Hi Matt. It’s a great instrument to use on buses while commuting etc. I use it at work during lunch for practice. And yes, I’ve had mine for three months and only charged it 3 times. Very happy with the purchase.
Have you encountered any of the issues Matt had with his? I'm thinking of ordering one as a gift for my father and am just wondering if there were any improvements in quality in the years since this review.
Great video of an unboxing and demonstration. I've had my #GlenCoe #glencoebagpipes Black Watch E-chanter for over a year. It's a great inexpensive way to practice my finger work. Good quality and the battery lasts a long time. Thanks for the video Matt!! I still refer to this video whenever asked for inexpensive options for E-chanters.
Good review, man. I've had one of these for like six months and I like it, but I got a little bit of the crazy noises too, (not as crazy as this one was getting, though,) but I never bothered to contact the manufacturer about it, I just figured it was a bit cheaper, which is why I bought it. Now I know the trick, mine plays perfectly. Thanks, man!
Hi Matt I’ve had and used my GlenCoe electric chanter for a few years now and each time I am amazed at the length of time the battery holds charge for. Great price of kit for the price. Nice review
I have tried a pear of “yurbuds Ironman Focus Behind the Ears Headphones” and the improvement in sound is incredible, have to lower the volume!!!! Takes away the bzzz sound of the chanter !!
Yeah the Blair is expensive but it is not just an electronic chanter but can be used as an electronic bagpipe ( with available bag to hold authentically ) with 9 on board ( studio quality ) sounds and full midi capabilities . It has indeed been used as a performance device and not justfor a practice chanter sound without drones etc.
I've had one of these and a Fagerstom. I prefer the Fagerstrom over it, my Fagerstrom takes a AAA not watch batteries - so no rattle. The Glencoe's sound isn't quite as good but you addressed that. The Glencoe model I had was especially sensitive to the types of headphones used (TRS vs TRRS). My main frustration was even after adjusting it per the recommendation by the manufacturer, it still skipped notes particularly on certain embellishments (don't remember which ones). Thanks for your reviews.
@@88Nikoli (4 years later) the S in TRS/TRRS is "sleeve", which in most cases is also Ground - but it depends how it's wired, of course. Sleeve literally means the sleeve of the plug - the largest connector surface.
Great unboxing and product demonstration video. I refer to it whenever anyone asks about inexpensive E-chanters. I've owed one for over a year and use it regularly for practice. Thanks Matt!! #GlenCoe #glencoebagpipes
Hi Matt, another great video. Still prefer my Blair. Going great now. Wee suggestion off subject... how about an article on synthetic pipe chanter reeds? I'm currently waiting on reeds for my border pipes and GHB from Malcolm McLaren from Brisbane Australia. Great review on these and we'll in budget. Tried s border reeds years ago and was really impressed then. Hoping they have evolved and improved even further. William (Northern Ireland).
Great suggestion! That said, I have about 15 second experience with synthetic pipe chanter reeds (a set that came inn for restoration had a Clan Rye and it sounded terrible)... I may reach out to the current synth pipe chanter reed makers and see if they'll send me ones to review. Difficult to convince myself to spend my own money given how bad that Clan Rye sounded....
Yes Matt I agree on the Clan Rye... reviewed agree with you and priced too high. Malcolm's chanter reeds for GHB look and sound good, especially for that inclement day doing the solo job. My experience with the border reed was in his early days experimenting with that particular design. Was impressive even then but a work in progress... about 6 years ago. Reckon he will have mastered it by now. Waiting on one to try out now. Best for now.
Dry hands is what made me switch from a Deger (v1) to Fagerstrom.That death grip to get all the contacts working, even with hand cream really spoiled the feel. my Fagerstrom can dial the sensitivity for dry hands to moist hands (within limits). Really important if you live in a dry place, like cold winters with central heated houses. So GlenCoe may be cheaper, but if contacts are flighty you will regret not spending more on a Fagerstrom/Deger (v2) or big bucks to a Blair.
Hand moisterizer - and or simply licking one's fingertips. YES - that stuff is HIGHLY significant. I don't know why - but i have better luck while playing out doors. Possibly due to perspiration on the fingertips.
Hallo Matt. Thanks a lot. My greatest admiration on the job you are doing. Its a great help for all learning bagpipes and I wish when I started playing on a grainger & cambell in 78 there would have been such a opportunity. I havent played for a couple of years now because it was not possible for several reasons. Now I have already seen your test of the blair chanter and as a musician who will also record it for me the sound quality is very important so that I think I will purchase the blair chanter, but I have to listen to more videos. My question for this video: can the glencoe sound the great highland pipes ? It would be nice to hear the quality to compare it to the blair chanter. As a viewer from germany it is not always easy to follow you to understand each word so that I switch the tempo slower but nevertheless I like the videos very much ! Best whishes from the harz mountains
Thank you for the kind words! The GlenCoe can be a useful practice tool, but the sound quality is really quite low. Very staticy and doesn't really sound like a bagpipe. I did eventually purchase a GlenCoe, and the sound quality is actually a step (or two) lower than the one in this video. Again, super useful for practice, but the Blair would be the instrument of choice for recording.
@@MattWillisBagpiper Hallo Matt, Thank you for your honest answer. I am struggling between taking up the real pipes again and the blair pipes, for I know I would miss the physical experience when playing the blair. I dont speak of the strength of body that is needed, but of the way the whole body is engulfed of the sound and vibration when playing a pibroach for excample. Its a kind of meditation. Buying a blair would keep me from playing the real pipes I suppose. Okay, thank you again for yourt help and all the best for your future. Uwe
Hi Matt I've purchased a Fagerstrom Chanter can you advise me on what portable speaker I can youse I've got the small one that clips into the chanter Thanks from Bonnie Scotland 🏴
Thank You,very helpful,I'm hoping I can learn this, It kinda sounds like a videogame😨,So I'm charging now,I still may return it,But again Thank You👏🤝👍❣
Can we get a video on practicing with a metronome? This is probably the hardest thing I had to do as a new player and most of the new players I encounter (firefighters) have little music experience. That, and the fact that highland tunes many times don’t have an easy to follow beat
For many folks learning music, they don't have an inherent sense of tempo or rhythm, and a metronome is a valuable to to train their brain to feel the beat...
ATTENTION ALL FAGERSTROM TECHNOPIPE OWNERS, RETAILERS ETC, Anders Fagerstrom would like your feedback! So, having been frustrated and fed to the teeth with the fact that my Deger pipes stopped working, and considering the fact that I am picky to death about tuning... Anders Fagerstrom emailed me the other day asking for some suggestions to improve his Technopipes. I've corresponded with Anders and he is about to release a version with billions of times better sound quality and tuning. Like the B and F are completely out of tune. However, I'm working with Fagerstrom to come out with a new release so that the notes on the chanters are properly tuned. Surprised he did not pay attention to this so far. Here is what Anders Fagerstrom and I have come up with in the last few weeks: 1. Anders is aware that a lot of people do not like the original smallpipes that do not sound much like smallpipes at all, so he decided to delete them, so just two sets (just the Highland pipes and the newer smallpipes). 2. I sent him some slightly enhanced tone samples for the notes used for the Highland pipes. Being that I created these, compared to the original, in my opinion they are more accurate harmonically speaking, including the drones, as well as the F-sharp (older generations of Technopipes had F-sharp notes that sounded like the E was sped up). 3. With the exception of the equally tempered (a la piano) chromatic scale, all notes in the harmonic tuning scales have been corrected for tuning (which is actually the reason why the Technopipes were not my absolute favorite in the past), and a High B has been added to the chromatic scale per my suggestion because I'm so jealous of that Deger pipe which has a High B available on it! (Mind you, ordinary Highland pipes don't have a High B). 4. This is Anders' idea: Pitch remains the same when switching between sounds (on the last releases, switching to either the smallpipes would automatically put the pitch in the key of A, and Highland pipes were automatically snapped to B-flat). On the Deger pipes, sound is independent of pitch, so this is why this feature was corrected on what will probably be the next release. This was per his suggestion. Most of these modifications to this release is entirely of my correspondence with him. He's aware that I want to help him as much as I possibly can, and he knows I have a perfect ear for tone. So, I'll let you have a listen and evaluate it for yourself. This was sent to me by Anders himself, I don't have the upgrade yet. This is the final Highland pipe sound for the commercial release. drive.google.com/open?id=1Z3z_Tljpl2VHVmdqaw0vEHs0Db9UmRYz Perhaps if you're interested you can take a look at this thread for a new release and some sound samples. TTTTired of how out of tune the current Technopipe is, or the substandard drone sound? Well... wait no more! forums.bobdunsire.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1340396
The GlenCoe here I think wins for most affordable. The Fagerstrom technochanter is also quite good (better sound quality than the GlenCoe), but more expensive. Degerpipes also are a fine solution that's still more affordable than the Blair. But yes, the Blair is the "best" is pretty much every way but price.
Hi Matt, I have a DegerPipesll and I love it, the Blair is probably the best but my Deger is great for me and I am only a beginner. Have you tried the Deger yourself ? I would love to see the video if you have.
Bought one to practice in silence and help with muscle memory but I invariably play the sequence that lowers the volume to inaudible. I have to stop and play the sequence to raise the volume. Needs a better volume design.
Hello! Newbie piper here. Learning a lot from your vids. Are you still giving online lessons? Can you send a link to the cable that your connected the chanter to your amp with? I'll be needing to pick one up!
I am still giving lessons (though space is limited!) Text me at 972-657-0318 and I’ll give you the info. As for cables. It was a simple 1/8” six cable like to connect something to your car stereo, and then an 1/8” to 1/4” adapter to hook it to the amp.
Great video Matt! I subscribed to your channel and have been learning a bunch. I put down the pipes for 10 years and just put a new bag on and am firing it up! I forgot how much fun it is! I’m looking at this digital chanter. What are your honest thoughts? Should a guy wait and save up for a Blair digital chanter or does this one work well enough? Thanks!!!
Glad you found the channel! As for “is it worth it” really depends on what you’re needing. There are far cheaper electronic practice sticks, but they don’t sound as good and don’t interface as easily (or at all) with computers and such....
@@MattWillisBagpiper thanks Matt! Loving your videos a lot. I’m thinking of going with the Glencoe just because of the price. I will only be using it with headphones for travel and hotel and such.
Hi Matt! im a totally beginner (i have a very poor quality practice chanter) and i want to shop something better, my doubth is between a Fagerstom Tecnopipes or a Hardie practice chanter, in your opinion what is better for a beginner? i preffer electronic because they are silent but not sure about if is apropiated for a beginner. (sorry abouut my english)
The issue with electronic pipes is they don't build your facial muscles. I'd keep using your current chanter while saving for an R.G. Hardie twist-trap practice pipe, which includes a long Hardie chanter and when you're ready, turns into a practice bagpipe.
I would like it if it had like a bagpipe sampleset on it like it were sampled from a real bagpipe like digital pianos do with their samples and maybe a drone note selector
It's pretty straightforward, but not in the public domain, and I don't have the rights to distribute the sheet music. That said, it starts on an E if the helps...
Matt, I have EXACTLY the same problem you had with the 'chattering' D and E, but on my Blair. I have a meeting with Murray Blair this coming Thursday to see if I can get it fixed. In the meantime, could you suggest a possible solution for the problem on the Blair? It would save me bothering Murray unnecessarily. And yes, I've been through almost all of the sensitivity settings, but that didn't help. I've got so frustrated with the problem that I am seriously thinking about buying a Fagerstrom. I might buy the Fagerstrom anyway. I could do with a back up! 😉
Matt, Thanks for your advice on the Blair problem. Altered the Ambient Light Setting as you suggested. In fact, I turned it up to the highest setting of four, (EXT) which is the setting recommended for use outdoors in bright light, and it appears to have worked. I haven't had any problems in four days now. I will play around with the other settings but as they say, 'if it ain't' broke don't fix it'! Hope this helps any others in the same situation, and I shall pass this on to Murray Blair.
Matt, So am I!!! The day (this coming Thursday) I was visiting with Murray Blair in Melbourne, (which I've now cancelled) it is going to be 40 degrees, and I wasn't relishing the prospect of driving 160 miles, there and back, in THAT heat! 🥵🥵🥵
If you find yourself unable to practice because of the volume of the practice chanter, then yes, this could be useful. The danger of products like these is it doesn't help build your embouchure muscles needed to keep a seal on the mouthpiece.
@@MattWillisBagpiper thanks for your swift reply, i think for now i will do the right thing and build up them muscles and do the basics the way i guess it should be done. 👍
We just need to find a time. Scheduling and payment policies here: bit.ly/LessPoll Currently lessons are $70 per 30 minutes. Email me at matt@mattpiper.com if you find a good time and day. Cheers!
I really like mine, but would not recommend for a beginner. They don't enforce fingering and can produce some really bad habits unless you have experience like we do. I just can't stand the sound of the standard practice chanter.
They serve to different markets. If you want a high-end digital bagpipe with various sound options, excellent MIDI output, built in reverb, the Blair is wonderful, but quite pricy. If you just want a little stick to practice some tunes on when you otherwise can't bagpipe, then the GlenCoe services that need at a drastically lower price point. My favorite, however, is the Redpipes Classic, as it forces me to squeeze the bag and helps maintain steady "blowing" (which really has more to do with squeezing in my experience).
@@MattWillisBagpiper Stand Sure! The video appears to be Anderson ancient - The bright blue, almost cyan. The band appears to be wearing Anderson modern - The more subdued, blue-grey. Cheers!
…and this costs $150?? Wow.. so basically what I’m learning is, there is no way to grab something cheap and quiet to see if bagpipes are for me. No matter what I do I’m spending a ridiculous amount of money on something I’m only trying to dip my toe into, and if I get the absolute cheapest (which is still too much) it won’t even be a good or accurate playing experience. Guess I’m not trying bagpipes then. 😞
A decent practice chanter can be had for around $65... The pipes don't have the economies of scale to really bring prices down for our equipment, and no one is getting rich making any of this stuff.
I bought one of these based on your review, it arrived 4 days ago and here’s what I think so far. So my review is a little contradictory but go with it. There is no hiding from this instrument, if your fingers aren’t playing clean you will here it, if your doublings are poor, you will hear it, if your G, D, E grace notes are out of time you will hear it, that said, Burrell’s, high A doublings don’t play to loudly sometimes if at all. If you are getting up a bit of speed on your MSR then it will sound likes it’s starting to struggle to keep up, imagine Glasgow city police pipes of steam train to mallaig, when the playing gets a bit chewy it will start to struggle with all of the different finger work being thrown at it. The headphones are of poor quality, I replaced them immediately. If you leave the headphone jack plug in it will continue to drain the battery All of that said, when my wife is watching some horrible crime show about murdered children I can pop one headphone in and play away without bothering anyone and I can still sort of be in the room. It’s a great little toy, I’d still recommend a proper practice chanter as your primary tool of learning or practicing but this is great for finger exercises or getting familiar with a new tune as nobody will hear you playing bar after bar of the same thing. I should have bought one years ago
This actually answered all of the follow up questions I had after watching. Thank you you for sharing this. And thank you to Matt for making this video!
@@MattWillisBagpiper indeed. And if it supports the training of fingering and other aspects of acoustic pipes, then it definitely has its place. But what I'd want (as a non-pipe player) a sound closer to the sound of acoustic bagpipes. I guess e-pipes and e-chanter instruments are two different things? 🤔
mmm..good for........good for....mmmmmm good for.....good for....????? somebody remind me again, is this is a chanter ...! ! ! In fairness, it sounds s**** ..Pakistan marching band stuff
