Well, I’m definitely beside myself, as Kirk Lynch is going to start making my half set… and wants to know whether it’s to be Ebony or Mopane(?) for the chanter.
Any suggestions? Anyone have experience with Mopane, tone differences?
I have one of Kirk’s Mopane sets. I like it very much. Kirk tends to be a bit obsessive about making his work sound right. I don’t think he would be using it if it didn’t work the way he wanted it to. Unless there is a performance difference between the two woods, go with what you think looks better.
I had an opportunity to play Wally Charm’s mopane Quinn B set last night and it was an absolutely beautiful instrument, both in sound and appearance…
Ebony all the way. Just my opinion, of course, but I think that Kirk’s ebony chanters look and sound better.
How 'bout mopane painted black? They painted box black in the old days.
Ah, I see it’s a matter of personal choice here. Kirk is extremely pleased with the Mopane, and working with a great batch of wood at present. From what I understand, it’s mainly a matter of looks… the Ebony more traditional looking. But, hey, painting it black! Thanks, Kevin! You always seem to come up with great ideas.
I wonder what David Quinn has to say about Mopane?
Thanks all. See you on Saturday, Pat?
A mopane chanter would feel as heavy as a penny chanter, I think.
Our flute player has a Casey Burns mopane flute and it is the heaviest wood I have ever picked up in my hands.
I think Casey Burns especially likes it in his bagpipes. I haven’t heard or felt of a chanter made from it, however.
Hey, if Kirk is confident about the quality of the billets he’s using I would trust him on it, whichever timber you choose. He knows what he’s doing.
Yes, I’m coming up for the meeting on Saturday and bringing both sets.
Mopane’s a good instrument wood and replacing a lot of the more expensive blackwood/ebony made instruments. I think either would be great and it’s a matter of personal choice as to the color. If I remember correctly, Ebony has some expansion/contraction or perhaps it’s warping issues more than blackwood. You can look up expansion/contraction/warping issues as well as density information on Mopane on the net.
Dionys
Elbogo, Go for the ebony, mee man, but if it were me! I’d go for only the best, Madagascan rose wood, nothing sounds like it, or looks as good as this wood, it polishes up like glass, at first when worked the wood colour is dark red, but with time go’s all most black,I’ve heard three chanters made of this wood, all sounded sweet as a nut, the wood is very hard to obtain at the moment, I managed to obtain enough for two sets, its being saved for the day it changes from blocks into pipes, ebony would be my second choice, its the only other wood I’d have for Uilleanns Pipes,looks
good with brass or german silver fittings, go with tradition, ebony will always stand the test of time,all the best Stew. 
Just a reminder: Wally’s set is a Koehler and Quinn.
I have to agree with Pat Cannady: ebony all the way. There is a certain “I don’t know what” about it. It has often been said, and I also agree, that differences in reeds can alter tone quality as much as (and often more than) differences in wood. Still when you have two or more identical chanters of different woods (bore, tone holes, chimney heights, edge treatments all same same) and use the same reed, you’ll most often hear a difference in tone quality. This is not to say that a Mopane chanter by itself cannot sound very nice indeed. It’s just that I think ebony has an extra something that I prefer. No accounting for tastes.
I have used a good bit of Mopane during the last couple of years for experimental projects because it is readily available, not awfully expensive, and I like the way it works. In spite of all that, I think ebony is the way to go, especially for big bore D pipes.
DMQ
Hey David (or the current owner),
What wood was the “honeycomb” C set that Benedict played at the 2003 East Coast Tionól? And why weren’t you there?? 
I liked the looks (and sound) of it, it is lovely looking wood.
That set was made of Lemonwood, a.k.a. Castella box. It doesn’t usually have that curly figure, but it’s nice when you find it. Very nice wood to work, with or without the figure. Several picures of it are at
http://www.uilleannobsession.com/extras_k&q.html
Thanks to the Reverend Father D’Arcy, the host of that page, and to Doctor Glands, who now owns the set.
I wasn’t at the ECT because my wife and I have just moved house, and we have our hands full.
DMQ
Hi ya Dave, welcome back,
I was told you were orginally a blackwood man, on account of how the minerals in ebony dull reamers faster; and a customer once had to do quite a bit of pleading to get you to make a couple of ebony chanters for him. Did you switch over to ebony before moving to Taiwan, or upon resuming pipemaking in the States?
Elbogo,
If you don’t have any strong opinion on which wood to pick yerself, here’s how I would deal with the problem.
Call up the pipemaker (Kirk, in this case) and ask him " If you were making this set of pipes for yourself, which wood would YOU choose?"
DMQ, how does cocobolo rate on your preference for a good sounding chanter?
As the old saying goes a carpenters house is never finished, so odds are that most makers never quite get to making their set.
I’ve heard different sets and it seems to me that the type of wood has basically little effect on the tone. It is more about wood density. As mopane is about as dense as ebony then the sound variation is going to be nill. I personally prefer the grain of mopane over ebony in addition I think the color is earthier and that appeals to me. I don’t really care what the trad way of doing it is. If your instrument is pretty, but your playing isn’t, then what good is it. I say go with what fits your sense of style. This decision by proxy thing is going to take you too long anyway and you will always wonder about the other option. So which is it a rich red brown with a pretty grain pattern, or a dark shiny black.
Well, what’s it going to be elbogo, Ebony? I think that would be a fine choice, and I think DQ is right on. How many chanters do you have now?
ah, ha, Lorenzo! How many, indeed! Well, as Pat Cannady can attest to, my playing is a bit meager at this time, and I have miles, and miles to go (as the saying goes) before I’ll be able to do any set of pipes justice… no matter what type of wood, or how many, so I’ll not answer that one.