Topic: Quills Options?

[Blue in VT]

So After digging around on the TAG about quills I started to get disheartened about how difficult it seems to get the right supplies to make a set of quills for myself to mess around with...As I have never played an instrument like this I don't want to invest a huge amount of time and/or money into something that I may not enjoy....but as I was cruising around on the web I came across this website: http://www.panflutejedi.com/jean-paul-tutorial.html

which describes how to make pan-flutes from cane, bamboo, stainless steel, and PVC...has anyone ever heard Quills made from PVC?  is the tone anything like the actual cane version?  would it be good enough to mess around with?

Thanks for your input

Blue

[Edited Title - Wax}

[Richard]

It could be a first!

What's TAG ?

[Blue in VT]

The TAGs are the system that allow us to search this site based on subject....For instance I TAGGED this thread to show up with the other Quills tags....which should show up right below this post....if you click on it it will take you to all the threads that have info on quills...very handy!

Blue

[Richard]

Whoops... how silly can I get  it's because it was in capitals I thought it was some cunning form of abbreviation!

[TX_Songster]

Hi Blue,
A friend of a friend makes didgeridoos out of PVC.  Apparently the tone is pretty much the same.  Now that's a long ways off from a set of quills, but I thought I'd share it.

I'm curious what your inspiration for this is, Henry Thomas?

[waxwing]

Small correction, Blue. Tags are not really a search function. They show you the list of topics to which either the original poster or a Moderator have attached a tag. There may be topics with info about quills that do not have a "quills" tag and you could find these by using the Search function, which is separate from the Tag list. The tags insure that you will find info on the subject, the search function merely finds the word, regardless as to whether there is any valuable info.

Good time for a reminder, tho. All Topic starters should make an effort to add tags to their first posts, if appropriate, adding value for all. To insure good tags, you can go to the tag list, accessible by selecting the Tag button at the top of every Forum page, and copy and paste the appropriate tags, thereby ensuring correct spelling and minimizing duplication due to slight variances in choice of names etc.. Moderators regularly spend time going through the list and cleaning these things up, but any effort on the part of our members is greatly appreciated.

As to the quills, I recently was given what I assume is a "tourist edition" of the Peruvian pipes. It is a 15 note diatonic scale and the tone doesn't seem all that bad to me, altho' I don't have KC's home-made set here to compare. I can easily make an eight pipe pentatonic set from them and any minor tuning necessary should be simple with a sanding block.

Having watched the video of that guy making his own pipes, I'm not sure I understand the logic of filling the pores of the cane with wax, a particularly unresonant substance. These pipes do not appear to have been waxed.

If you are dead set on making your own from scratch, an admirable goal, working with PVC may be a viable option. (especially if you play them with an Ovation -G-) But if you just want to get playing something quickly, I think picking up a diatonic set from Lark in the Morning or whoever sells the "tourist edition", and modifying to pentatonic, will get you playing the music a lot faster. If you feel at that point that the tone is inadequate, then you can experiment with materials to your hearts content. But I'd make sure I was really gonna put in the time and practice to learn to play them before I went to too much trouble.

Wax

[waxwing]

Wow! Yeah, Lark in the Morning.

They seem to have options:

http://larkinthemorning.com/search.asp?t=ss&sb=0&ss=pan+pipes&x=0&y=0

The ones I have are similar to the Bolivian set at the top, but, as I said, only 15 pipes. Probably the shorter, higher end of the set. Mine don't seem any larger than I remember KC's being and I think they are in the key of G.

I don't know whether the 6 pipe pentatonic set has enough notes to cover Henry Thomas? Oh, actually, using the "quills" tag to get to Johnm's post on Henry Thomas(-G-), I see that he stayed within the 6 note I,II,III,V,VI,I framework, so very likely these would work. An email to LitM confirming the scale and key might be in order. But you seem to have several options here.

Cool, that means I could build two 6 note sets, in different keys, form the set I have. Just a little retuning here and there.

Wax

[Blue in VT]

Wax,

Thanks for the clarification on the Tags and the great links for Pipes...that certainly seems to be the easiest route to follow and I think I'll give them a try.  Yeah I just discovered Henry Thomas and am really enjoying the contrasting guitar and pipes sound.

Cheers,

Blue

[dj]

I'd be interested in hearing the experience of anyone who tries playing Henry Thomas songs on one of these Peruvian sets.

[uncle bud]

Before picking up that pentatonic set, I'd wait and see if we can get KC to chime in. They look suspiciously like the first set he had, which were not great.

[waxwing]

Or, go to the source. Bolivia:

http://www.bolivianstuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=7

I got out the set I have and there was a barely legible logo for "Andres Mamani". Ba da bing! Bolivia.

Obviously a professional instrument maker. Good info about the tunings and sizes so you can speculate as to the size of the pipes. Some of the smaller, less expensive ones look pretty similar to what I have. A 19 pipe model would give enough pipes for three 6 pipe pentatonic sets in various keys, after tuning them by sanding off the lengths a touch. One extra pipe in case you screw up.-G-

Wax

[uncle bud]

One of the sets on that page has "adjustable frequency", accomplished by moving rubber plugs.

Anyway, just to point out the pentatonic set I referred to were the real cheapies, not the ones Wax mentioned.

So how're you gonna integrate them into your jug rack, Wax? 

[waxwing]

[Edit to add] Hmm? I hadn't thought of that. Jug band quills? I was just thinking of it on a harp rack, doing a Henry Thomas song or two to add a little variety to my solo sets.

After looking around the site a bit, there seems to be another professional maker, Acha, as well. Here's  the listing of all the Zampo?a (siku) they carry:

http://www.bolivianstuff.com/index.php?cPath=43_70

Looking more closely, mine looks like one of the small sets that come with cd instructions, etc. and are definitely the "tourist grade", but still seem to have decent tone, comparing to my memory of KC's playing last summer. I'm sure they could be hotrodded a bit with some sand paper on a dowel to smooth the inside walls a bit

This inexpensive Chuli Zampo?a (siku) looks interesting:

http://www.bolivianstuff.com/product_info.php?cPath=43_70&products_id=224

Partly because of how short the high end is. I recall KC's short pipes being in the inch and a half range, like these look to be, and as the ones on my set are. Another interesting thing is they are made with your choice of either thick-walled or thin-walled bamboo.

Your right, UB, it would be good to hear from KC on this, to find out what his opinions about these various choices are. He'll probably get a kick outa this site, too, if he hasn't found it yet. You got an email address for him?

I'm gonna have to get to work and see what I can do with this set I have. Thanks for the inspiration, Blue.

Wax

[uncle bud]

I sent KC a PM. Hopefully he'll pipe up soon. (sorry...)

[Blue in VT]

I sent KC a PM. Hopefully he'll pipe up soon. (sorry...)

UUUGGHHH...that was bad Bud....

Wax...thanks for all the resources to follow up on....I've got some researching to do...Hopefully KC will show up with his input before I move forward.

Cheers,

Blue