This could be an opinion, but in your opinion?
I’m still looking at that Seth Gallagher, yum!
Cheers,
Armand
Peter Hunter, Cillian O’briain, Alain Froment, there ain’t anyone who can
argue anything other, Sorry. :roll:
Sure I can. Wooff, K&Q, Froment.
Harrington, Coyne, Rowsome father and son, but, I’m affraid they have a too long waiting list ha ha…
The three best modern uilleann pipemakers of the period 1976-2004 are without question: Geoff Wooff, Dave Williams R.I.P. and Alain Froment
That’s four!
Guilty as charged…but, if your were to consider K&Q as a single pipemaking entity, then it works. 
My ‘fourth choice’ would also include the late Dave Williams…but they asked for three.
Really - this subject is a bit, well subjective. It depends largely on personal preferences. Makers are different. They make different pipes…
It is interesting the way that makers like Rowsome and the Taylors still being regarded as the unsurpassed masters of pipemaking (and this is just a thought) allthough their chanters are rumored to be more difficult to reed and tune than for example a newer Williams or a K&Q…
My list - in no particular order…
Dave Williams
Geoff Wooff
Bradley Angus
Christopher Bayley
Tim Britton
Bruce C. Childress
Charles Roberts
Marcus Coulter
David C. Daye
Alain G. Froment
Seth Gallagher
Alan Ginsberg
Tony Hebdon
Brian L. Howard
Hughes & Mc Leod
Peter Hunter
Adrian Jefferies
Colin Jerry
Joe Kennedy
Koehler & Quinn
Hubert Kwisthout
Eugene Lambe
Alan Logan
Kirk Lynch
Ian & Sue MacKenzie
Stephen John McCordick
Allen Moller
Cillian Ó Briain
Neil O’Grady
Keith J Powell
Brendan Ring
Andreas Rogge
Des Seery
Patrick Sky
Ray Sloan
William Thomas
Kevin Thompson
Marc Van Daal
Nick Whitmer
Harrington
Egan
Coyne
Rowsome
The Taylors
Crowley
Etc… 
Morten
There is no answering this question, as there is no “marketplace” where one can try sets by many makers. I would guess that these names lists are based on hear-say only. How many of the people who have ventured a list can honestly say they have owned sets by all the makers in their lists, and have tried sets by all the makers not on their lists, to be able to make such judgements?
djm
Since the question was “popular” and not necessarily “best ever,” I would have to say the answer is regional!
Reedman’s opinion of “Peter Hunter, Cillian O’briain, Alain Froment” may ring true in Great Britain, but in the US, I’ve never even seen a Hunter or O’Brian set.
The most popular makers in the Eastern US are Seth Gallagher, Kirk Lynch, and K&Q. The first two because they make good quality instruments that pipers don’t have to wait 5 or 10 years to collect!
armand, is this for a new set for you? if so, i will again show my ignorance and ask: where in the world do you live?
meir
Another silly, pointless question.
Of COURSE it’s an opinion!
:roll:
I have heard Froment or Williams sets they don’t go because the piper is unable to play them ; and I also heard pipes that the owner thought not good and , when Mick O’Brien or Jimmy O’Brien Moran played them , it was like a miracle ! So , many pipers thinks that pipes can play without pipers , and they hope that with a Froment or Williams set they will become suddenly good player !
Bur I proclaim Alain Froment chief ! Which ( perhaps “which” is not correct ! 
) pipemaker is able to make the complete serie and all good : Bb , B , C , C# , and D ? Thanks for the answer . Sorry there is nothing to earn ! 
( sorry for my english )
Only the Pope is infallible…or at least so says he.
BZH29, that is an excellent point. A good piper sounds good on just about any set he plays, or at least, his style will permit him to sound the same on each set. The thing is, a good piper will compensate on different sets to get a good sound. As a listener, you can’t tell how much work he has to do to get that sound on each set. For me, a good set not only sounds good, but is easy to play with a minimum of effort from the player.
As to people who make sets in different keys, I believe many makers do. I don’t think Froment has any particular hold on this aspect of the market.
djm
So, how is he on the pipes?
Steampacket wrote who he thought was best…I thought the subject was re popular. Go back and read the topic.
How does one determine this? What is the true definition of popular? Maker with the longest wait list? The best pipemaker? The maker with the most sets out there?
Charles Roberts was popular for a time. I’d bet he has more sets out there than Dave Williams and Froment combined. Is he thus more popular? There are a lot of Gallagher sets out there as well. He’s pretty popular I’d say.
Now, on to a more pertinent question…sometimes, when typing fast, I type ont instead of not…or, taht instead of that…does this have anything to do with the fact that I can’t get a good clean trill to grace an Fn in the upper octave played with a key?
Bah, humbug.
OK djm ! It’s only I wish to say . On the second point OK too . 
Yes , glands , I believe the topic has been misunderstand ! Time is up to say wich pipemaker is the best or not . Today we have the chance to have many and many pipemakers . 50 years ago U.P. aimed to disappear . We are becoming too much particular about pipes and most of pipemakers make good instuments . We must learn to play them .
This subject has been brought up and beaten up many times, however I have wanted to ask who are the top makers of “C” sets in the USA. Who don’t have a huge wait list. I would like to consider K&Q, but the list is too long. I would like to eventually have a 3/4 set. I am only thinking USA since I live here.
I have leaned toward Seth Gallagher. I have considered Rogge even though he is not in the USA.
P.S. I have heard a few Froment sets and they are amazing.