How Much Do Bagpipes Cost?

The Bagpipes is One Of the most notorious musical instruments in the world is known for its majestic sound.

Many variations of instruments are available throughout Europe and many parts of Asia. But notably, two primary types of bagpipes are popular amongst musicians.

One of them is Irish, and the other one is Scottish. The price also differs from one type of instrument to another. If you are not aware of this instrument and how much it costs, then this article will guide you Into the world of bagpipes.

How Much Do Bagpipes Cost?

The average cost of bagpipes will range from $300 to over $7,000. The difference between the cheapest and the high-end is the quality and the musical experience you will get out of the instrument. You can still get your hands on plastic bagpipes for $200 to $500.

But if you want an expensive blackwood layout on the instrument, then you will need to raise the budget to $2000 or more.

The options are petty to appeal to the newcomers who never tried bagpipes before and for the people who are professionals at it.

Other costs will rise soon as the player starts investing in the instrument. All of this will help them get better at playing the bagpipe.

It will be necessary to pay for the accessories that can help the newcomers to learn a lot about the instrument and make the practice session much easier.

The cost will differ from brand to another, as they will have different quality material and design patterns. The Type of bagpipe will also play a role in fixing the cost.

Before jumping into the world of bagpipes, you will have to be sure this is exactly what you want, after investing money and finding the instrument not interesting is something that you shouldn’t ever want to do in life.

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How much should you spend on a bagpipe?

According to the professionals who have been playing the bagpipes for a long time, their suggestion is to spend between the range of $900 to $2000.

Here you will get a great variety of bagpipes with amazing quality to the music and the material. You do not need to look inside expensive shops, just hit Amazon, where you will find a huge managed brand that delivers solid instruments with an affordable price range.

The pricing, however, will be the same all the time.

It will go up and below from $800 to $4000. The brand name carries a lot of value in the bagpipe world.

Big-name brands will have their product listed on the high-end side.

The starting price of their bagpipe will be $800. If you are a professional, you can look into the blackwood bagpipes, which usually start at $1,200. But if you are a newcomer fresh into the bagpipe, you will need to keep the bar as low as possible.

Starting from $300 will be the best way to get yourself familiar with the instrument. There is a chance that you might not love the instrument as you thought you did.

Before spending an outrageous amount on a musical instrument, it is better to take some time to get comfortable with the equipment. A good week or two will tell you whether it is the right choice or you should play with another musical instrument.

Do I have to deal with the extra costs?

Every musical instrument, as Saxophone, or Alphorn has an additional price tag attached to them. It may not be seen from the initial viewing, but you will soon find out about them sooner or later.

The accessories and kits are what counted as an extra cost. The initial price tag is dependent on the source where you are making the purchase.

If the source is known to give out a lot of helpful stuff, you will have to spend the lesson getting the additional equipment for the violin.

Many times you will just get a violin and nothing else. Here you have to spend a bit of money getting the accessories you need for your violin sessions.

Bagpipe kit cost

To make your bagpipe section more comfortable you can add in a rosewood kit. Many dealers sell the kits for $60. So the price can go from $30 to $300.

Factors such as material quality, brand, and features will play a role in setting up the prices for the kit. Another inclusion will be a mouthpiece for the chanter, this can cost you $6 to $20.

If you are a beginner, then you will need a voice as it is a necessary piece of equipment for the starters.

Depending on what type of bagpipe player you are, the cost will rely on the decision. If you are a newcomer, then you will need to equip yourself with accessories that can help you reach the advanced level.

On the other hand, a professional will need the tools and accessories that make them comfortable playing the bagpipe. Without having them, they will be left clueless with their instrument. It is sufficient to say that players will need their accessories to feel comfortable with the instrument.

Should you buy low-quality chanters?

Many professionals will recommend beginners to get a high-quality chanter that can cost from $10 to $20.

Many see the chanter can inhibit the learning process of the bagpipes.

Cheaper quality chanters will not have holes for countersunk; higher quality versions will have holes that can be used for countersunk.

This will have the same spacing as professional bagpipe chanters. When it comes to chanters, you will need to go for the high-end to give you the feeling of playing the bagpipe. It will also make the starting journey into the world of bagpipes much easier.

If you are just starting in this music world, you would need to obtain a practice chanter, here you can spend anywhere between $25 to $75 for a good quality practice chanter.

The decoration of the instrument will impact the price. Getting a beginner practice chanter is a great way to know the world of bagpipes. The person will have a much easier time navigating the steps on learning the bagpipe.

How much money should you spend on a bagpipe bag?

If you like travelling a lot, then your musical instrument will serve as a great companion. You will need a case to keep your instrument safe and a handy maintenance kit to take care of the bagpipe properly no matter where you are staying.

Many manufacturers will have their own bags with different options in price ranges with unique specifications.

Some of them might provide your instrument with a bag. Sometimes, the bags that come with the violin are not of high quality with a designed appearance. Here you can resort to buying the bag separately from a local online store. They will have a great number of variations to make your decision much easier. 

The bags start from $70 to $80 and reach up to $300 to $500. It all depends on the quality of the bagpipe design engraved on it.

You can find a great deal on special occasions to save 30 to 40 dollars on the bag. Having a bag is accrual for the instrument, as it will do a fine job protecting the violin from several foreign damages, which will happen in mere minutes if the instrument were not kept in a safe place.

The bagpipe bag will act as a safe zone for the instrument after practice.

$100 bagpipe bag may not give much to look at, but they will be sturdy to protect the instrument from environmental damage.

Of course, expensive bagpipes will need a bag that matches their appearance. But for affordable ones, you can stay in the $100 price bracket to give the bag that can protect the instrument from harm.

Is there any way you can save money?

Bagpipes are not going to be cheap; even the affordable ones will cost a lot. Here you need to take another route to buy instead of making a direct purchase.

You can use ways to get the bagpipes for much less and save some money on other accessories that will make your journey into the music world much easier.

Sometimes dealers will offer a much better offer to a buyer who picks only the bagpipe instead of the whole set.

There are coupons and sales dates that you can use to get the instrument for a much cheaper price. Always check the websites to see if there is an ongoing offer that is listed.

Subscribing to the website will give you a notification about these deals and when they are taking place. You can apply the coupon and get the instrument for a far cheaper price. But you need to be engaged with the websites to know about these deals.

Should you get a Used or a New one?

Another way you can get yourself a bagpipe for a lower price is by getting a used one. Many people will sit out their bagpipe for a more discounted price than the initial cost.

If you are not planning to pay the full amount for the bagpipe, switching to the suede one will save you plenty of money.

Another perk of getting a used bagpipe is the brand and quality. Many people choose the route of used bagpipes since many of the bagpipes listed in the used category are high-end products.

Therefore, they will be available at a lower price tag. It makes you go for the high-end used bagpipe instead of switching to a new cheap instrument.

Some used bagpipes have better tonal quality compared to the new ones, and There is also a price attached to the old bagpipes that could go up in the future.

Many collectors usually love to have a used bagpipe from a good brand with an extensive history. A good set of used bagpipes will show up anywhere between $600 to $8000. When you go above $2000, you will see vintage collectable bagpipes with full silver engraved pipes.

Why should you never buy a cheap bagpipe?

Many professionals will tell you never to touch a cheap bagpipe; instead, you should go for a used one since many of the listings on used bagpipes are on the high-end side.

You will get a better deal on the product. However, switching to a chaper one that costs less than $100 is a bad way to start your music journey as they will not have the same sound quality and will often require more air to play.

For a newcomer, playing with a cheap bagpipe will be much harder as they will have to use more air for the sound that will not be satisfactory.

Always Go for a used one or raise a budget for the instrument. The quality is important for the player to keep paying attention to the instrument.

Cheaper bagpipes will result in more figures for your body, as you will have to put more effort into creating music that you do not find good. Before you think about buying the instrument, make sure to do enough research and play with the instrument for more than a week.

There are plenty of people who just buy an instrument straight forward without putting enough thought into it. Making whimsical decisions will lead to nothing but regrets.

Conclusion

A bagpipe is not on everyone’s list. Only a few groups of people want to invest in bagpipes. If you’re one of them, then you will need to spend a good amount of money getting a proper bagpipe to start in the world of music. The biggest mistake you can make is choosing a cheaper one since they will not sound great and degrade quickly in 4 to 6 months. The initial investment is what carries your interest in this instrument forward. Always make sure the brand is well-known, and the material is long-lasting on the bagpipe.