I’m missing the connector for the Double Bass Regulator on a Taylor style set of Brennan Uilleann pipes (the “attic” pipes). Does anyone have photos and measurements of the piece that connects the regulator to the stock? Here are pics of the pieces I have, and the stock bore that awaits it’s mate. Thanks!
Taylor double basses plug directly into the stock, and it looks like this one does as well - it looks like you’re missing a wooden part that plugs into the stock, goes through the metal tube attached to the endcap, then plugs into the standing (unkeyed) section of the bore. This is an unusual design I’ve not seen before. Most Taylor and Taylorish double basses simply have a first section, connector, and keyed section, with a metal strap soldered to a ferrule on the first section which supports the keyed section on its bottom.
You might check and see if the first section is socketed at the top of the bore, which would indicate that another piece is meant to plug into it. Measurements of Taylor double basses might not do you much good, a pipemaker may have to improv things. Perhaps a reamer like you’d use for the the top of a chanter’s bore would work. One thing I remember about measurements of a Taylor I looked at was that the throat of the bore was tiny - 3.75mm - even though the end of the bore was huge - 50mm or something. So it was meant to take a reed with a tiny bore staple, like you’d see in flat pipes. 1/8" tube would possibly work.
Your endcap isn’t fitted with a tuning pin either. Maybe Brennan’s drill broke?
Pardon my ignorance here:
which notes is a Dbl Bs reg supposed to have?
A, G, F#, D?, the bottom D being in unison with the bass drone?
& the key action, looks like one touch opens and closes seperate holes simultaneously?
The double bass notes are F#, E and D below the bass reg. Each key opens just one hole, but the keywork is more complex because the keys at each end open the hole at the opposite end because the reg is mounted in reverse, coming down from an H connector back toward the stock.
The end cap does not have a tuning pin because the end of the reg almost meets the stock and there is no room for it.
After handling the set, Nick Whitmer was kind enough to point out that I have the tapered bore piece backwards, and the top (or what I thought was the top) does not insert into the H connector, but rather that part goes into the stock. The H connector inserts into the wide end of the tapered section. Hence, I am not missing any parts as I thought I was. It was just my complete ignorance. I have never owned (or played) a set with regs at all. You can imagine the head scratching I went through when I first received this set completely in pieces, trying to figure out how it all went together. It became easier once I realized that the main stock was bored for left handed playing.
When you get your set restored & finished Jeff I hope it sounds as good as this set, don’t know who the piper is but he has a nice looking set.all the best.
I thought it was Sean with the tailor style set, but was’nt really sure, so I hoped someone would name him rather than I making a mistake & getting it wrong, I did’nt know he could sing either,quite a nice voice, he kepted that quiet as well.all the best.
