u/brando444

So I switched pipe bags, having gone from a hybrid to a full hide Gannaway bag. I've been told that the leather acts as a natural moisture control system, but im noticing a lot of moisture on my reeds, and it's been effecting my tuning during gigs.

Can someone recommend a good moisture control system for a hide bag? I used to use a Bannatyne canister system, but I feel like i'd go from too much moisture to not enough. Suggestions?

I thought I’d share this learning experience with y’all. Maybe you’ll heed my lesson and it won’t happen to you.

So in January, I switched pipe bags for the first time. Ever. I was happily playing a Bannatyne hybrid for 12 years, with a canister moisture control system. Always reliable, and with kinnaird drone reeds, I never once had a bad strike in or cut off. It was perfect. After some time, I wanted to try a full hide Gannaway pipe bag. I swapped it out, and since it was leather, I chose not to put any moisture control system in. Id let the leather suck up all the moisture. It’s been great! A little more moisture than normal, but I also swapped out a flapper valve for a moose valve. I also decided to swap out my Kinnaird bass for an Ezee bass.

With the no moisture control system, and ezee bass, my strike ins were not the cleanest. But I managed to fiddle with my reeds and make it work. Eventually they became a little cleaner.

I’m a pipe major for a grade 5 police band. So I got hired to do a solo gig with my snare drummer. It was to bring the brass into a room, where people were getting medals of service. Bring them in. Bring them out at the end. Easy peasy. Well, going in was fine. But when I came back out, my strike in was atrocious. Double toning bass. Had to awkwardly restrike in. It was bad, but whatever, shit happens, right? Well about a month later, the same police force hired me to pipe at their change of command ceremony. They were swearing in a new commanding officer, so all the high level brass were there. Same as before, pipe them in, and then pipe the new CO out. Well, unfortunately, my strike in going in, was bad. Again. I struck up again and recovered. Going out, I was on a stage, bright spotlights in my face. I was to pipe the new CO out. Went to go strike in, and it happened AGAIN. I apologized profusely to them, and ran away after recovering. I got home, took my ezee bass, and launched it as hard as I could into my garbage can. Swapped it for a Kinnaird bass, and once again, my strike in’s were better. Thank god!

Well, fast forward to today. I was hired to do two graduation ceremonies for a school. One today, one tomorrow. Bring in the grads and faculty, go on stage, play while the grads filter in, and then deak out. Simple. I arrived, and decided that I wanted to pull out my old Naill Blackwood solo chanter from the 80’s-90’s. I haven’t played it in about a year, so I picked a new reed, opting for something on the easier side, so I’m not busting my guts while the grads filter in. I plugged it in, and warmed up my pipes for about 30 minutes. The reed was on the easier side, but I was able to blow tone and maintain pressure. They came and got me, it was time to start. I started walking and playing everyone into this auditorium, which was full of the students’ parents. Cameras all out. The MINUTE I walked into that auditorium, something felt and sounded weird. The pressure felt weird, the reed was getting quieter, and the tone was changing. I started panicking, but I was already half way down the aisle, and had to go onto the stage. Well when I got onto the stage, the reed just completely collapsed. You know that video of the piper from John McCain’s funeral? That epic failure that poor piper had to live through? Same.exact.thing. With full pressure, I was barely getting any volume, and it was way off. I tried pushing through, but it was a train wreck, and decided to just cut my losses and cutoff. I stopped, and the principal gave me a rightly angry look, and motioned for me to keep playing. I shook my head, and just stood there. Silence as the grads were coming in. Finally they started playing some canned graduation music, and I just stood there, wanting to jump out of my skin.

I left, got changed, and was swearing and raging the whole drive home. I messaged the faculty, apologized, explained the situation, and told them not to pay me for today, and that I’d go fix my bagpipes in time for tomorrow. I plugged in my regular band chanter I’ve been playing, and played for about 30 minutes without fail.

I know shit happens. But i feel terrible. Im also shit scared about tomorrow’s ceremony, and almost thinking of subbing myself out for someone else, but part of me wants to go back and redeem myself. To show them that im not actually a shit piper.

It’s been a rough learning experience. What did I learn? If you’re a solo player, and you’ve been playing the same system for weeks/months without fail, never, ever, EVER change a system/part in your pipes before a solo gig, unless absolutely necessary.

I’m going to go curl up into a ball and die, bye!