Development of pipes,backward or forward?

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 8:43 am

Considering that a lot of "experts" express the opinion that the makers of old flat sets were the real masters and the modern makers haven,t really come up too their stardard ,does this mean that the development of flat pitched has gone backwards??
And on the other hand with makers like froment and others ,concert pitch pipes has indeed taken a big step forward ??

RORY

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 10:09 am

Who are these experts? Seems to me, if anything, the Uilleann Pipes (concert and flat) have taken leaps and bounds forward.

ausdag · Post by **ausdag** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 1:59 pm

Joseph E. Smith wrote:Who are these experts? Seems to me, if anything, the Uilleann Pipes (concert and flat) have taken leaps and bounds forward.

Concert pitch, yes, but flat pitch - I think even Geoff Woof wrote somewhere that he has yet to discover many of the things that the masters such as Coyne and Harrington took to the grave. So, in that sense yes, pipe making knowledge and production went backwards rapidly and is only now making forward moves again slowly.

billh · Post by **billh** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:08 am

Yes, I think it depends on the time period you're speaking of. Things have come a long way in the past 40 years, but then again they seem to have been in a pretty desperate state then.

I don't even agree that the concert pitch pipes of today are a match for the best Rowsome work of the 30's, if the preferences of top players means anything. Though the Rowsome sticks have their faults, they are still the most sought after concert pitch stick on the whole, and I don't think that's all sentimentality. Of course it has been noted that not all surviving Rowsome sticks are good, which sounds plausible to me but I'm only passing that sentiment along.

As for flat pipes, I don't think anyone making pipes today is equalling the work of the masters of the first half of the 19th century, and I am certainly not alone in this belief. Partly this is because the tradition of narrow bore pipemaking was lost/severed, and partly it's because those sets had a workmanship that's rare and expensive today.

Bill

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 9:44 am

... guess I got it wrong again...*sigh*... some folks never learn....

billh · Post by **billh** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:02 am

you had it right, it's just that there's been a lot of catching up to do...

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 10:03 am

billh wrote:you had it right, it's just that there's been a lot of catching up to do...

Dammit, I even got myself wrong... again... *sigh*... I need a drink....

ausdag · Post by **ausdag** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:41 pm

billh wrote:and partly it's because those sets had a workmanship that's rare and expensive today.

Bill

Bill, do you mean in external or internal workmanship? Can you give some examples?

Cheers,

DavidG

Steampacket · Post by **Steampacket** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:48 pm

Hmm, I think there are modern makers such as Williams, Froment, K&Q, & O'Briain to name but four, whose D pipes are as good as Leos' as regards sound and workmanship, and better as regards tuning and ease of reeding.

I can't think of that many "professional/name" pipers that actually use Leo's concert pitch pipes as their main rigs: Liam O'Flynn of course, Paddy Keenan had his Rowsome chanter till he wore it out I believe.

Andreas Leidenfrost · Post by **Andreas Leidenfrost** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:55 pm

Does David Williams have website?

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:01 pm

Andreas Leidenfrost wrote:Does David Williams have website?

David Williams was killed in a car crash last year... and he is sorely missed by those who knew him.

Andreas Leidenfrost · Post by **Andreas Leidenfrost** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:06 pm

Joseph E. Smith wrote:
Andreas Leidenfrost wrote:Does David Williams have website?
David Williams was killed in a car crash last year... and he is sorely missed by those who knew him.

OH!

I didn't know.... he's one of the top Uilleann Pipe makers right?
My regards

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:07 pm

Andreas Leidenfrost wrote:
Joseph E. Smith wrote:
Andreas Leidenfrost wrote:Does David Williams have website?
David Williams was killed in a car crash last year... and he is sorely missed by those who knew him.
OH! I didn't know.... he's one of the top Uilleann Pipe makers right?
My regards

Yes.

PJ · Post by PJ » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:15 pm

Steampacket wrote:I can't think of that many "professional/name" pipers that actually use Leo's concert pitch pipes as their main rigs: Liam O'Flynn of course, Paddy Keenan had his Rowsome chanter till he wore it out I believe.

Willie Clancy. Paddy Moloney. Eoin Duignan.

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:21 pm

PJ wrote:
Steampacket wrote:I can't think of that many "professional/name" pipers that actually use Leo's concert pitch pipes as their main rigs: Liam O'Flynn of course, Paddy Keenan had his Rowsome chanter till he wore it out I believe.
Willie Clancy.

That was quite a while ago.