A practice chanter reed should last you anywhere from a few months to a couple years. To make the reed last as long as possible, we recommend removing the top section of your practice chanter when you're done practicing to allow the reed to dry out.

Gibson smallpipes typically come in either the key of A or the key of Bb. The easiest way to tell which key yours are in is to look at your chanter. The key of Bb chanter will have two sound holes directly across from each other on the sides of the chanter toward the bottom (just like our long practice chanters). The key of A chanter does not have these holes.

If you have an older set that is in the key of D, your chanter will be much shorter and will have large sound holes toward the bottom. The hole spacing will be much closer than that of a practice chanter.

If your practice chanter is making a rough, raspy sound, the reed is not having enough air pushed through it. If you're new to the practice chanter, this is likely because you're not blowing quite hard enough. Try using a more forceful breath from the bottom of your diaphram, like a strong exhale versus blowing out a candle. If the reed is too hard to be comfortable for you, you can lightly sand the top 1/8 inch of the reed blades with 220 grit sandpaper to lighten it up a bit.

If your reed is squeeling, it is most likely a bit on the stiff side. You can try lightly sanding the top 1/8 inch of the reed blades with 220 grit sandpaper to lighten the reed up. You can also move the elastic higher up on the blades on smallpipe reeds.

If your practice chanter is making a rough, raspy sound, the reed is not having enough air pushed through it. If you're new to the practice chanter, this is likely because you're not blowing quite hard enough. Try using a more forceful breath from the bottom of your diaphram, like a strong exhale versus blowing out a candle. If the reed is too hard to be comfortable for you, you can lightly sand the top 1/8 inch of the reed blades with 220 grit sandpaper to lighten it up a bit.

Gibson practice chanters are the most highly recommended practice chanters in the world. All of our practice chanter models have the same hole placement. We typically recommend any of our long practice chanters to adults, and recommend our short or regular length practice chanter to children below the age of 12. The design of the long models gives these chanters more accurate note tuning and a higher quality overall tone when compared to the short or regular length model.

Plastic is denser than Blackwood, Blackwood is denser than Cocobolo. Cocobolo has the most mellow sound, while Blackwood produces a more crisp and clear sound with excellent resonance. Plastic has the most robust tone.

Blackwood is a very dark wood and the color is fairly even throughout. Cocobolo has a lot of color variation, and can have very defined and unique grain patterns.

Both Firesides Ceilidh Pipes use the same playing techniques and general sound. Firesides have drones that sit on your shoulder as Highland Pipes do. The drones on a set of Ceilidhs come out of one common stock and sit across your chest. Firesides have regulators at the base of each drone to turn each individual drone on or off. Ceilidhs do not have this feature. Firesides tend to be more comfortable to play standing up, while Ceilidhs tend to be comfortable to play while sitting. Ceilidhs are typically chosen over Firesides if there is an interest in playing with bellows. Ceilidhs also have the 4-Drone Ceilidh Pro model which allows you to play in the key of A or the key of D.

Gibson smallpipes typically come in either the key of A or the key of Bb. The easiest way to tell which key yours are in is to look at your chanter. The key of Bb chanter will have two sound holes directly across from each other on the sides of the chanter toward the bottom (just like our long practice chanters). The key of A chanter does not have these holes.

If you have an older set that is in the key of D, your chanter will be much shorter and will have large sound holes toward the bottom. The hole spacing will be much closer than that of a practice chanter.

Plastic is denser than Blackwood, Blackwood is denser than Cocobolo. Cocobolo has the most mellow sound, while Blackwood produces a more crisp and clear sound with excellent resonance. Plastic has the most robust tone.

Blackwood is a very dark wood and the color is fairly even throughout. Cocobolo has a lot of color variation, and can have very defined and unique grain patterns.

Firesides can come in either the key of A or the key of Bb (B flat). Ceilidhs typically come in the key of A, but can also be set up in the key of Bb if necessary. 4 Drone Ceilidh Pro pipes are set up to be able to play in either the key of A or the key of D.

There are two common causes for this:

1. The regulator top is too loose in the regulator stock.

- Add some hemp to the tenon of the regulator top to tighten the joint. It should have a snug fit.

2. The wax on the bottom of the regulator top has worn out.

- Add some wax or petroleum jelly to the bottom of the regulator top tenon to help it seal.

One of the first steps when it comes to choosing your first Great Highland Bagpipes is to determine your own budget. For a new set of Gibson African Blackwood GHB's, the differences between models are very much aesthetic. While African Blackwood is always our top recommendation, our poly model is a high quality, affordable option for beginners and offers excellent durability for worry free playing in unfavorable weather conditions.