Have any of you heard the rumours about a big Japanese musical instrument company buying out a technically advanced pipemaker to produce cheap moulded pipes to his design? Details on 01.04.2005.com
I heard it was O’Briain but the photos are not very clear on the link
No doubt purists will be horrified, a bit like all those wine snobs who think its a mortal sin to buy their wine from the local Super Store. If this is true then more people will be able to learn the instrument because market forces will bring prices tumbling down.
More people playing and learning can only be good for the music. From professional making and selling more CD’s - to their preforming in more concerts. Piping schools will sprout up all over the place, just like any other franchise.
Existing pipemakers will be able to expand their businesses further to accomadate a growing customer base for new players and for the dicerning player not wanting a generic looking set.
Best still, uilleann piping programmes will take over fom those silly makeover shows. Eutopia I say
I followed this link and found myself looking at a number of links to xxx sites as part of some sort of more general homepage.
I don’t think I’d want to risk hunting for the piping story in case I’d end up on the wrong kind of non-piping sites.
[Not really what I want on my computer, thankyou.]
B
I had heard this as well. It was covered in the New York Times, big photo spread, handshaking ceremony, that sort of thing. But the article said that they had decided to only make narrow bore D pipes in a left handed arrangement! Fascinating.
Best chuckle I’ve had all week.
… I’d expect no less regarding an article about ‘pipes’. 
Hey, the sound files are great. Look forward to hearing 'em live.
That is what happened to me too.
This might be the resergence of the lost art of playing the Pipes if you know what I mean as cheaper set become available.
This wasn’t the first time either that this kind of thing happened.
In the early 1880’s Firth, Pond and Hall approached William Taylor and tried to buy his designs with the intentions of mass producing concert pipes.
Taylor declined only because Charley used the plans to light the fire the morning before and he couldn’t be arsed drawing up new ones.
Tommy
I noticed this too, alongside the articles about spaghetti trees, and other such delights.
In Brasil, 1/04 is called Dia dos Bobos - a lovely name for April Fool’s Day
There was a great one years ago when a radio station in Dublin told everyone not to go near Dublin city. They said a bomb exploded on O’Connell Bridge and blew a big hole in it.
Gardai said they were looking into it…
Tommy
nice one teirw i wondered how long the thread would get before anyone admitted knowing it was an april fool. i remember the one in dublin tom pipes it was brilliant
April fool “It wasn’t me sir he made me say it”
I once had a girlfriend named April… and yes, I’m still a fool.
dose anyone have the right link, and are these only of Uillieann pipes, or GHB, small pipes??? all or just one?
For now, just UPs. Though there has been talk of doing the same for the Kazoo industry.
Paddy and others, here is the correct link that will explain all:
http://personalweb.about.com/od/aprilfoolsday/index.htm?terms=april+fools+day
might i add you posed it a day late…its april 2nd
Hey, I have one year old twins at home. One day late is NUTHIN!