How many modern pipemakers base thier instruments of Leo Rowsomes design. The subject came up in conversation recently and the consensus was that the Rowsome design just does not work, unless the bores are filled with rushes, and such like.
your opinions please.
The subject came up in conversation recently and the consensus was that the Rowsome design just does not work
Well thats not really accurate, kind of.
The thing is that they were made to play in a different pitch to modern standards, same as Taylor, Willie Rowsome, Kennedy, Crowley etc.
The main tuning standard (old philharmonic pitch) that they used in Britan and Ireland until the first half of the 20th century was A = 452htz.
A = 440 wasn’t introduced as an international standard untill 1955.
I don’t know if Rowsome was in a big rush to re make all his reamers then but he did try different designs through out his career.
What most (at least a lot of) modern makers do is use the Rowsome bore as a template and make adjustments to bring it into tune at modern pitch.
This can be done by stretching the bore a quarter inch or so, lenghtening the chimney heights or simply making flatter reeds and moving some of the toneholes around a bit.
But then I’ve heard plenty of Rowsome chanters working fine in 440 too. It’s a 12 cent difference which isn’t a huge leap for a good reedmaker. An ordinary person wouldn’t tell if a note was off 5 cents or less.
Anyone who was at the NPU Tionol this year would have heard a few Rowsome chanters playing great.
I’d chance a guess and say there is no modern maker making 100% copies of Rowsome stuff anyway.
My 2p,
Tommy
I have reeded lots of wide bore chanters and do think that at some point , pipe makers were using liam oflynns rousome chanter as a chanter they deemed worthy of copying .
I remember when I discovered on my own that in rousomes tutor it mentions using rushes to tune BOTH , the chanter and the regulators . That gave me a great deal of insight and some relief in getting things in tune . Also when I realized that alot of things can be done in a sound studio that would effect ones choice as to what is considered a reasonable standard of musicianship , tone ect .
This is what seems like a reasonabe explanation and hence , a working definition in use to apply in a situation where a beginner might be able to make a decision for themselves .
That was 20 years ago and doesnt explain why i have a pounding migraine flu on my last nerve , sorry mam , lol . 
With respect, Tommy, the difference between modern concert pitch and A452 is about 50 cents or a quartertone. (4 cents for every 1 hertz difference is a good rule of thumb).
As regards the tuning of early 20th century pipes I will only relate my own limited experience. I have a set of Tayloresque pipes (actually it’s the set that someone in the NYPD gave Finbar Furey because he played so well - all as mentioned before on this forum by Sean Fulsome). I think the chanter bore is a bit steeper than a Rowesome and the fingerholes are slightly closer. Mind you I am only going on Rowesome plans that various people have published and I don’t know if these publishers have altered any of Leo’s dimensions. Has anyone any ideas on that?
Anyway, this chanter can play at A440 if heavily rushed and taped but the overall sound and intonation suffer. It plays much better at about A444 or 445 (This is interesting because I have heared it said that Leo Rowesome played at A445 at some stage of his career.) My chanter seems to be happiest at A452. It was at about A444 some time ago but I took the view that if it can’t play at A440 than it might as well go back to A452 which is where it probably started.
I spoke to Chris Bayley about this some time ago and he said that some old chanters will tune down successfully and others won’t - depends on the maker.[/url]
With respect, Tommy, the difference between modern concert pitch and A452 is about 50 cents or a quartertone. (4 cents for every 1 hertz difference is a good rule of thumb).
Your correct. I was thinking of the general rule that 5 cents (not hertz) is where ordinary folk will start to here stuff going out of tune.
Tommy
I wonder how many makers actually copy rather base their designs on Rowsome with corrections for the change in pitch.
During the period LR was making concert pitch changed becoming standardised at A= 440. Did he redesign his pipes to play at this standard pitch
If he did then surely sets after this date are the ones to use as a basis.
John