Hello,
I live in the US and I am planning on ordering a 3/4 set of pipes in D. I narrowed down my makers to 3: Seth Gallagher, Kirk Lynch and Bruce Childress. I am a bit of a lone piper so Im not able to play anyone of these before buying. Any feed back, recommendations and experiences with these makers would be of great help.
Thank you!
If you narrowed down to those 3 makers I’d suggest/recommend you to search the internet for (sound!) files of the pipes from these makers. Perhaps
one of those 3 makers have a particular sound that you like better than the other. Youtube is a nice way of finding movies with pipes from these makers.
I don’t want to push you in a certain direction, but I heard some nice Kirk Lynch chanters on youtube for example.
I have no personal experience with any of the 3 makers you mentioned but I see their names being mentioned more than once here on the forums so perhaps
somebody can you give some insight there.
IMHO the Childress chanters I’ve heard sometimes sound harsh. The other two make sweet sounding chanters but I prefer Seth’s overall look and styling of the pipes.
RORY
Which of those three is better for you is a subjective call. I love my Gallagher set; my friends with Childress sets love theirs; and at every Tionol I’ve been to, I’ve played alongside at least one person doing great things with a Lynch set.
If there’s any way for you to actually play one or more of these maker’s instruments, you’ll be much more confident in whatever decision you end up making. Recordings, especially in the form of YouTube videos, are difficult to judge tone color from, and of course they tell you nothing about an instrument’s response, heft, geometry, and overall “feel.”
But don’t worry! So long as you go with a reputable maker (e.g., Lynch, Childress, Gallagher), you’ll end up with a solid instrument on which you sound like yourself. 
Good luck!
–Mick
P.S. Regarding Seth Gallagher’s work: I can’t resist a little plug. I love how my instrument sounds, looks, and feels. It’s a satisfyingly beefy set, with no skimping whatsoever on the ebony. (I especially appreciate the high ebony/brass ratio on the drones. ) Plus it’s gorgeous (ebony with boxwood mounts and yellow brass ferrules/slides).
The chanter has a relatively big, extroverted sound – you’ll never lose yourself in a session – but I think people tend to overstate how loud Gallagher sets are. Besides, if you want to quieten it, closing the bridle/reed a bit works as well as on any other good chanter. It’s capable of the usual (wide) range of tone colors, effects, and nuance, in the right hands.
Seth’s regulators have a very sweet sound, even a bit on the quiet side, so they balance beautifully with drones & chanter. His drones give a lovely roar, and are similarly well balanced. Finally, his customer service is excellent: he’s responsive, helpful, and eminently professional, even/especially in the event of a mistake or miscommunication.
I say all this not because I’m positive Gallagher is your very best bet – I’m not qualified to say, nor am I you – but because you might find it useful to know of my own Gallagher experience.
Thank you all for the great feedback! I appreciate everyone taking the time to respond thoughtfully.
I like people with strong opinions and I don’t mind when they share them…this is just what I was looking for.
Kirk Lynch is the one to beat IMHO.
Where do you live? It would be good to live as close as possible to the maker in my opinion.
That’s an excellent point. I would go with the closer maker UNLESS he’s not as good as a further maker.
If you could tell us where you live, you may be surprised. You could have a fellow piper as a neighbor and not know it.
Good point. Ill put my location in my profile…I live in Clinton CT
You’re a couple of hours from Seth in Cold Spring.
How did you “narrow down” your choices? Do you play already or are you just starting?
Did you consider Tim Benson (and Stephanie Cornelius) or Tommy Martin?
If not, why not?
I’ve been beyond lucky with my trans-Atlantic and -Pacific pipes and their makers, but it seems to me that any time you can meet one of these beasts (and its maker ) in person before ordering, it’d be more than worth the trip. Especially since you’ve got three of them (Seth, Tim & Steph, and Bruce) within a day’s drive. In October, they all often come to the Northeast Tionol … that’s another opportunity to meet them (plus a few other legends of the pipemaking pantheon 
) If we could get Tommy and Kirk to come, I fear the roof would blow off the place!
http://www.eastcoastpipers.com
Anyway, congratulations, and have fun!
You don’t say what key, but I assume D. How do you know if you want a narrow or wide bore D? I know two of the three you mention make other keys as well. Not sure about Kirk. If you are wanting to play in a trad Irish band, and be heard really well, and in the usual keys, D is your key. If you plan on playing mostly in isolation, and have gotten to know the virtues of flatter pitched and narrower bored pipes, you may want to think about that. As some have found out, there’s a big difference in maker’s flat sets as well…both in richness of tone, and in volume of the drones and chanter.
How long can you wait..2-3 years? If so, Derrick may be your maker. Not because he’s any certain distance away, but because of the sound he’s able to get from his pipes and because he makes the exact same thing as his mentor–who has a 25 year waiting list and pipes that sell for maybe twice the amount.
Have a listen… https://soundcloud.com/gleeson-uilleann-pipes
For me, little things mattered as well…such as looks, comfort of holding and playing a set (some feel awkward and heavy), the ease with which you can find, feel, reach, and cover the fingerholes, and who’s able to reed the set properly.
Good luck!
I play flute, whistle, GHB and I have a Childress chanter in B that I like as well as a Daye C penny chanter. I made a few sets of drones , bag and bellows to go with it, and I think they sound great. When I first started playing, I was having a very hard time with the second octave. I realized my bag had a very small leak, so I made a new bag, slightly smaller and this time, airtight. I could not believe the difference! The pipes were much easier to play. I then thought, how much better a set made by an great maker would be, so that’s why I want to invest in a great set. I picked the 3 because they have been around for a very long time and are highly regarded as pipe makers. I also want a maker who is close by.
I did not realize Seth was so close. I should ask him if I can stop by.
I really like the sound of a flat set, and its been difficult for me to decide which set to invest in. I don’t plan on playing with others, just for myself and friends. As much as I like the B set, I miss the crisp sound of a concert D, as long as its not too bright and loud. I have large hands but I still find it easier to play the C chanter than the B, I think that D would be that much better…confusion! 
Here’s the measurements on a B chanter I have right now. It’s an easy reach, easier than most Bs I’ve owned. How does it compare with yours?
Measuring from center of hole to center of hole…
Top hand: 2 11/16th inch - index fingerhole to ring fingerhole (3 holes)
Bottom hand: 3 3/4th inch - index fingerhole to little fingerhole (4 holes)
They are very close in measurement. I have 2 7/8 top hand and 4" bottom. I think my problem is with the second hole top hand. The position of the thumb hole makes my finger want to hit lower. I can play slow airs well but I lose the second octave easy in a reel ( im pretty sure its that finger leaking). My fingers are like lightning, they never hit the same spot! Im sure I will get it all sorted out, but the Daye chanter is much easier for me to play cleanly.
Great sounding pipes by the way and great playing! I will probably end up owning 3 sets. Flats in B, C and a concert D. Don’t tell my wife…