Pipe Chanters for Bands.

[Mike Giles]

Good Day everyone ... looking for a little feed back on Plastic Pipe Chanters. Currently my Band a Grade 3 band in Vancouver is using Wooden Siclair Chanters ... same as SFU! I feel these are great chanters however way to finicky for the level of players that I currently have in my band.

I was looking at going to McCallum Chanters or Warnock chanters ... does anyone have comments on these or any other chanters on the market that I may not be aware of!? Also reeds that go well with these different chanters. Thanks!

Cheers,
TSPB Piper.

[michael gunn]

mike--
as a former p/m of a grade iv band,i can only offer anecdotal information and an opinion. (that was the disclaimer, ladies & gents).
our band went to warnock from the sinclair ii (both poly). it was a lot deal from a band in the area. i had a much better time with the warnocks, as far as tuning and easy-reeding. for the most part ,(and i believe this to be true to the current day), i think we were using warnock reeds, as well--pretty nice, out-of-the-box.
less work, less headaches.
my .02 usd
:smokin:

[michael gunn]

sorry-
(reality check )--
they might've been war- mac poly chanters.
:eek:
never mind :) :rolleyes:

[lagavulin]

In two of the bands that I've played in Warnock chanters were used. The best reeds we found to play in them were Warnock reeds - last a long time, good balance bottom to top, nice & bright.

[Chris Hossack]

We are a Grade III band and have been really pleased with our Shephard MkIII's in poly. The poly are a lot more forgiving (both for reeding and blowing) for newer players than wood. :thumb:

Chris Hossack :wave:
Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band

Check out our website at www.mcpb.org (http://www.mcpb.org) :hatoff:

[Stormy]

Originally posted by Mike Giles:
Currently my Band a Grade 3 band in Vancouver is using Wooden Siclair Chanters ... same as SFU! I feel these are great chanters however way to finicky for the level of players that I currently have in my band.
The chanters aint finicky, it's more likely the reeds.
I've played a wooden Sinclair chanter (not the same one) since the late sixties with Macallister reeds. Unfortunately over the past few years I have had problems reeding the chanter. The reeds are the problem not the chanter.
The best I can come up with at present are Megarrity-Ross reeds, but you have to squeeze them like **** to get rid of the false F.

[kb_piper]

My band has used MacCallums, and although they tuned nicely and were ballanced.. they didn't have a whole heck of volume. War-mac chanters with White wrapped Warnock reeds give you volume galore.. and great pitch etc.

[Gord™ ©1980]

My band at the moment are using MacCallum Poly chanters. We are having no problem with acheiving volume (we get many comments on large sound) we have no problem reeding the chanters, but at times we do experience grief with High A's being extremley flat on a whole. Does anyone else have this problem? Any solutions? :shrug:

[SF Irish Piper]

Prince Charles GrIII uses the new MacCallum, they sound damn good with Meg Ross reeds.

[PCking]

Originally posted by Gord:
. Does anyone else have this problem? Any solutions? :shrug: Trim the lip of the reed!

BTW, what is a celtic pipe band?

[Bogus Piper]

We (grade 4 band) have used the McCallum blackwood chanter for the past three seasons with superb results. The tone and volume are outstanding when paired with John Elliot's Sounds Supreme reeds. We have no trouble with setup and maintenance and always receive good comments from the judges on our sound. I highly recommend the McCallum's.

[Bill Brockie]

Our family band has used Sinclair wooden chanters
for almost 40 years ann they have done nothing
but sweeten with time...

However, the competition band started with
wooden Gibson's....very nice tone...easy to
reed at all blowing levels, then were talked
into trying 3 other poly chanters....tried 5
different types of reeds...used mostly shepherds.

WE went back to the wooden gibson's.
They haven't even been issued as yet(not till
Wednsday)......

[Andrew Hagen]

McCallum Chanters are very clear, but honestly I've never set up a whole band playing them. Maybe they're ok maybe not - I honestly don't know.

However, I do know that poly Soutar chanters are extremely easy to set up. Especially for Grade 4 and 5 bands - they're very forgiving. Grade three may be a different story, maybe not.

[bmfw]

Originally posted by Bogus Piper:
We (grade 4 band) have used the McCallum blackwood chanter for the past three seasons with superb results.I'm curious as to how your band justified the cost of blackwood chanters in grade 4. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for, I just know that there are very few grade 4 bands (in Scotland anyway), playing blackwood.

FWIW, our band (Grade 4A) changed to Warnock poly chanters (and Warnock reeds) last year. The sound and setup time has improved greatly.

Cheers

G

[Bill Brockie]

I don't know about their grade 4 band, but after
spending the money on poly chanters 3 times, and
suffering through the flat high A's, the tons of
tape required to tune which thinned the tone, the
slipping of the tape on the plastic when it got
warm & Humid....going back to matched blackwood
chanters seemed like a Very good idea....and we
purchased enough so the grade 5 band has them as
well, along with a few extra's(New Recruits)
That way if someone progresses enough to move
up in grade....we are ready and as a band in
concert or on parade we have better tone(that is
how we pay for this stuff, so it is only fitting
we give the best we have). Bill

[Bill Brockie]

New Gibson Chanters have been distributed, and
new reeds issued last night....tuning is sharp
but, VERY, VERY SWEET!!!(455 on the tuner)

Volume is excellent, Chanters are matched
African Blackwood and we installed Caldwell
Reeds(recommended by Gibson).
The Tone on these chanters is OUTSTANDING,
with the Caldwell reeds, the notes are crisp
and clear, and we tuned the whole band in 30
minutes..(from out of the box to into the circle)
If you would like to see our group, our webpage
is back up and running...
www.pipersanddrummers.com (http://www.pipersanddrummers.com)
Just found out that the grade 5 band took
Champion Supreme Honors in the Midwest for the
third year in row....Good luck on your quest,
I guess I am just biased towards good WOOD chanters. Bill

[Ryan Murray]

Hi,
Our Band the City of Sacramento, uses McCallum Plastic chanters in G4. They are truly amazing chanters. Nice and bright very easy to reed especially with Meg-Ross reeds. We also have been getting excellent comments on our sound, including getting a first place in Pleasonton. I don't think you can beat the McCallum chanters for band. The new ones, also are threaded down the throat so you never have to worry about the read coming loose or falling out and the pitch or balance being screwed up as result of a reed moving.
Ryan Murray