http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=624&item=7331690349&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
Looks like a half decent half set but the maker is unknown. Does anyone recognize the work?
Doesnât look Pakistani, but then what do I know. The reeds look like cane and the bass drone doesnât have the U. It could be me but either the chanter is very thick (i.e. chunky) or the drones are very thin.
$500 is not much of an opening bid, provided the maker is reputable.
Would it be an old Cillian OâBriain set?
PD.
That would be my guess⌠but I am only going on the turning of the drone âbellsâ.
The ends of the drones to look like Cillians stuff alright. The uninspiring bass drone looks like a Davey Spillane set I saw once.
But Cillian OâBriain spent time working with Johnny Bourke, as did Davey and Daveys dad.
The turning on the chanter looks a bit like an early Bourke or Dan Dowd. But Johnny and Dan would round off the blocks more.
Definitly not Pakistani though.
Tommy
Hi,
it definitely is a McCarthy-set. I now that for sure cause such a set was the first set of UPs I ever saw âliveâ and touched. The story: In the middle of the seventies both a friend of mine and myself were infected with the UP-virus by Finbar F. (on Tour with Eddie). He bought such a McCarthy via Hobgoblin-Musik (?Sussex? ?Surrey?), never got the chanter going (impossible to reed), founded a local GHB-Band and is their pipe-major (in other words he changed to the Dark Side 
). I myself was much more lucky: On a holyday I bought a practise set by Matt Kiernan (the chanter turned out to be absolute quality) and easy learnt playing (and even reedmaking, cause every island-made-reed due to the climate over here (continental, central heatings) will go âoffâ after a few weeks).
Best,
Hans
Some features a very similar to the Wilkinson/Mccarthy I started off on after buying it at Waltonâs in Dublin in 1979. They never fancied any fine turning on the blocks, did they. Oh the Horror. Mine had exactly the same frilly bag edging. :roll:
Wilkinson/McCarthy making 1975 to 1980 ish when the partnership disolved. Glen McCarthy carried on for a while solo - this is their very basic model to suit Hobgoblin, Waltons and Lark in the Morning.
Hans
Hobgoblin Music are in Crawley Sussex should you ever change your mind !
They now offer sets by Martin Vignoles as well as cheaper sets made in Pakistan and a UK made practice set powered by what appears to be an airbed bellows.
hi guys i have a full wilkinson & mcarthy set n with the exception of the mainstock it bears no resemlence, dont know if this helps but there you go
Hi Albert
Doug and Glen used to change their design depending upon where the set was going - shop or private customer