These few pages are dedicated to the presentation and selling of CastaPipes uilleann pipes. The uilleann pipes are the irish bagpipes, less known that their siblings the scottish or brittany bagpipes, they are softer and have few anatomic particularities. Particularly, they behave regulators which allow playing melody and harmonizing it … in the same. This is one of reason why this mythical instrument is on the top of the most complex bagpipes.
At some point, playing uilleann pipes, this is understanding its making, especially the reedmaking. To succeed to play it, you need to adjust reeds and then making reed, and one thing leading to another, you finally making chanter of uilleann pipes. This is a bit of my story.
After months of making process adjustment, I release my first instruments, among ones I would be glad to have when I begun playing many years ago.

Chanters

My uilleann pipes chanters are made of cocobolo and macassar ebony woods for the body and brass for the head. Inside the chanter, there is a reed made of spanish cane. All the chanters are provided with two fitted reeds, the chanter and the reed are adjusted one to the other. Only one tone (D) is available for the moment, but I hope to make C chanter during the next months.

Different parts of the Uilleann Pipe chanter

The Uilleann pipes reeds work like the oboe reeds. They are two slips of cane vibrating together on the difference of pressure between the bag and the chanter inner space..

Uilleann Pipes reed

Uilleann Pipes bag

The CastaPipes bags are made of false leather and boxwood. I don’t use leather for ethical, ecological and practical reasons that I won’t expose completly here. But … false leather are simpler to work, more stable and do not decrease instrument quality. And yes ! CastaPipes Uilleann Pipes are vegans.

Bellows

My bellows are made of oak wood and false leather for the same reason than the bag.

Pictures

Some pictrues of my last chanters, made of cocobolo, macassar ebony wood and brass.

Videos

Some videos of myself playing chanter I made.

Prices

All my chanters are for this moment available at a single and relatively small price. This is in the aim to encourage orders and then allow to buy new tools and materials. The prices will rise during the next years.

• Uilleann Pipes (practice set): 850€
• Uilleann Pipes D chanter with two reeds: 500€ (All tax included)
• Bellows: 300€
• bag: 50€

Delivary fees: Free to UE. Contact me for other destinations.

Contact

To contact me and pass order, you can use the form below.