As begginer, listened numerous You Tube videos & heard some live, I find the sound of chanter & drones I like. I attached the video - it’s Eoinn Duigann set of pipes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwExEY1ICBs Don’t know who’s the maker - mybe Rowsome? What I like about chanter is that Hum in the tone, which makes it different to some clean sounding chanters I heard. Mybe is just a reed or player but I like it very much. And about drones that strong “Brrrrrr” buzz & strong bass.
How would you describe the sound of this chanter ? (nassal or mellow or sweet or what ?) And drones ? Which makers would make drones & chanter similar to this? THX
Yes, Eoinn plays a Leo Rowsome set of concert pitch pipes, and I believe was taught by Leo himself.
A few years ago this set of pipes “went missing” after he left them on the side of the street in Tralee. They were held hostage for a while and returned to him after a ransom was paid.
Anyone can explain?
THX 
“Which makers would make drones & chanter similar to this? THX” tanash369.
There are a number of makers that have measured, and based their designs for concert pitch pipes on, Leo’s instruments and have made alterations/changes as they later saw fit. For example, Dave Williams, Alain Froment, Martin Carrigan, Andreas Rogge to name just four.
Besides the chanter and drone bore measurments there is that well known “wild card”, the reed. Different reeds, and the manner of their adjustment in the same chanter will/can give different sounds. Your best bet would be to try and get hold of a Leo Rowsome set if you can afford it. Otherwise listen to different sets of pipes on the internet, NPU’s site for ex., listen to recordings, and if possible live sessions, concerts etc. and decide yourself which comes closest to that Rowsome sound you’re after.
How about this as regards sound?
http://source.pipers.ie/Media.aspx?mediaId=4349
One explanation for the ‘Brrr’ and presence of the bass drone is because many sets of Leo Rowsome pipe’s bass ‘puck’ is a hollow metal box rather than a solid ivory puck. This makes the bass drone give off a louder sound and more of a ‘brrr’ or buzz. Some people like it, and some people don’t. Also, many of Leo’s bass drones were made to work specifically with elder reeds rather than cane, I don’t know what type of reeds Eoin has in his set, but it could be elder, which also gives off a different sort of ‘buzz’.
As for the chanter, the reason it has its particular ‘tone’ is probably a combination of the reed and the piper (and the chanter itself of course).
There’s a boxwood Leo Rowsome chanter here for sale tanash:
Addition: (Many years ago) I had this Leo Rowsome set for repair. The Baritone Drone´s tail piece was notably widely bored (7.5 mms !) and the trim had the „normal“ opening again. The whole tail piece thus also had the function of a soundbox.
I don´t but know whether this was normal. I thought it bit over the top. I could not reed it (with a cane reed) reliably without a rush. Still with the rush though the drone´s sound was like the drone´s sound on Planxty´s studio recordings.
“I don´t but know whether this was normal. I thought it bit over the top. I could not reed it (with a cane reed) reliably without a rush.” Hans-Joerg.
Do you mean the chanter? Is Eion’s a high pitched Rowsome chanter?.
I see the Leo Rowsome boxwood chanter for sale in Galway is banana shaped and missing the original windcap, it does have blocks for keys
No, the bari drone (Johannes Schiefner´s set). The chanter of this set proved to be a real “quality chanter”: Very quick to reed - in 453 Htz. A beast but in 440. I found the regs extremely loud (with usual reeds and without anything in them).
I once had read that Leo´s sanding block diam was (only) 56 mms ?.
Perhaps that was due for his particular sound? You may have noticed that Liam O`Flynns live recordings sound very different from his early studio recordings. Problematical to judge though - different equipment and different accoustics.
“No, the bari drone (Johannes Schiefner´s set). The chanter of this set proved to be a real “quality chanter”: Very quick to reed - in 453 Htz. A beast but in 440. I found the regs extremely loud (with usual reeds and without anything in them).” Hans-Joerg.
Ok, I see. I think Johannes is using a fine chanter by Evertjan d’Hart these days. Based on a Dave Williams chanter and further developed by Evertjan. Johannes wrote that he was very pleased with it.
Indeedy
[quote=“Torrin Riáin”]One explanation for the ‘Brrr’ and presence of the bass drone is because many sets of Leo Rowsome pipe’s bass ‘puck’ is a hollow metal box rather than a solid ivory puck. This makes the bass drone give off a louder sound and more of a ‘brrr’ or buzz.
Interesting point. I have thought the same thing in the past - that the metal puck gives a different sound. But why?
I suppose they’re generally bigger internally than ivory/plastic/wooden ones - perhaps that makes more difference than the material itself?
Just curious.
A
The key word there is “hollow” vs “solid”. Most wooden / ivory ones appear to be solid, not hollow. Torrin was saying that the fact it is hollow (rather than the material) is what gives the buzz.