WJC wrote:
BTW, Where are the surly pipers? Surely there is stronger opinion out there (I started it with "surely"... that should wake someone up)
I'm waiting for a surly "Seamus Ennis played C#... 'nuff said" opinion
ya want surly??? I'll give ya some surly ! no prob.
IMHO---A full concert set's enough for one person to handle in a lifetime!
So
until someone;s paying me to pump out chunes in C, & F major:{or C#/F#, B or E}
I've a full workload with a concert set.
otoh
If the OP simply cant go on without a flat set, then she must follow the heart & do so. Life is short.
Tell us something.: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Cathy Wilde wrote:
Thanks again, and C# we shall be (for the moment, anyway)!
Best,
Non-C-nat Cat.
I agree with whoever said to check with your fiddle player. I know you happen to have one handy. You might also have a chat with Skip Cleavinger, who owned a C# set for a while and is in your neck of the woods. And I assume you would also consult whoever made your D drones about the whole tuning-down-a-half-step thing.
Remember, as the old joke says, if you don't C sharp you'll B flat!
Jäger wrote: A set in concert pitch, which is D, as opposed to the flat sets, which is everything below D.
Thanks Jager! I was just kidding around, it's been one of those weeks and I felt like spicing up the forum a bit. Soon enough I will dissapear into the shadows and lurk again. I was just looking forward to the discussion on this thread and hoping to keep it rolling - J
Welcome to the exciting world of obsolete pitches! You won't regret it.
I well understand why specific makers names have been kept out of this thread. Talking about classic makers' designs keeps the discussion more civil and personal views less heated! But it should go without saying of course that the characteristics, pros and cons depend on the exact designs of C# and C you're talking about. I certainly agree with everyone who says it comes down to the sound you prefer!
Where C# is concerned, most of the models out there are based more-or-less roughly on Coyne (if indeed they are based on anything at all other than the maker's musings and extrapolations). C chanters are more likely to be based on something else, i.e. Harrington (Wooff), Egan (perhaps someone is doing Egan copies in C?), or a home-brewed design (Koehler and Quinn) just to give a few respected examples. In short, all C's (and all C#'s) are not created equal. I am not so much referring to perceived "quality" as "qualities", i.e. characteristics. It's a case of horses for courses! The origin of the design influences tonehole spacing considerably, too, which is why some B chanters have noticeably smaller spans than other C chanters.
You mention Coyne, and there are a couple of original Coyne C sets out there - Seán Reid's seldom-heard Coyne set, Gay McKeon's Coyne set (though its Matt Kiernan replacement chanter isn't particularly Coyne-like). There's another Coyne C chanter in good condition being played in Ireland, but I doubt the measurements are widely available.
As has been pointed out, a C chanter is not necessarily designed to play in modern concert C; there's a case for letting a flat set play in whatever specific pitch it chooses, even though a maker may offer to voice and tune a set to a modern pitch if you wish. If you're mostly interested in duet and solo playing, many fiddle players prefer tuning down to C# to tuning a full step to C (or transposing on the fly, which requires retuning anyhow if one's C chanter isn't quite in modern C), so I feel C# has the advantage there.
Just remembered that Pat Mitchell plays a "C" Willie Rowsome set with a chanter by Matt Kiernan which can be heard here with Community Hall acoustics I'm afraid: http://source.pipers.ie/Search/SearchRe ... diaId=4830
and on Pat's Topic recording "Uilleann pipes" if you can get hold of it.
Will you be buying an existing set, or ordering a new one? If you are ordering a new one, it would be well worth it to discuss the qualities of the various pitches with your pipemaker--it's always better to get a set that the maker is enthusiastic about making.
If you are looking for a 2nd hand set, find one that speaks to you, it whatever key it may be. The wand chooses the wizard.
Tell us something.: I am interested in the uilleann pipes and their typical -and broader- use. I have been composing and arranging for the instrument lately. I enjoy unusual harmonic combinations on the pipes. I use the pipes to play music of other cultures.
Location: Minnesota, Birthplace of the pop-up toaster
I just have to thank you all for a MOST illuminating discussion. I have learned ever so much; I had no idea about the nuances of flatness. I'm so grateful. I've decided to do ... both! It'll take some time but yeah, the slippery slope definitely goes downscale!
Keep up the conversation but just wanted to chime in and thank you for the wonderful insight and experience.
Deja Fu: The sense that somewhere, somehow, you've been kicked in the head exactly like this before.
I'll give ya some surly ! 
no prob.
You might also have a chat with Skip Cleavinger, who owned a C# set for a while and is in your neck of the woods. And I assume you would also consult whoever made your D drones about the whole tuning-down-a-half-step thing.
Soon enough I will dissapear into the shadows and lurk again. I was just looking forward to the discussion on this thread and hoping to keep it rolling - J
