Looking for a set by Cillian O'Brian

Seanie · Post by **Seanie** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:27 am

The Sporting Pitchfork wrote: Apparently, he won't do them in boxwood. One of the first sets he made with that design was in boxwood and bad things happened. I'd be a little bit uneasy about the long-term effects of encasing wood with that much metal, but damn, they sure do look (and sound) amazing...

I play a full set of Cillian's, possibly the third full set he made, and the regs are as Bill describes. The bore of the tenor and baritone regulators is made from boxwood and the boxwood has warped. Looks like I will have to get two new regs.

Regards

John

AlanB · Post by **AlanB** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 5:30 am

Just to help put words in to pictures. Ebony and Brass. I have never had to do much about leakage, just staunching with a wee bit of molten beeswax, at the bell (is that the right term on a reg?) and a bit of spring re-tensioning. Also very in tune, and needs little adjustment.

Brazenkane · Post by **Brazenkane** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:11 am

Offaly based Jim Wenham is also making nice sticks in the Cillian O'Briain style. He's a great reed maker and reedmaking teacher!

Paul Reid · Post by **Paul Reid** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:03 am

Gay McKeon playing his C.O'Briain D set. It is marvelous, and plays it quite beautifully. It has a very full sound.

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:40 pm

I will now, in the spirit of goodwill and innocent helpfulness, lay bare my near-total ignorance of the subject of buckle keys...but

Flute maker Maurice Reviol worked in Cillian's pipe-making shop for some time before moving to New Zealand to dedicate himself to full-time flute making.

If buckle keys could be retrofitted to a regulator, Maurice might be just the fellow to do it. He does some of the nicest flute key work in the industry and also has vast experience in the repair and restoration of bassoons and other intricately keyed instruments. Might be worth a try.

Doc

tansy · Post by **tansy** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:35 am

Seanie wrote:
The Sporting Pitchfork wrote: Apparently, he won't do them in boxwood. One of the first sets he made with that design was in boxwood and bad things happened. I'd be a little bit uneasy about the long-term effects of encasing wood with that much metal, but damn, they sure do look (and sound) amazing...
I play a full set of Cillian's, possibly the third full set he made, and the regs are as Bill describes. The bore of the tenor and baritone regulators is made from boxwood and the boxwood has warped. Looks like I will have to get two new regs.

Regards

John

Did the warping create tuning issues or key leaks? I've seen and heard a couple of warped chanters and they still played fine.

Robin3794 · Post by **Robin3794** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:01 am

I know that this is a bit off topic, but....Does anyone know where I can find a Cillian O'Briain Low D whistle, I've had a hell of a time trying to find one. I can't find his email and the shop that had them (Shanna Quay) closed down a few years back. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
r

Seanie · Post by **Seanie** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:14 am

Hi Tansy

The photos posted by Alan Burton show the regulators and where they attach to the stock. You can see the ebony entering the stock tubes. There is also a lot of wood, belonging to the regulators, that sits in the stock. It is this long piece that has warped, as well as the internal bore. The Baritone reg now points up and the tenor reg now points down. There is huge tuning issues as well. Cillian has looked them over and pronounced them unplayable in their present condition.

Regards

John Moran

The Sporting Pitchfork · Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:00 pm

Robin3794 wrote:I know that this is a bit off topic, but....Does anyone know where I can find a Cillian O'Briain Low D whistle, I've had a hell of a time trying to find one. I can't find his email and the shop that had them (Shanna Quay) closed down a few years back. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
r

Cillian doesn't make 'em any more, but Maurice Reviol does and I would guess that they're close to Cillian's old design (with the caveat that I haven't actually played one myself).

http://www.reviol.co.nz/HTML/LowWhistles.html

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:40 pm

The Sporting Pitchfork wrote:
Robin3794 wrote:I know that this is a bit off topic, but....Does anyone know where I can find a Cillian O'Briain Low D whistle, I've had a hell of a time trying to find one. I can't find his email and the shop that had them (Shanna Quay) closed down a few years back. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
r
Cillian doesn't make 'em any more, but Maurice Reviol does and I would guess that they're close to Cillian's old design (with the caveat that I haven't actually played one myself).

http://www.reviol.co.nz/HTML/LowWhistles.html

Yup, call Maurice. He was CIllian's whistle maker for years. When he moved to NZ Cillian let him take the whistle business with him.

Doc

BadPiper · Post by **BadPiper** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:04 pm

[quote][/quote]

Patrick D'Arcy · Post by **Patrick D'Arcy** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 3:16 pm

BadPiper wrote:This site was recommended to me by Patrick D'arcy and it has proven to be good advice, thank's Pat.

I can take no credit for any direction your life may take at this point. If I were you I'd go to mass immediatly and forsake this terrible place! FORGET ALL THAT YOU HAVE SEEN HERE!

P-Diddley of the West.

gwaite · Post by **gwaite** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:14 am

We are very very lucky to have Maurice resident in NZ. I recently bought from him one of the few chanters he made. It is easy to play and sounds fantastic. Maybe one day he'll do more with pipes.

Robin3794 · Post by **Robin3794** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:00 am

I've actually found a few O'Briain low whistles for sale. But thanks anyway for the advice.
cheers,
robin

flutemaker · Post by **flutemaker** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 10:03 pm

Hello!
I was just browsing and came across this topic about Cillian Ó Briain sets for sale, well, there might be one coming up for sale,because mine was stolen last weekend in Wellington. It's a Cillian Ó Briain set that I made with all bells and whistles while i was still working with him.

The Timber is Cocobolo, it has solid silver regulator keys and silver plated hardware. It has a crooked Bass Regulator (it's one of the two first sets with that style bass regulator the other one belongs to Greg who also worked for Cillian...), Paua Shell inlays in the regulator tuning pins and some other parts.

If any of you should come across it anywhere, please let me know:
www.reviol.co.nz

I look at it in a positive way and I am already making a new set in my mind. The money from the insurance can buy me all the necessary tools. I only have to find a shop that sells time, so I have enough of it.

That's one of the reasons, why I didn't make pipes so far. I have to limit my workload otherwise I don't get anything done...

I am making Low Whistles in Cillian's style, do repair work on other Woodwind Instruments with an emphasize on Bassoons, Bass Clarinets, Oboes and flutes. All that and the flute production is already enough, and some regulators for Cillian every once in a while...

But the recent events may kick me enough to do at least some pipes here and there...

It's nice to see my old set played so well by Elvin Moynagh...I didn't mean to sell it, but I am glad that I did and it's in good hands...

All the best to ye all!
Maurice Reviol