►Cool Piping Websites Please report any BROKEN links to the Webmaster...

Piper and Drummer Online: everything you need to know, and loads of stuff you might not need to know but is nice to know anyways. This site is 99.9% of the time up to date. The surveys are interesting, and a section worth looking in on from time to time is the "Tunepost" section. The best thing about it is that it always arrives at your place on time, unless your ISP is down. The actual P&D magazine is notorious for being a wee bit tardy, but the website more than makes up for that.
Bob Dunsire's Forums: OK I pulled off another site to move this one near the top. Bob's site is THE place to ask a question about almost anything concerning bagpipes. My handle of course is "pipermacbear", stop on by and see what I have to say about all things bagpipe.
Pipeline: this online radio show is on every Sunday. The tunes played there are great and there are many special guests from the world of piping and drumming. You will need Realplayer to hear this programme, and a good connection might help. The host is Gary West, an awesome player who played with the group Ceol Beag.
Martyn Bennett: this fellow is the 2k's Everyman of Neo-Celtic Hip Trip Electro fusion. He is an awesome piper, fiddler and flute/whistle player, but loves to play to computer-generated tracks and sampled beats. This guy's just a wee man, but his playing and the beats he sets up are HUGE and the musical soundscapes he creates are truly dynamic. Martyn passed away this year, but his website still exists as a tribute to this wonderful musician, and his legacy.

►Bagpipe Makers  We all need supplies to keep our pipes happy! Please report any BROKEN links to the Webmaster...

Naill Bagpipes: between my Naill practice chanter and my 2 blackwood Naill pipe chanters, I am sold on the sound that Naill built. Many I folk I know consider these chanters to be a benchmark for a solid competitive sound. 
Gibson Bagpipes: I happen to own a set of Gibson's, thanks to this friend of mine who used to play in the Camerons. He says they in terms of the dimensions they are said to be based on Captain John McLellan's "MacDougalls of Aberfeldy". He insisted that the combing be made to MATCH that set, as closely as possible. I put down my Hectors for a year and played these pipes, and must say that I do like the sound. The drones are quite smooth, clear and easy to  tune. They also make a really nice split stock blowpipe that makes it easy to remove your tube trap. They are situated near Cleveland, which makes receiving their goods a little faster than from Scotland. Unless of course you live in Scotland. If you are looking for a nice set of pipes, you can't go wrong here.
Dunbar Bagpipes: makers of some very fine, reliable products. I send all of my new students to Dunbar for their first practice chanter. They are never disappointed in the product they receive! Pipes made in the Henderson Tradition.
Garvie Bagpipes: I first visited Nigel Richards' shop in Leith in the summer of 2000. His Scottish Smallpipes and Border Pipes are made with almost scientific precision. After hearing Fred Morrison's "Sounds of the Sun", I was smitten with that Border Pipe sound. So I purchased a set, and now I am exploring a different sound which lies between the Highland Pipes and Scottish Smallpipes. I must say I like it, and maybe you will too.
The Wee Piper: This is a the business name of a well-known pipe maker in Vermont. Michael McHarg is a fine gent who's passion is making bagpipes. He does some pretty awesome repair work as well. Discover the many bagpipes that the Wee Piper has in stock. If you surf hard enough you might even see the famous "Red Chanter". In my mind it should be up there in the history books next to the MaCrimmon speckled pipes. 

                                                                                                                              Well I can't believe it... he actually made a chanter out of bright red plastic! Now all I need are the drones to match.

 

►Top Shelf Bagpipe Accessories

Ross Pipe Bags: another  simple equation: DRY reeds = HAPPY reeds. What does a happy reed look like? Well the Ross bag is perhaps the finest invention since plastic drone reeds. It almost makes you want to go back to cane, too. Ross Pipe Bags are another no-brainer, especially up here in Canada. When you are blowing warm moist air into a Gore-Tex bag and the air outside the bag is -20 degrees Celsius, what are you creating? A monsoon inside your bag. And the first victims of this not-so-natural disaster are your drone reeds. Do Mark Wygent's children a favour, and get one of these pipe bags. And when I say his children, I mean his DRONE REEDS! (Sheesh...)
Wygent Reeds: to me Mark Wygent led us into the Age of Enlightenment when it comes to a solid drone sound with a minimal amount of fuss. Guys were playing these in the big competitions and judges were perplexed as to which pipers were using cane and which were using plastic. 
Chris Apps Pipe Chanter Reeds: here is a simple equation: Naill + Apps = No-brainer! I love to go through a box of these reeds with my Naill pipe chanter, trying to figure out which reed sounds the worse, and having a hard time.

►Other Great Links                                    What's this...? More great links tae check oot? Please report any BROKEN links to the Webmaster...

The Pipes & Drums of  the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada:  I have a time line with the lifespans of all the pipe bands in Montreal. And in the timeline there is this ONE BIG RED LINE that stretches right across the page. That line represents the Black Watch Pipe Band, North America's oldest organized pipe band. If you get involved with me on any level you are getting involved with this band. Check out this fine site and see what we are all about.
The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada: the Regimental Website. This site brings all facets of the Regimental Family together. Web mastered by a former Pipe Major, no less.
The College of Piping: to me this is a UK piping site that stands high above the rest. The College of Piping in Glasgow has been around a mighty long time, and this website is worthy to be known as the CoP's site. For all the newest releases of CDs from the UK, this is the place to go if you want them fast. The College has a team that handles mail orders, and are renowned for shipping to people in every corner of the Earth. Even with the exchange, you are still paying about the same amount and getting the CDs faster. Tell them Uncle Jeffy from Montreal sent ya!
Bagpipe Player by Doug Wickstrom:  this music engraving software is free, free, free. Every piper who wants to compose a tune should have this software. Heed my words! This site was down for a wee bit but now it is up again, thanks to Mister Wickstrom for keeping this thing going.
House of Tartan: achhh, everyone has a tartan nowadays. Who can afford not to have one? Go find yours at this canny wee site.
Bagpipes go to the Movies: well this one is just for those who think they know every single movie that ever had a bagpipe played in it. Well now you have somewhere to double check your facts. Enjoy!
Tartan Rug Kits by Jane MacKay:  I guess this is as close as you'll get to a shameless plug on my site. Jane's tartan rug kits are a really nice hobby for persons who like to do things with their hands, esp. while watching TV or what have you. She has kits available for dozens of different tartans. These tartan rugs make a fine gift for any person, any time of the year or any occasion. Jane's husband is a minister, with whom I've worked with on many occasions. Together they are often seen at highland games in Ontario, Quebec and the North Eastern United States.
Le Cheval Blanc: Ach, piping is a thirsty job. So it's good to know a good watering hole or two. Well this is one of my latest haunts, located on Ontario Street near Saint Hubert (a hop skip and a jump from Berri-UQAM Metro, the Bus Terminal, in case you have to make a quick getaway!) It's really quit close to the Black Watch Armoury, so it's a good place to run to after practices. Have a pint of "L'Ambrée", I promise you it will put a smile on your face. The prices are reasonable compared to the inflation-driven Crescent Street Pubs, and the atmosphere is easy-going and friendly. To me it is the meeting place of East and West in Montreal, plus a good number of weirdo artsy types from the Plateau thrown in for good measure. Check out their website...it will make you thirsty.
Bhajis Loops:  this is a super cool Palm application that I use to make electronic music. It gives you everything you need to create stunning compositions on the go, or to play complex arrangements during gigs: a complete sample editor, virtual instruments with wave table synthesis, pattern editor and sequencer, effects, automation, and even a special mode for live performances! I am having way too much fun with that app nowadays. I am going to try using bagpipe samples to make some interesting bagpipe rave music.

Bhajis Garden: the home of all those BL maniacs out there. Palm stuff, BL stuff and info on other Chocopoolp software. Songs to DL as well if you have Bhajis Loops on your Palm. 

 

 

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