If you’ve played both, would you be willing to compare a Rowsome vs a Tayler style chanter? How does the tone compare? Keywork? Thoughts?
Thanks,
Dow
If you would like your sound to be that of a contemporary piper, I believe you will have serious difficulty with a Taylor bore. Most CP pipers these days are playing an instrument derived from, or copying, a Rowsome bore. Some players prefer traditional salt spoon or similar keys for various reasons, however, Taylor or ribbon keywork is quite rugged and virtually eliminates the possibility of cracked keyblocks. A hybrid is a nice way to go, and some makers can accommodate you with such.
Hi Mark, is the Taylor set being played that you sold a couple of years ago?
Got me.
I have played quite a few Taylor pipes; Gene Frain and Joe Shannon’s sets come to mind. I have also played several others and the fact is that most Taylor pipes sound like crap especially the regulators; very like automobile horns. They are also way to heavy. The most interesting thing about Taylor pipes is the strange elaborate key work. Give them an A for inventiveness. There are exceptions that I have heard: the Patsy Touhey set and Eoin O’ Ribhaigh’s in Cork, But even those had a high nasal tone.
In my opinion the Rowsomes win hands down.
The moist interesting sets are by David Quinn they have Rowsome bores with Taylor style key work.
Pat Sky
The moist interesting sets are by David Quinn
I would have thought a top maker like DMQ would be using properly seasoned timber 
most Taylor pipes sound like crap
Absolute rubbish as it depends how they are set up. Listen to the Balderose set on Bill Hanemans website and recently heard a similar sweet almost flat set tone with good volume from a set that is currently with a UK maker ungoing restoration
My own set is also Taylor based and plays nicely in tune through both octaves and blends in well at sessions
It is the way people set up there pipes that decides tone quality and have heard plenty of Rowsome style sets that sound like foghorns
John