I bought a set of uileann pipes from a pakistani maker. the drone reeds they sent didnt even fit into the pipes. the chanter reed was a sythetic plastic reed which to me sounded like a toy and the chanter was pretty much unplayable. not even close to the correct tuning. the bellows and bag were low-quality but got the job done as far as i was concerned. I initially was planning to attempt to retune the chanter but shortly gave up when i realized how much work it would take.
i'll look around and if i still have the set and someone is willing to pay for shipping they're all yours...
They smell funny. Walton's was importing them in quantity, and it wouldn't surprise me if they still are. That was one of the main places in Ireland, Dublin, where folks were regularly getting burned by purchasing these curious bits of kindling...
All you do is have to try and play one, and you will see what's bad with them. I bought a flute once, and it smelled like burnt hot dogs, and I couldn't get one sound out of it. They are truly horrible instruments.
Presumably you mean "most instruments aimed at Irish traditional musicians are very bad quality" (he asked, mischievously)? I imagine they probably make the best Pakistani instruments in the world
Certainly, as regards flutes anyway, it's bad workmanship, poor materials, and a complete absence of understanding as to what an Irish flute is, the mechanics of how it works, and what it's supposed to do which renders them utterly useless as instruments. Some of them don't even look like flutes, beyond being long, hollow wooden tubes with holes in, as they've got so much carving and daft flanges and so on.
A good while back, Ralph Hepburn (Edinburgh) put in a Pakistani made half set of uilleann pipes for me to make a chanter reed. Ralph had made and fitted some of his own metal housed drone reeds.
I'm not exactly the world's best reedmaker, but I gave it a shot. The first reed I put in worked a treat. With very little adjustment the chanter played in pitch and in tune.
The set was a bit rough and ready, but someone I know bought the set, and 16 years later they are still playing.
You can get lucky.
Some of the flutes were extra length to accommodate C and C# keys, though they didn't have the keys. A bit of work shorthening them with a lathe sorted that. A bit of tweaking here and there could get most of them playing in tune, but not high quality. I wouldn't expect it with a flute that, at that time, retailed at under 50 quid.
The article about the yaks is almost true. It's not even a metaphor. I wish I had a pound for every time a newbie horse person went out and bought a horse they were told was calm and well-trained, perfect for a beginner, but actually turned out to be semi-feral and mostly lame.
Funny thing is, my wife has a 22 string harp (bought from hobgoblin) that is Pakistani. It sounds fine, nice tone, stays in tune and the tuning keys set the pitch changes very easily and accurately. Are we too easily pleased?
I've no experience of instruments made in Pakistan but plenty of experience of engineering items from Pakistan and India. You may get lucky, you may very well not. Quality control is unknown to them, as is describing things accurately, especially if they are known to be faulty.
Pakistani instruments
Pakistani instruments
I've heard that most instruments made in Pakistan are very bad quality. So, what's so bad about them? I mean, what, specifically, about them is bad?
# Posted on January 17th 2012 by an fidleir
Re: Pakistani instruments
Poor quality control from what I've heard.
I bought a set of uileann pipes from a pakistani maker. the drone reeds they sent didnt even fit into the pipes. the chanter reed was a sythetic plastic reed which to me sounded like a toy and the chanter was pretty much unplayable. not even close to the correct tuning. the bellows and bag were low-quality but got the job done as far as i was concerned. I initially was planning to attempt to retune the chanter but shortly gave up when i realized how much work it would take.
i'll look around and if i still have the set and someone is willing to pay for shipping they're all yours...
# Posted on January 17th 2012 by deltasalmon
Re: Pakistani instruments
Here's a fairly in-depth discussion of Pakistani pipes...
http://forums.chiffandfipple.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=34434
# Posted on January 17th 2012 by dereksmootz
Re: Pakistani instruments
Camel p*ss...
# Posted on January 17th 2012 by ceolachan
They smell funny. Walton's was importing them in quantity, and it wouldn't surprise me if they still are. That was one of the main places in Ireland, Dublin, where folks were regularly getting burned by purchasing these curious bits of kindling...
# Posted on January 17th 2012 by ceolachan
Re: Pakistani instruments
All you do is have to try and play one, and you will see what's bad with them. I bought a flute once, and it smelled like burnt hot dogs, and I couldn't get one sound out of it. They are truly horrible instruments.
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by pipersgrip
Re: Pakistani instruments
Here is a interesting and entertaining discussion of Pakistani harp-like objects:
http://www.usedharpmart.ca/info/pakistani-harps.htm
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by rob zouk
Re: Pakistani instruments
Here's an interesting article:
http://centralasiaonline.com/en_GB/articles/caii/features/pakistan/2010/11/20/feature-02
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Pakistani instruments
Presumably you mean "most instruments aimed at Irish traditional musicians are very bad quality" (he asked, mischievously)? I imagine they probably make the best Pakistani instruments in the world
Certainly, as regards flutes anyway, it's bad workmanship, poor materials, and a complete absence of understanding as to what an Irish flute is, the mechanics of how it works, and what it's supposed to do which renders them utterly useless as instruments. Some of them don't even look like flutes, beyond being long, hollow wooden tubes with holes in, as they've got so much carving and daft flanges and so on.
In the name of all sanity, just don't buy one.
m.d.
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by emmdee
Re: Pakistani instruments
"the mechanics of how it works, and what it's supposed to do "
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxdOA_iagQQ
I wish I could do that with a bit of bamboo....
A good while back, Ralph Hepburn (Edinburgh) put in a Pakistani made half set of uilleann pipes for me to make a chanter reed. Ralph had made and fitted some of his own metal housed drone reeds.
I'm not exactly the world's best reedmaker, but I gave it a shot. The first reed I put in worked a treat. With very little adjustment the chanter played in pitch and in tune.
The set was a bit rough and ready, but someone I know bought the set, and 16 years later they are still playing.
You can get lucky.
Some of the flutes were extra length to accommodate C and C# keys, though they didn't have the keys. A bit of work shorthening them with a lathe sorted that. A bit of tweaking here and there could get most of them playing in tune, but not high quality. I wouldn't expect it with a flute that, at that time, retailed at under 50 quid.
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Pakistani instruments
The article about the yaks is almost true. It's not even a metaphor. I wish I had a pound for every time a newbie horse person went out and bought a horse they were told was calm and well-trained, perfect for a beginner, but actually turned out to be semi-feral and mostly lame.
A bit like Pakistani pipes, flutes, and harps.
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Pakistani instruments
"The article about the yaks is almost true. "
A bad workman blames his tools......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-8TmkE7DQU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoR7MRuiIPg
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Pakistani instruments
Sometimes they have the advantage too:
"Yak can walk freely in precipitous places at high altitudes, which cannot be reached by horse or sheep"
http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/ad347e/ad347e08.htm
Horses for courses. but yaks for tracks.....
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by Weejie
Re: Pakistani instruments
I'd take a good yak over a useless horse.
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by DrSilverSpear
Re: Pakistani instruments
"I'd take a good yak over a useless horse."
That would be really mean to the horse, even if it is useless - and who's going to clean up after you?
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by Jon Kiparsky
Re: Pakistani instruments
Interesting video previously posted
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euUSfb8LfMw
about making a half-decent bodhrán out of a rubbish cheap Pakistani drum. No idea if it's yak skin, though.
\())
# Posted on January 18th 2012 by greenman
Re: Pakistani instruments
Funny thing is, my wife has a 22 string harp (bought from hobgoblin) that is Pakistani. It sounds fine, nice tone, stays in tune and the tuning keys set the pitch changes very easily and accurately. Are we too easily pleased?
# Posted on January 19th 2012 by greg sheils
Re: Pakistani instruments
I've no experience of instruments made in Pakistan but plenty of experience of engineering items from Pakistan and India. You may get lucky, you may very well not. Quality control is unknown to them, as is describing things accurately, especially if they are known to be faulty.
Don't buy unseen, would be my feeling
# Posted on February 1st 2012 by oilman