Hi,
Anyone playing a recent Seth Gallagher full set in any key.
I’m not after ‘axes to grind’ issues here or potential flames. I’m just doing a bit of research on “over the pond” makers for an article I’m helping collate for a college friend of mine. BTW, I’ve already given some info’ on English makers so after my US research I’m moving on to German makers.
Basically, this friend of mine who is a flute player is writing a thesis on the “Irish Diaspora” and is submitting a section or three on the influence of the music and instruments.
Use pm if you wish and your input would be appreciated.
BTW, I notice Seth’s webpage is still down (the music clips anyway) and has been for quite a number of weeks. Anyone else experiencing this or is it just me.
Joseph (the “nosey” UK one) 
Will you not be including pipemakers “down under”?
djm
Put Ian Mackenzie on the list. Oh and I forgot to mention Adrian Jefferies. As I do not own a Jefferies set of pipes I can not comment on his work (Ausdag?).
But I would highly recommend Ian Mackenzie to those in our neck of the woods. His pipes although they have volume. Have a mysticle qualtiy that we all long for in a set of pipes (especially the concert D). It certainly doesn’t sound as harsh as other concert D sets I’ve heard (in comparison).
Cheers L42B 
The music clips have been down for a bit, that’s correct.
As far as Seth’s pipe-making, it’s top notch, no doubting that.
If you get a better maker than Seth you will be doing well. And a true gentleman too!! I have a full set from him and wouldn’t swap it for anyone’s
If you get a better maker than Seth you will be doing well. And a true gentleman too!! I have a full set from him and wouldn’t swap it for anyone’s
Paddy Maloney plays a gallagher set (or so I have heard)
Paddy Moloney certainly has a Gallagher set but I’m not sure if it’s the one he uses in concert. I think he plays a Rowsome set most of the time.
well, I didn’t ask him when I had the chance, so that could be true.
I was speaking to someone recently in Montreal who told me that Paddy’s Rowsome set had been stolen from Dorval Airport in 1996 after the Chieftains played a gig in Quebec city. Luckily it was recovered a few days later.
Yup, paddy is indeed using Seth’s pipes on stage… at least on this past tour… playing the old chanter though… but he loves those new pipes.
Hi Guys,
Thanks for your input re Seth’s Pipes. However, his pipe making skills are not in question by any means. I know he produces top notch instruments. The section for the PhD thesis on the Irish Diaspora is more to do with the following:
Seth is no doubt of Irish stock (I would imagine anyway) but the real question is based upon purchasers of pipes. For example did the buyer specifically choose a particular maker because the maker has Irish roots or is this just one additional reason in addition to that particular maker being a good craftsman.
Personally I would have thought that the thesis should include such questions as “was the maker drawn into pipemaking because of his/her Irish background, or indeed a lack of it”. However, it isn’t my PhD and I’m only helping out in a small way.
With regards to Seth Gallagher, yes, I agree he has an excellent reputation but I picked on him specifically because of his surname.
As yet I have only had one pm but I am hoping for more.
Once I have gathered some information from any owners of Seth’s pipes, I will be re submitting this question to the forum but aimed at makers who are not of Irish stock. Basically guys, I need to keep the issue seperate or I may end up in a muddle and the research will be invalid.
One of you mentioned the “down under” pipe makers. Yes, input will be very welcome but I will be asking for information on German makers once I have collected a modicum of information on the US folks.
So to you guys who have a set of Seth’s pipes, were you initially drawn to him because of his Irish background followed by his ability as a maker or was his making abilities the first criteria and his name was of no consequence.
Finally, my own particular reasons for going to the maker I did many years ago had nothing what so ever to do with Irish backgrounds or otherwise and was based purely upon availability (pipe makers were a rare breed in the early eighties). My parents are Irish but buying from an Irish maker be he first, second or third generation just didn’t enter into the equation. However, if I had chosen an Irish maker I might not have bought the pile of crap that I did. Fortunately, it was an Irishman who pointed this out to me and sorted me out and he then set me up with a good playable set (thanks Finbar).
Joseph (the UK one)
Gallagher is an irish name… SEE 
and GALLACHER, GALLAHAR, GALLAHER, GALLAUGHER, GALLCHOIR, GALLCHÚ, GALLEHER, GALLIHER, GALLIGER, GALLIGHER, GALLAHUE, GALLAHUGH, GALLOHER, GOLLAHER, GOLLEHER, GOLLIHER
http://ogallchobhair.org/surname/gallaghercenter.htm
Perhaps I’m sleepy, but it’s ludicrous to think nationality gives a pipe maker an edge or a deeper understanding of “what’s going on.” Brilliant builders like . David Quinn, Ben Koehler, Seth Gallagher, Geoff Woofe, Micheal Hubbert, Dave Williams (r.i.p.) Joe Kennedy (is it “joe?” The Kennedy in Canada) Alain Fromant (sp?), (list could go on a bit further) cross national boundaries..
You have an Aussie, a Canuck, an Englishman an Irishman, some yanks. All world class makers who have built kits for professionals and continue to do so.
“Whether the bird be in the bush, or the cow in the feild…” guarantees nothing. The apprenticeship, the study, and the sheer number of years turning wood… that’s where it’s at. If those thngs aren’t sussed out, it don’t matter what the passport says…
kp
I own a S.G. full concert set. He turns out excellent work while keeping the notorious wait list on uilleann pipe orders to a minimum. It makes no difference to me if there be Irish blood in them veins (in Seth’s case there is of course), as long as the maker has a passion and the pipes light a fire in them, ya know? His history with the Von Huene workshop was a plus in my deciding to do business with him as well. Great work, no worries. 
That’s his new Gallagher set alright. Although he will switch between the Rowsome stick and the Gallagher for his chanter of choice depending on the climate etc.
Hi Brazenkaine,
I tend to agree with your comments. However, the questions need to be seen in their full context. It isn’t my PhD and I have no influence on the type of questions that will be answered. In any event, the music is but a small part of something much bigger (100,000 words in the thesis) and the main research is to do with the Irish Diaspora. The questions I have put may seem trivial but they are only a very tiny piece of a much larger jigsaw. Even I don’t know the full extent of what arguments are being put forward for the PhD thesis and as is usual with this type of research the full story/facts are usually kept secret until they are subitted.
Personally I could see little relevance in the questions I was asked to put on the forum but I offered to help.
I will post this seperately but the next question I am seeking answers to is the number of non-Irish pipe makers in the US. However, I will set up a new forum topic later in the week.
Joseph (the UK one)
Hi Joseph,
I would suggest that the best way for friend to get credible and verifiable information on the question would be to prepare a questionnaire for completion by owners of Gallagher pipes. When it comes to evaluating a thesis, postings on this forum would not have the same academic clout as completed questionnaires.
Regarding non-Irish pipemakers, I suggest you check the list of pipemakers on www.pipers.ie and on uilleannobsession.com. As to whether a particular pipemaker has Irish roots, your friend should contact the pipemaker directly. The opinions of members of this forum on the geneology of pipemakers would not be considered the “best source” of information, at least while the pipemaker is still alive.
And the name isn’t enough to prove Irish roots; especially in a contry like US, where a non-Irish man can marry an Irish-woman; therefore the name will be non-Irish, but the son has got Irish-roots.
In the case of a PhD, where the method should be very scientific, the best is to contact directly the makers.
The music clips have been down for a bit, that’s correct.
They are mistakenly linked as .mp3 files. Just change .mp3 to .wav and you’ll get the sound files.