Sometime in the near future I might have to part with something very special to me.
This is a full set of Alain’s pipes in D (made in 1990, sat under a bed for 20 years), anyone that knows or has played his sets I’m sure will agree they are among the Roles Royce of pipes.
Anyhow i understand the whole supply / demand / market value is what someone will pay etc etc.
But I would have no idea what to ask for this set as I have never seen one up for sale.
Issues - None really - a small chip on 2 mounts well hidden below drones, you cant see until you go looking.
Reason for sale - A growing young family, Saving for a deposit for a house. - I know people will say I am mad and its bricks and mortar, but unfortunately financially its seems to be the only way at the moment.
A C# full set by Froment was for sale in December 2008 for €12500 = £11281
Sellers description: “C# Full set made by Alain Froment in 2001. Fully keyed chanter, 3
regulators and 4 drones (extra 5th)- New L&M bag. 1938 Indian ebony and
real ivory, hand-forged keys and in perfect playing condition.”
Ok thanks for that.
Isn’t Alain more well known for his CP sets i haven’t played a flat set of his but I’m sure they are very nice, he was so meticulous.
I think MOB has a couple of flat sets.
The 4-Reg Concert Pitch Froment set I acquired in 2008 was listed at £7,800 back then. The exchange rate to the US Dollar was so bad back then, that the price in USD was the same as £11,281 would be today… just over $14,000. It’s hard to say what a full Froment set would price out at today though. Full sets by top makers today are often north of $15K, are they not? Full sets by makers like Froment and Williams are rarely advertised for sale. Downward pressure on price is also present to an extent because there are more high quality makers today than there were ten years ago. There are some pipers (no names mentioned, Rory ) that have a strong preference for Froment. I can vouch for the quality, playability and sound of Froment’s work.
hello UPI, just read y post and I would be seriously interested
at what point of your contemplation process are you? would you follow up and send me a message?
cheers
MB
Hi PJ
Looks like any Froment set I’ve seen.
Stainless and ebony and imitation mounts.
I have a selection of photos and sound clips which I’ve forwarded to quite a few people by now.
If it’s not too rude could you say how much the set sold for? Was it more, or less, than £13000? Fully understand if you have no desire to say the amount
As said uilleannpiperireland that’s ok. I think pipes by the big five modern makers Wooff, Williams, O’Briain, Froment, Kohler & Quinn, will always be in demand and command high prices as their quality is proven, and they are in limited supply. Not sure how many sets Froment and Williams made before their demise.
"Looking on it in purely an objective way, Alain Froment being on the top of the big five ,I would think MORE. RORY
I don’t think so, but each to her/his own. My favourite makers are Geoff Wooff and the late Dave Williams. They are my favourites as regards design, quality of build, tuning, and the sound of their drones, regs and chanters. Froment, O’Briain and K&Q pipes are fine instruments too.
There are also a number of contemporary makers making excellent pipes these days such as Marcus Coulter, David Lim, Gordon Galloway, Makoto Nakatsui, Derrick Gleeson, Andreas Rogge, Joe Kennedy to name but a few
It’s a good thing that a lot of others don’t feel the same way, or your request for information about what the value this set might be would have no responses since there would be no information about what they sell for. I find it odd to post such a request on a public forum, but then not want to contribute information that makes the forum more useful for exactly what you used it for.
I used the word objectively on purpose, because of course we all have our favourite maker who’s work we admire, but to take personal opinion out of the equation , Alain Froment comes out on top.If we take his body of work in its entirety he has produced top quality instruments in all pitches, he worked in the most difficult material and from I’ve seen his instruments are out there, more than any other maker being played by some of the best pipers.
I’ve been informed by a very knowledgable and eminent maker that Froment probably made 8-10 sets per year for 20+ years. If Froment started making pipes in 1978 then he spent 30 years making pipes. This would indicate that he would have produced a lot more that 125 sets, prehaps somewhere between 200-250 sets. Maybe even somewhere in the region of 300 instruments inclusive practice sets and chanters.
Froment’s instruments seem to be very well made and sound fine to me, but visually I think that they lack the elegance, the style of the metalwork (keys, ferrules, the way the turning of the mounts), that you find on pipes made by Geoff Wooff and Dave Williams.
Sorry Jeff, it’s like asking someone for a quote or estimation versus asking someone what is their salary.
But I understand your point.
I should have been clearer and said serious offers by PM but appreciate people’s input.
And in reality I had no idea what this set would fetch.
It went in euros for a bit more (not much) than Steampacket estimated.
I purchased the set myself in Sterling and at the time paid a fair bit more in euros than I sold it for when you consider the exchange rate at the time, but that’s life.
I agree with Rory that Alain was outstanding, very consistent. His pipes will give ANY piper all they need and more. The potential they have is endless compared to other nice sets I have played. Not the easiest pipes to play, they take a skilled piped to play anywhere near to their potential. For me it’s the tone from the chanter, volume and tone from the regs, and volume and tone from the drones. All combined with a great build and quality materials. Some pipe makers might match one or maybe two or these things but not many have mastered all.
) that have a strong preference for Froment. I can vouch for the quality, playability and sound of Froment’s work.