delrin, polypenco or "plastic" bagpipes

**Minnow** · 12th August 08, 12:02 PM

Assuming there might be a few bagpipers on these forums I'll ask. Has anyone here tried playing or owned either a set of dunbar or piper's choice bagpipes made from that polypenco/delrin material? You know, everyone refers to them as plastic pipes.

I've heard great things, terrible things and everything in-between about pipes made of this material. If anyone has opinions, please dump them on me.

-Minnow

**JS Sanders** · 12th August 08, 12:11 PM

I've had a set of Dunbar P1's for several years.

Advantages.... they're bombproof, relatively inexpensive, great for inclement weather. Simple design & well constructed. Not a long wait for delivery - usually.

Disadvantages.... the supplied chanter tends to be a bit flatter than the popular sharper chanter pitch. The drone sound isn't as robust as most wooden drones. For neophyte players, they may be more difficult to tune.too.

Overall they make a good 2nd set. Perfect for travel - I place my in checked baggage for international flights, not even a scratch.

Those are the highlights, can address specifics.

Slainte,
steve

**Panache** · 12th August 08, 12:47 PM

Minnow,

I have moved your Thread to our "Celtic Musicians" forum where more of our Pipers are likely to see it.

Cheers

Jamie

billmcc · 12th August 08, 10:16 PM

I've had a Dunbar P3 for about 12 years. About half the pipers in the band I played with have Dunbar P-series pipes. There are sturdy and have good sound quality.

**zeeew** · 13th August 08, 04:38 PM

Hi

I have heard mostly good things about Dunbars. You may want to check here for more opinions http://www.bobdunsire.com/ubbthreads...s.php/ubb/cfrm

**PiobBear** · 14th August 08, 02:59 PM

Several guys in my band play P2's-P3's. Properly set up and tuned, I doubt that 99.98% of people can discern the difference at ten paces. I just like the look and feel of real wood myself.

**JS Sanders** · 14th August 08, 03:57 PM

<< I doubt that 99.98% of people can discern the difference... >>

Really?

And I'm not trying to be combative - but that's virtually everyone. Or perhaps you were meant non-pipers?

The first time my drummer heard them, he commented on the sound after I'd only played a few tuning phrases. And I had them dead-on tuned. He said they weren't as 'vibrant' as my wooden drones.

To each his own, not trying to change anyone's opinion, just replying to an inquiry based on my own experiences.

Will add this - you don't see many world-class pipers playing polypenco pipes.

Slainte,
steve

**kypnkilt** · 14th August 08, 07:09 PM

I had a set of Dunbar P-3's that played well. One thing I noticed with my Dunbars is that playing cane drone reeds sound really awesome. Though cane reeds are a pain, I would recommend trying synthetic tenor drone reeds and a cane bass reed. I played Canning tenors with an Apps Cane reed in the bass and had a great resonanant balance. The P series from Dunbar is a tough set of pipes and they're not that bad overall. Though I do play ABW Hardie's now most of the time, I still recommend Dunbars for a first set.

NOTE: I donated my P-3's to the NWJPB.http://www.nwjpb.org. Quite a few of their newer players have Dunbars. Many P-1's.

**MadBagpiper** · 20th August 08, 12:52 PM

Yeah, plastic pipes are great for beggining pipers and for people who travel and need a reliable and good sounding set. I play a set of P1's and I have been for as long as I've been playing wich is about 3 years and I have had no problems with them at all.
Now the chanter that comes with them is something to be concerned with. Dunbar is definitely not renound for their chanters. The high hand tends to be a bit wonky with any reed that you put in it which, for a begginer, is not a very good set up.
A good alternative to that chanter is a Shepard of MacCallum chanter. I happen to have all three of those and to be quite honest, there is an amazing difference between the two and the Dunbar.

But as for plastic drones, there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. They are durable as hell and they stay in tune once you get them that way. The other thing is that there is very little maintenence if you get the O-Rings as opposed to the hemp.

**Kiltedfirepiper** · 20th August 08, 01:16 PM

I too have noticed that cane reeds sound awesome ( and loud) in my poly's (dunbar p2's)

when I made a set of cane reeds from the cane in my backyard I noticed how loud they were. last St. Paddy's day I played them almost the whole night, but about the 2nd to last gig they got soaked enough that they cut out and had to switch to EEzees.

of course them being plastic they dont absorb ANY vibration from the sound so will tend to be louder

KFP