Quite a few years ago, I met pipemaker Michael Hubbert at the So. California Tionol. We hit it off and became fast friends. Fast forward to today (a few days before I head to Clare), and I just received a B chanter to deliver to a customer over there. In usual Hubbert style, the workmanship is flawless, and while pitched right at B, this Egan copy is lively, bold, toneful, colourful, timbre-full, and beautiful. I thought it would be nice to share some pix of this for everyone, and I asked Michael to say a few words too:
“Modeled on original Egan B that I have had in my shop on an off for years, so that I know the chanter very well. My new version is scaled to produce B at modern pitch standard of A=440 Hz. I feel that the new modified/shortened version retains all the great qualities of the original, but is easier to reed and, of course, playing at modern pitch rather, than the 40 or 50 cents flat of the original.”
There you have it pipe geeks! Let the viewing party begin!
