FS: Dave Williams practice set (Ebay)

Uilleann Pipes
1

Dave Williams made uilleann pipes practice set in D concert pitch. It is has a brass top and bottom ferrule with imitation ivory. I think that the wood is ebony, but not fully sure of that. The bellows has built in leather pads on the inside and the outside so it is very comfortible to play. It has a few light scratches and nicks that are no big deal, just normal light wear, but they aren’t even fully broken in yet. The bag is a quality leather bag which may or may not have been made directly by Dave, but if not, it was procured by dave and outfitted by him with the green cover, the valve and airpipe connection for the bellows. It is likely one of the last he made before he passed away. I am the only owner and it has been played only lightly and rarely, so it is like new. It has the original Williams reed which is playing well here in New York presently. The chanter is blocked for keys, but has no keys on it yet. Williams was considered among the top uilleann pipes craftsman of the last quarter century up to his unfortunate and untimely death. I am selling this practice set to help pay for a new flat set and I have another full concert pitch set that I play most often.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161339720669?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

I am also selling a Copeland Sterling Silver whistle in C

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161340430279?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

…and a Uilleann pipes chanter in D. It is has a brass top and ferrules with imitation ivory. I think that the wood is ebony. It has a few light scratches and nicks that are no big deal, just normal light wear, and a tiny hole - probably a tuning hole that was filled in. It is reeded and plays well. This has been a great chanter for me for years as an extra chanter, and would be a great chanter to start out with or as a spare. There is no maker’s mark and I don’t know who the maker is. (If someone knows, please let me know). I am not the original owner, but it has the reed that came with it still in it and playing well. I think that I have had this chanter for at least a decade. I am including the original bellows that came with it which is perfectly functional, but not my favorite. I am also including the bag that came with it to make it a complete practice set. With the bag and bellows it is a complete practice set as it has all the connecting pipes. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT THERE IS AN AIR LEAK WHERE THE AIR FEED CONNECTOR IS TIED IN AND THIS WOULD NEED TO BE SEEN TO IN ORDER TO USE THE BAG. I didn’t fix it myself because the bag cover is sewn in and I am just throuwing in the bag and beloows anyhow as a bonus. Please email with questions before bidding as I would prefer to to make returns since the proceeds are going out the door for a new set. As I said, the bellows and bag that came with it are being thown in and so I am not pricing this as thought it is for a top shelf practice set and I am just throwing in the bag (needs to be retied)and bellows (I never liked it much, but it works ok).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161340590952?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

2

Could you please let us know when you bought the Williams chanter.

Thanks,

Ken

3

I purchased the practice set new from Lark in the morning in September 2007. This was after Dave had already passed away. Lark in the Morning was selling Dave’s practice sets for him until he tragicly passed, and no one knew that they still had this last set in inventory. They were selling them for over US$2000. I happened to notice that it was still listed on their online catalouge and ON SALE (they were clearing out inventory of odd lot discontinued items, and I ordered it (I actually ordered 3 or them as I couldn’t believe it!). They phoned me and said it was their last one, and I said that I would take it. I was shocked at the time at such a find. I have the receipt and will provide it to the buyer if they wish.

4

Thanks, that’s really interesting. Dave stopped selling through Lark in the Morning some time around the mid 90s. His later work (post 2001) had a “Dave Williams” stamp so I didn’t think it was a late chanter. LITM mostly asked for basic keyless flutes and practice chanters and half sets and I think Dave got fed up with making stuff for them although they would have taken about 6 months work every year. It’s nice to know they still had one practice set on the books over 10 years after Dave stopped selling through them!

Good luck with the sale.

Cheers,

Ken

5

So I am surprised by the decline in interst in Willams chanters. There was a time when his pipes were bid up and hard to find as they weren’t offered for sale much. The economy weakness doesn’t help I suppose. I have relisted it and have shaved more off the price. If it doesn’t sell this time, I would rather hold on to it as I still believe that Dave did fine work and practice sets will always find someone to play them.

Also, the other unamed chanter apparently has found a name. A reputable person has identified it as being from Michael Vignoles of Galway Ireland. He states that the bellows is also made by him.

6

Offtopic a bit perhaps, but one of the finest flutes I ever played was a Dave Williams four-key being sold by Lark In The Morning back in the 90s.

It was just magic, with every note full and booming and the voicing incredibly smooth over the whole range. The intonation was perfect.

I balked at the price, $1300, laughable now! but at that time I could get the same thing direct from Dave for half that price.

When an identical-looking flute came up on Ebay, sold by the guy who had bought it from Lark In The Morning back in the 90s I thought “what if?” and I bought it.

It most definitely was NOT the same flute! Not nearly as good, and I turned around and sold it. But I know that that magic Williams flute is out there somewhere!

7

Did not sell. Hard to imagine that a like-new Willimas practice set is worth less than half of what was paid for new. I guess I will just keep it.

8

Sign of the times.

Hold on to it and try again in a few years.