Hello. I’ve won the auction for the old Kenna style set that was recently discussed on this forum. I’d just like to post a message to show how its going and possibly identify the maker(s).
Detailed photos available here:
http://flic.kr/s/aHsjJK2YS4
The main body of the set is a Kenna style boxwood, brass and ivory 3/4 set, three drones, tenor & baritone regulator.
The chanter is in the long block Taylor style with blackwood, silver and ivory.
So the main body first:
Bag is old but certainly not original. On the inlet pipe there is no valve. The cover is green corduroy, the style of which I have seen before, once in a photo of Mick O’Brien’s pipes. The cover looks to have been originally for a smaller bag, and currently has been taken out to fit this bag. Note the frill stops half way down. The colour on the inside is very bright.
Bellows are probably original, in the old style. No belts, but has two loops on the end of either paddle for attaching one. The inlet is ivory, the hinge is the metal type which would be tied together with string/leather. The valve on the inside works fine. The outlet is the old style leather one and is permanently attached.
Stock looks non original. There is a 1950 British half penny at the end of the stop key. The black paint has been hastily applied and some of it on the brass too. Stop key is very badly attached, looks awful but proves functional.
Tenor regulator is interesting, five keys in the style of Kenna (like Tommy Reck’s set). The G key is of note as being possibly from a different maker to the rest of the keys. The G has four ‘notches’ on it, as opposed to three like the rest of the set. The spring is also pinned to it with a much smaller dot at the top. This one key looks to be of superior quality. It is currently the only one to be missing the leather pad, although there is evidence that one existed previously. The soldering on some of the keys has been poorly done, with overlap spilling out and filling in the ‘notches’ on several. Some keys have the number marked on the underside, e.g. the A key has three lines scraped into the solder. Turn marks are visible. All holes seem in good condition.
Baritone regulator is in similar condition to the tenor. Keywork seems to be untouched on this one, no sloppy solder underneath. All keys look the same on this, with an equal number of ‘notches’ on each key.
Two different regulator mounts came with this set. One looks like a Rowsome style ivory ‘trumpet’ which has split. The other mount is a more understated cylindrical end, with quite nice turning and an unusual wooden centrepiece. The wooden centrepiece matches the baritone & tenor drone mounts. I’ve taken photos of the baritone regulator with both mounts. The tuning pin is a gorgeous piece of spherical ivory which has a circular pattern turned on five sides. The pin fits both mounts.
Tenor drone is in good condition. The metal turning on it is okay work, if a little tattered. The ivory mount has been tastefully done and has a wooden centre ring. Compared to my concert pitch tenor drones its a little long but plays well.
Baritone drone looks to be of different wood, almost certainly of a different maker with little decoration. The slider, on the other hand, is very nice. The boxwood of it matches the rest of the set, and the metal is of good quality with nice turns. Mount is ivory and matches the tenor mount and odd regulator mount with the wooden centrepiece. It is also slightly longer than my concert baritone drones.
Bass drone needs a bit of work. The turn around is currently in separate pieces. It looks to have been very shoddily cut apart at one point, my best guess is to have made it shorter for concert pitch. There is what looks like a burn mark on the wood, possibly from a stray soldering iron or similar. The metalwork is of good quality, but patchy in places. The slider has suffered quite a bit through the ages. I speculate that at one time somebody decided to change it from a straight slider to a bend. The bend is of poor quality, looks to have had a support attached and later removed and patched up. I’m not 100 percent certain the end mount is original, as it does not match up with the others (wooden centrepiece) or in colour.
Onto the chanter:
Best guess is the reed cap is non-original. My own personal estimate is the top (at least) is Patsy Brown. What looks like the faint outline of a makers mark on the stop key would corroborate that. Main chanter body still unsure, but appears to be of different wood. I’ve heard that its possibly a Hamilton chanter, in the style of O’Mealy, but there are no other Hamilton or O’Mealy chanters in the long block style. Tone holes look to have been enlarged. The two keys have square heads, metalwork is good, only the back C has been drilled. Bottom valve is well made, five studs attaching the ivory, nice motif engraved around the silver. Top of the chanter is non original, very poor attempt to replace with bad metalwork and brass pipe. Still, is functional and honks quite well with an old reed in it.
One bass drone reed was with the instrument (cane).
So thats the set. It looks to be the work of a few different makers. Some good and some bad repairs have been carried out. I got the set to fix up myself and get it back in to playing condition as it should be. If anyone recognises it please let me know. I’m not under any illusion as to what it might or might not be, but I am open to suggestions of makers. If anyone wants closeups or comparisons of certain parts please let me know and I’ll put them up on the Flickr set.
Thanks
Jason
