Help (with "setting up" pipes)

[imrichmond]

If you have the drones stopped up, can play a tune on the pipe chanter by mouth-blowing it, yet cannot get through a tune when the chanter is in the stock, then you very likely have a leak in the bag. Check for this by putting stoppers in the drone and chanter stocks and inflating the bag. It should stay inflated to the point where you cannot put another full breath of air into it. If it begins to deflate immediately or almost immediately, then you have a leak somewhere. If your bag is hide (leather), it may just need seasoning. If it is synthetic or hybrid (synthetic inside, leather outside), then you should check for leaks where the stocks enter the bag.

This forum isn't really the place for this type of discussion. You should go to the Bob Dunsire forums, which are dedicated to the bagpipe and have an area for beginners: http://forums.bobdunsire.com/forums/index.php On the Dunsire forums, you can receive much more detailed help.