Rogge pipes -- Plumwood -- who has 'em & what do you thi

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Pelham
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Rogge pipes -- Plumwood -- who has 'em & what do you thi

Post by Pelham »

So I'm finally going to do it. I'm going to get a B set from Andreas. It's going to break the bank, but I've been thinking about putting my name down for 3 years, so I guess its about time :)

I've always liked the look of plumwood, but I'm looking for people out there who have them. I'd like to know what you think of the sound, and how they look after <insert any number> years of being played.

If I didn't go with Plumwood, the other choice would be ebony.

Andreas says he doesn't know of any trouble with plumwood warping (like boxwood does) with age. I thought I'd ask around and see if anyone else has any comments on durability, sound, appearance with age, etc.

Thanks,

Pelham
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tommykleen
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Post by tommykleen »

His plumwood stuff is the oyster's iceskates. I ordered a B set (3 years ago) and opted for ebony because the climate in my beloved Minnesota swings wildly between such extremes (but just think of the recreational opportunities!) that I did not want to chance it. You should be fine where you live. Just don't get transfered.

t
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Joseph E. Smith
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Post by Joseph E. Smith »

Fergus? This sounds like a topic right up your alley.
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boyd
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Post by boyd »

Fergus [Maunsell] hasn't posted in a while....
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travhicks
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Plum Wood

Post by travhicks »

Hey Pelham,

We met at the tionol in Chapel Hill last year. At the time I had a few pieces of a B set in their unfinished state, in addition to a scabbed together concert pitch practice set. That B set by Koehler + Quinn is made of pear, but I later got a plum wood B chanter from K+Q in place of the pear one. When I got the plum chanter, it was about 2 years old, so it had already started to turn a darker brown color, and it had a brass chanter top instead of a wooden one. Just recently I got a plum wood chanter top to replace the brass one that came with the chanter. There's a big difference, to my eye, in the color between the 2-year "seasoned" plum and the freshly turned plum (all from the same tree, according to David Quinn). I'll try to take a picture of the two side-by-side over the weekend and post or e-mail to you to give you an idea of how much color change you can expect from plum wood. I expect that at some point the wood will stop changing color and the two pieces will "match."

Travis
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Post by Jonathan »

tommykleen wrote:His plumwood stuff is the oyster's iceskates. I ordered a B set (3 years ago) and opted for ebony because the climate in my beloved Minnesota swings wildly between such extremes (but just think of the recreational opportunities!) that I did not want to chance it. You should be fine where you live. Just don't get transfered.

t
:-?
Tommy
Pardon my ignorance, but I've never heard the term "oyster's iceskates." I'm assuming it's good?? I really like the look of the plumwood. Do you guys find it has a mellower tone compared to say blackwood? I'd love to hear a set. Later
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djm
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Post by djm »

I doubt there'd be very much difference in sound if the plumwood has a similar density, but it might taste a bit better ... :D

djm
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tommykleen
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Post by tommykleen »

The oyster's iceskates = the cat's pajamas

...clear? :P

t
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Post by fel bautista »

when I was your age.... :boggle:
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Post by Jonathan »

tommykleen wrote:The oyster's iceskates = the cat's pajamas

...clear? :P

t
Got it
thanks
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Fergmaun
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Post by Fergmaun »

Yes I have two Rogge chanters B and D in plumwood.

The plumwood chanters are lighter wood in weight than by snakewood which I prefer. I like the sound of the plumwood more to the snakewood as gives a more mellow sound.

Left is D plumwood Jan 2004, middle C Snakewood Sept 1997 and right is B plumwood Dec 2001.

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The D plumwood chanter at Rogge's workshop before I got it.

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Fergus Maunsell
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Uilliam
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Post by Uilliam »

Fergus ye state that the plumwood is more mellow than the snakewood.Which plumwood are ye talking about?
If its the B then its bound to sound more mellow than the Snakewood in C if its the D and it sounds more mellow than the C then there is something wrang with it! :wink:
Slan Go Foill
Uilliam
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feadogin
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Post by feadogin »

Why are Rogge's Snakewood chanters usually in C? I have one on order in D. Should I be concerned?

Justine
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billh
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Post by billh »

feadogin wrote:Why are Rogge's Snakewood chanters usually in C? I have one on order in D. Should I be concerned?

Justine
Seems odd to "waste" snakewood, a real exotic, on a CP chanter :-P

Seriously, it's more common to find "exotic" woods in the narrow bore stuff. Some seem to think that the differences are more audible in narrow bore chanters, and by inference not audible in CP wide bore stuff. Of course if the choice is cosmetic, that doesn't matter.

Snakewood is one of the densest woods known. To refer to the previous post, plumwood is much less dense, softer, etc. The plumwood B chanters that I have heard are indeed different in tone (more 'muted' might be one way to think of it, but that fails to convey the difference IMO) from my own snakewood chanter, supposedly made with the same reamers in the same manner. Of course that doesn't prove that they are really the same inside from the point of view of the air column...

Sean Og Potts' solo CD was recorded on a Rogge plumwood B, and I think it gives a pretty good impression of the sound of the A.R plumwood B sets I've heard.
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feadogin
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Post by feadogin »

billh wrote:
Seriously, it's more common to find "exotic" woods in the narrow bore stuff. Some seem to think that the differences are more audible in narrow bore chanters, and by inference not audible in CP wide bore stuff. Of course if the choice is cosmetic, that doesn't matter.
I admit, it is entirely cosmetic. :)

J.
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