold me.

Macdaddy65, enjoy the pipes and be assured you have a quality product.

Cheers,
Charlie Martin