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Which Stephens leadpipe would be the closest to a Shires #2?

Those who have a Stephens large bore tenor, which leadpipe are you using?

bigblue wrote: Fri Jul 10, 2026 2:50 pm Those who have a Stephens large bore tenor, which leadpipe are you using?

From what I hear everyone loves the horn that they purchase so I would guess a Stephens pipe. No since going down that rabbit hole.

WGWTR180 wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2026 8:04 am

bigblue wrote: Fri Jul 10, 2026 2:50 pm Those who have a Stephens large bore tenor, which leadpipe are you using?

From what I hear everyone loves the horn that they purchase so I would guess a Stephens pipe. No since going down that rabbit hole.

I purchased a Stephens leadpipe to use with my Shires but it is too open for me. I was trying to gather opinions about which Stephens leadpipe I should try next.

Steve doesn't seem to publish any information about his pipes. If I were a betting individual, I'd say they're probably similar to what he was doing at Shires, but he'd be the best person to answer such questions.

i play an 82. i have a 69 as well, but it doesn't match what i'm going for. the 81 i played at ITF was also quite nice. I don't have official sizes or anything, partly because my ethos is it either works or doesn't, if that makes sense.

WilliamLang wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2026 12:49 pm i play an 82. i have a 69 as well, but it doesn't match what i'm going for. the 81 i played at ITF was also quite nice. I don't have official sizes or anything, partly because my ethos is it either works or doesn't, if that makes sense.

The 82 is what I have. Do you recall how the 81 felt in relation to the 82?

bigblue wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2026 12:19 pm

WGWTR180 wrote: Sat Jul 11, 2026 8:04 am

From what I hear everyone loves the horn that they purchase so I would guess a Stephens pipe. No since going down that rabbit hole.

I purchased a Stephens leadpipe to use with my Shires but it is too open for me. I was trying to gather opinions about which Stephens leadpipe I should try next.

Ahh I see. Who knows if they're similar-sometimes trial and error is the only way. A Stephens pipe in a Shires could, and probably will play differently, than it does in a Stephens.

the 81 and 82 felt very similar. i thought the 81 was a little more focused iirc

I picked up a few bass pipes via the used market. The ones I have seem to be slightly longer than a standard Shires bass pipe. Not as long as a Shires L pipe though. Not sure if he's done anything different with tapers, venturis, etc.

As for how they play in comparison to Shires pipes in a Shires instrument, they seem a bit more focused and locked in. For me the sound seemed denser, and "snappier", with a more "notched" feeling moving between partials. These traits were consistent across the different sized pipes I have and compared to the B2 pipe i normally use. (not sure how the sizes I have compare to my B2)