Grainger Pipes
scott white
Who can tell me something/anything about Grainger pipes?
I bought my pipes from my PM and certainly enjoy them, but Grainger's just
not one of those names I hear often, like Dunbar, Sheperd, etc.
The only thing I currently know about Grainger is that it's a word written
on my chanter.
Who makes them? Where are they from? Are they still produced?
Scott
<swh...@cimedia.com>
Shawn Husk
Scott,
Graingers are older pipes, I'm fairly certain that they are
no longer in business. They were a very common pipe some
years ago (c.1960's?). They did not carry a reputation such
as Henderson, Lawrie or MacDougal's did. They were generally
heeded as common stock pipes. However I've heard that, just
like with any maker of pipes, the occasional wonderful
sounding set was produced.
Hope this helps,
Shawn
Ken Gordon
> Who can tell me something/anything about Grainger pipes?
>
> I bought my pipes from my PM and certainly enjoy them, but Grainger's just
> not one of those names I hear often, like Dunbar, Sheperd, etc.
>
> The only thing I currently know about Grainger is that it's a word written
> on my chanter.
>
> Who makes them? Where are they from? Are they still produced?
The company is actually Grainger and Campbell. My main set of pipes are
Grainger and Campbell made circa 1960 or so. Full imitation ivory mounts.
I have seen other sets of G&C pipes from that era. All had trouble with
setting a reed for the bass drone. After measuring the dimensions of
several sets of old pipes (Hardies, MacDougalls, Lawries) I bored
the top section of mine out about 1/32 inch and it made a BIG difference.
Setting a reed to the Bass drone is now child's play and the whole set
sounds VERY nice. Deep, organ like tones. Strikes in easily. Stays in
tune. Comments from both judges and other pipers have been invariably
favorable. I do not use the G&C chanter which came with my pipes. It was
badly warped from lying in the pipe box for about 10 years before I got
it. I straightened it over a steam jet and it was acceptable. Eventually,
I had the throat bored out a bit, since it had swelled so that normal
chanter reeds sounded very bad in it (Warnock). I eventually gave the
chanter to a friend to go along with a set of pipes I made out of black
walnut. The drones sounded good, but, boy, did they ever vibrate!
I then had Norm Kyle in Edmonton make a chanter for me out of some very
old African Blackwood I happened to have. It was patterned after a
Sinclair I think. In any case it is VERY pretty sounding, and I get
nice comments about it from other pipers often. They say it sounds,
"sweet" ..
Ken Gordon
Gay Piper
Grainger was a good sturdy maker of fine pipes. In and around (and I
could be wrong about the time) the 60's, they became Grainger &
Campbell. Since then, Grainger & Campbell went out of business (at
least I think that's what happened to them). You'll never go wrong
with a set of Grainger & Campells, tho their chanters were tonally no
where near what is needed today. Grainger (pre-Grainger & Campell)
drones were excellent. In fact, one of the players in our band has a
set and they're beautiful. Find out from your P/M if your pipes are
Grainger or Grainger & Campbell. Either way you have good drones, but
Graingers are just about antique in status now.
Edward Neigh
scott white wrote:
> Who can tell me something/anything about Grainger pipes?
>
Grainger Pipes started life before the turn of this century as Duncan MacRae
and sons. The company was I believe originally a Church Furnisher. If you
have lathes to turn spindles and you are idle, why not bagpipes?
They were purchased by Grainger sometime in the first half of this century,
and were later purchased by Donald MacLeod and John MacFadyen in the early
1960s.
The last owner was Sir Patrick Grant who did a lot of work to change and
improve the instrument before having the business go on to other more
lucrative things. At this point they stopped making pipes.
For years they were located on Argyle Street out towards Kelvingrove. I have
fond memories of lessons in the old shop, and lots of good crack with the
Glasgow piping crowd who would pass through. After Sir Patrick took over they
moved to an industrial estate in East Kilbride.
George Grainger (son of the last Grainger owner) was in the 70's a member of
the Glasgow Police force and band. I am sure he and others could provide you
with more information.
Ed Neigh
Chris Hamilton
Edward Neigh <nei...@golden.net> wrote in article
<34AFBDAE...@golden.net>...
> Grainger Pipes started life before the turn of this century as Duncan
MacRae
> and sons. The company was I believe originally a Church Furnisher. If
you
> have lathes to turn spindles and you are idle, why not bagpipes?
> George Grainger (son of the last Grainger owner) was in the 70's a member
of
> the Glasgow Police force and band. I am sure he and others could provide
you
> with more information.
Thanks for the history on Grainger pipes, Ed. My first set was Grainger &
Campbell. I bought them new from Tom Donaldson at The British Shop
(Buffalo, NY) in 1972 for the princely sum of $300 U.S. - full ivory, ivory
soled chanter, etc. I think the imitation ivory sets were $150 at the
time. Tom's son Iain still runs the shop and they're one of the foremost
retailers on the continent.
My Graingers were pleasant, a bit on the light side. The bass had an
off-center bore and some warping in the middle joint which caused hemping
and tuning problems. I had a replacement made by Jack Dunbar in 1985 or
so, and the set is still being played by a friend of mine. The replacement
part made a big difference!
Regarding Duncan MacRae, the great P/M Iain MacLellan of the Strathclyde
Police played a set of MacRae drones that he got as a boy in the Boys
Brigade band. They had the unique "hempless" springs on the tuning slides
that MacRae invented, and were quite a nice sounding instrument. The only
set I've ever seen with that innovation - anyone else ever seen another set
with it?
Chris
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Hamilton -- tone...@erols.com
City of Washington Pipe Band
http://www.serve.com/cowpb/chamilton.html
Royce Lerwick
On Sat, 3 Jan 1998 20:11:26 -0800 (PST), Ken Gordon <ke...@uidaho.edu>
wrote:
>> Who can tell me something/anything about Grainger pipes?
>>
>> I bought my pipes from my PM and certainly enjoy them, but Grainger's just
>> not one of those names I hear often, like Dunbar, Sheperd, etc.
>>
>> The only thing I currently know about Grainger is that it's a word written
>> on my chanter.
>>
>> Who makes them? Where are they from? Are they still produced?
>
>The company is actually Grainger and Campbell.
I think the older ones my just be Grainger, before Campbell.
>My main set of pipes are
>Grainger and Campbell made circa 1960 or so. Full imitation ivory mounts.
>I have seen other sets of G&C pipes from that era. All had trouble with
>setting a reed for the bass drone. After measuring the dimensions of
>several sets of old pipes (Hardies, MacDougalls, Lawries) I bored
>the top section of mine out about 1/32 inch and it made a BIG difference.
They don't hit modern pitch very well. I solved my problem with a
short bass reed, just an oversized tenor reed, opened up and whittled
down.
They are all that way but they do sound very good when set up
properly.
Royce
Ian Lawther
In article <34AFBDAE...@golden.net>, Edward Neigh
<nei...@golden.net> writes
>
>
>scott white wrote:
>
>> Who can tell me something/anything about Grainger pipes?
>>
>
>and sons. The company was I believe originally a Church Furnisher. If you
>have lathes to turn spindles and you are idle, why not bagpipes?
>
>and were later purchased by Donald MacLeod and John MacFadyen in the early
>1960s.
>
>The last owner was Sir Patrick Grant who did a lot of work to change and
>improve the instrument before having the business go on to other more
>lucrative things. At this point they stopped making pipes.
>
In the early 1990s the name was bought by Joe Hogan, a former employee
of J & R Glen in the Royal Mile, Edinburgh. Hogan had been unable to
continue the Glen name after the death of Andrew Ross as it was sold to
a third party. He then set up his own shop as Clan Bagpipes in a close
around the corner from the old Glen shop. Later when the Grainger and
Campbell mark became available he bought it and to the best of my
knowledge still trades under it.
-- /
Ian Lawther http://www.northernlight.demon.co.uk/ian2.htm O///
Faversham, <|o>
Kent, UK. |\
||
ja...@netjava.com
you are very right , with the exception its Hagan. I was in his shop
in june of 95 and visited with him . I bought one of his pc's and its
quite nice. The address
J. Hagan
Clan Bagpipes
13a James Court
Lawnmarket
Royal Mile
Edinburgh EH1-2PB
Phone 031-225-2415