Gerry,
You could have easily sold me a new bag but after testing it you found nothing wrong, the problem was hemp maintenance, you are a true gentleman! I’ll stick with the WMC. I’ve only moved here full time in July so I haven’t really established a track record for the pipes yet. Thank you. I joined a local band, the Rosie O’Grady Highlanders and Needless to say I’ll try to send people your way.
Again, thank you.
Pat
Good morning Gerry,
I just wanted to say thank you for helping me with the new pipe bag. As you know I called you on Tuesday night around 6pm looking for a WMC Hybrid pipe bag. I was in a bit of a spot as I was to play a funeral for a good friend on Friday, and mine was not holding air. You said it was in stock and made arrangements to ship it overnight the next morning. The bag arrived Thursday afternoon and I was up playing in no time. You saved the day!! All the best,
Ken
Bagpipe Pipe Bag by Bannatyne WMC Hybrid (IN STOCK)
Quantity in Basket:
NonePrice:
$214.00Shipping Weight:
2.00 pounds(IN STOCK) The new WMC (Willie McCallum) Custom bag is designed to be a better ergonomic fit for pipers.This zipper pipe bag is very slightly bigger in girth than a small but is shaped quite differently in front of the drones to allow greater freedom on the forearm, which can often bear the weight of the pipe with other shapes.
The Zip is at the bottom of the bag.
This Pipe Bag comes in only one Size 27.5" Long X 10.5" deep a medium
Willie McCallum - I have been using Bannatyne bags since 2009 and have always been impressed with the quality of the bags, their consistency and the sizes available. I was led down this path as other synthetic bags I had previously used were never that comfortable, although I was completely sold on using a synthetic bag, due to me being a wet blower.
The Bannatyne Hide Zip bag is my bag of preference as it gives me the sense of substance under the arm and at the same time allows me the opportunity to use the Canister Moisture Control System to give complete stability of the drones.
Using the bag and moisture control system gives me maximum control over the quality and stability of my bagpipes.
The bags have long lasting quality and as of yet, I haven’t had to replace a bag. Their performance has been so consistent that I have never looked at another bag since.
I was so impressed with the bag that I asked Craig if he could make me a particular shape of bag to suit me individually and this has given me more comfort for long performances.
I find this new shape excellent and it gives more comfort generally and more freedom to the left hand, at the same time has helped prevent slippage of the bag.
What type of pipe bag should I play? The three basic bag types are Leather, Synthetic and
Hybrid, and each type can either be the "sealed" or "zippered" style. Zippered
bags are more expensive than sealed, but allow easy access for finding missing drone reeds, and adding accessories like tone enhancers , valves
and warer traps
.
Leather Bags must be treated (seasoned) to seal
the inside pores in order to make the bag airtight. Once you have done this you
have also created a potential water problem as the moisture from your breath can
no longer escape from the bag and will condensate on the drone and chanter reeds
thus creating a very unsteady sounding bagpipe.
Synthetic Bags are usually made of Gortex, a low maintenance, man-made material
that is airtight, yet allows moisture to wick out of the bag overnight so that
you are always starting each session with a dry bag. You will see in coming
issues that a dry system is what you want for ideal playing conditions.
Hybrid Bags are leather on the outside with a synthetic lining on
the inside. These are more expensive, but offer the traditional look and feel of
the leather bag with the modern advantages of synthetic. The thicker walled bag
also provides better resonance for sound quality.
How do I check for Air Tightness? The first step in good bagpipe maintenance, and this should be done at the
change of every season, or 4 times a year. Never put a pipe bag in water to
check for air leaks, because as soon as you do, you can kiss the manufacturer's
warranty good-bye. Remove the pipe chanter and the drones from the stocks,
insert large rubber stoppers into the stocks and fully inflate the bag. Then
place your thumb over the open end of the mouthpiece to prevent any air loss,
put the bag under your arm and squeeze with as much pressure as you can for 30
seconds, then blow back into the bag. If the bag takes more than the smallest
amount of air, you need to check that all the stocks are tied in tightly, that
stocks are free from cracks, and if you are playing a leather bag it may need
seasoning. If your bag still leaks air it's time to replace it.
What Size Pipe Bag Should I Play?: Yes, here size does matter. Probably the most common
mistake pipers make is trying to play a bag that is too large for them. The two
main things that can determine the size bag you need are arm length and chest
size.
A quick guide to bag size selection - Small or Extended
Small if you are under 5'-7" tall, Medium for 5'-8" to 6'-1", Large if you are
over 6'-2". A larger person can play a smaller bag without harming the shoulder,
arm, neck or wrist, but a smaller person playing a bag that is too large is
asking for shoulder, arm, neck and wrist problems.