So, it seems that if your struggling bagpipe company just can't compete on merit, a mere rebranding and some cunning marketing can save the day. Never mind that people aren't getting what they think and that they'll likely find themselves ridiculed when they parade their sad fakes past those who know. Even more profitable and even less ethical is the practice of not even bothering to actually build bagpipes, instead setting up shop on the streets of Scotland and hawking Pakistani bagpipes, branded with Scottish-sounding but fictional names, to unsuspecting tourists. (A list of such names here would be pointless, as they often change.) We hear all too often from people who proudly tell us that they bought a bagpipe on a trip to Scotland, but that it doesn't seem quite right and could we maybe help them out. The dialog goes something like this: "Who was it made by and how much did you pay for it?" "I don't know ... it cost $400." "Well, there's nothing wrong with a $400 bagpipe that a new bag, drones, chanter, reeds and blowpipe won't fix."

So, location of a seller is no longer in itself meaningful. People are unwittingly bringing Pakistani bagpipes home from visits to Scotland, and people are ordering famous old-name pipes made in Scotland without realizing what they're actually buying. Price is sometimes used as a guide to separate junk and fakes from the real thing. To an extent this is useful. You are not going to buy a legitimate new bagpipe for a few hundred dollars. That $400 pipe on eSwamp or from Ye Olde Pipers Nest in Scotland is guaranteed to be Pakistani. But again, caution is in order. One US seller of Pakistani bagpipes (now out of business, in part due to our intervention on the behalf of a bamboozled customer) took a different approach. He simply stuck seriously high prices on his shoddy crap, thus eliminating the obvious red flag. We'll likely see that fraudulent tactic tried again. On the subject of outright fraud, there are further opportunities available to the unscrupulous. Counterfeits of both antique and high-end modern pipes are not unheard of, though rare.

Most makers of bagpipes, past and present, have always offered a wide range of models, ranging from the very plain to the elaborately decorated; this opens the door to back-room upgrading, by applying metalwork and/or ivory to a pipe that never carried such. Hallmarked antique silver can be deceiving, as it is often used as primary identification of the maker and the year of manufacture. Salvaged silver can easily be mounted on an otherwise ordinary bagpipe, greatly increasing the combined value. Replaced (replicated by someone other than the original maker) wooden parts are another issue. It's not unusual for an antique pipe to have had some replacement parts fitted during its lifetime. Often, but by no means always, this is obvious from differences in the wood, turning or finish. Blowpipes, chanters, and the five stocks are perhaps the most commonly replaced parts, and that really doesn't affect the "heart" of a pipe as much as does the replacement of any of the seven drone sections.

But value does diminish with any replacements, so this is something that a seller might not mention but that a buyer should look for. One might think that identifying who made a fine old bagpipe shouldn't be too difficult, but that's not at all the case. parrot ar drone 2 caratteristicheThe basic problem is that pipemakers, past and present, rarely put their mark on their pipes except on the chanter or on silver, if that's present. ar drone 2 pic watchdog emergencyChanters are more or less consumables, and it is rare that an original accompanies an early pipe. parrot ar drone 2 recensioneFurthermore, pipers commonly replace one maker's chanter with one by someone else, sometimes even at the time of purchase. buy parrot ar drone nz

So what is left for identification are fine points of detail and dimensions, for example the style and spacing of the exterior turning, but variations within a maker's work are not uncommon. There are further issues, such as inconsistent use of materials, re-boring of drones, and so on. ar drone 1 mainboardThe bottom line is that the identification of a pipe that lacks good provenance quite often comes down to a matter of opinion, sometimes with disagreements among knowledgeable and honest people. difference parrot ar drone 1 et 2This of course again opens the door to fraud, or perhaps more commonly, to wishful thinking. The best way to avoid falling into any of the above traps is to work with a reputable dealer or maker when choosing and purchasing a bagpipe. Ask questions and do not be automatically put off if you don't get hard answers;

to the contrary, be suspicious of what you hear from anyone who claims to have all the answers. Bagpipes, new and old, contain many mysteries and the true expert understands and respects this. Remember, much that you hear about old and new bagpipes is ultimately opinion. The good news is that so long as a wide detour is made around Pakistan, it's hard to buy a bad bagpipe. Decide what you are really after. If you simply want a bagpipe that plays decently and won't fall apart, the basic models in wood or synthetics from any of the established so-called "hand makers" (for example Dunbar, Kron, Naill, Walsh, MacLellan, Dunfion, Gibson, Sinclair, etc. etc.) will serve you well. Even mass-produced bagpipes (a new phenomena which is the subject of another White Paper), and which currently means McCallum, are acceptable). If you want something a bit different if not unique, most makers offer a very wide variety of options regarding materials and/or styles. If you want something truly special then the high-end models by the top hand-makers, or a vintage/antique pipe, might be the thing for you.