What the Masters are playing

[Mac an t-Sealgair]

Originally Posted by John Miner

I'm not sure why, but I'm pretty sure he plays the originals in the band.

Marketing? Publicity? I'm pretty sure Callum Beaumont won the CLASP with set of the MacRae drones. if that isn't a fantastic endorsement I don't know what is!!

[Green Piper]

I suspect that many of the “masters” could win at the highest levels playing off-the-shelf drones. What makes them able to win the top prizes is their ability to setup pipes, choose good drone reeds, match drones to chanter and play near flawlessly.

[Jim Fogelman]

Originally Posted by Green Piper

I suspect that many of the “masters” could win at the highest levels playing off-the-shelf drones. What makes them able to win the top prizes is their ability to setup pipes, choose good drone reeds, match drones to chanter and play near flawlessly.

I'm sure many of them could win - maybe not the highest levels, but definitely most amateur competitions - with a set of pipes from the subcontinent. As you said, it's down to setup, but also their control over the instrument.

[Mac an t-Sealgair]

Originally Posted by Green Piper

I suspect that many of the “masters” could win at the highest levels playing off-the-shelf drones. What makes them able to win the top prizes is their ability to setup pipes, choose good drone reeds, match drones to chanter and play near flawlessly.

Exactly!! I completely agree. It does prove you don't need bank account breaking Hendersons or whatever. It's a great advert.

[Søren E. Larsen]

Originally Posted by Mainebagpipes

Bruce was playing his 2011 McCallums, not his Hendersons.

Pretty sure it's a set of old Hendersons Bruce is competing with here.

[Pppiper]

Originally Posted by Mainebagpipes

Bruce was playing his 2011 McCallums, not his Hendersons.

Originally Posted by Søren E. Larsen

Pretty sure it's a set of old Hendersons Bruce is competing with here.

I would say that I take Mainebagpipes' word for it, I know he takes lessons from Bruce. I saw your site from your signature, looks like you take lessons from Bruce as well?

McCallums make sense to me, Bruce told us at a workshop this past spring (2018) that he often uses his McCallum pipes for international travel ... I believe to cut down on the issues of CITES and the like. That workshop was in the US, and he that weekend he was also playing his McCallums. But I've not seen this particular performance.

He can make any set of pipes sing ... I daresay all of these folks can.

Cheers,
~Nate

[Mainebagpipes]

If I remember, I'll ask him this week. However, without having been in Scotland, I'm certain they're the McCallums. I've got a couple of reasons for thinking that, one of the big ones being it's a dead ringer for the set he played at Maxville (which I was around for). There's a closer view in the video of his Piping Live recital than in the Masters broadcast.

[PMT]

Stuart Liddell was competing with a new McCallum solo chanter that is still under development.

[PMT]

Should have mentioned Iain Speirs is playing a Mk2 McCallum. Thanks for the breakdown Shawn, very interesting to see the chanters and pitches.

[Neal Hinerman]

I for one would like to know their entire setups;

Chanter
Chanter reed
Bag
Drones
Drone reeds

It would be interesting to get each Master's take on why they play what they play. I think it would encourage us mere mortals, and give us options we haven't thought of before.