"The current makers who have made Tayloresque pipes are:
Koehler & Quinn - Chris Bayley - Brad Angus " PJ
I’d add to the current makers list:
Cillian O’Briain
Joe McKenna
Ole Buhl (Odense, Denmark) 3/4 Bb set with “Taylor” style reg keys
Of the deceased pipemakers, I’ve heard:
Patsey Brown - Pat Hennelly - R.L. O’Mealy (some of his regulators, at least, were Tayloresque)" PJ
and I’d add:
Michael Carney (Brooklyn)
Michael Anderson (Sligo)
Edward “Ned” White (Boston)
James E. Brennan Jr (Philadelphia)
James Carbray of Chicago (who’s chanters were said to be better than the Taylor chanters) (I’m not sure if they were "Tayloresque though)
Robert Hutton (said to have turned out a few chanters of not outstanding quality according to O’Neill)
Johnny Bourke (Bray?) (Joe Doyle’s Anderson replica)
Joe McKenna used to make Taylor-type sets, also Johnny Burke built a set for John Doyle in that style. Tom Wilsbach published a list of Taylor disciples in the Pipers’ Review years back. Brown White Green (???) Carney Hamilton O’Meally Brennan Hutton O’Doyle Carbery Hennelly Anderson.
There was a Taylor style set that turned up back when stamped “White.” Whether that was Ned White isn’t known. It was supposed to be a good set, too. Ned was older than the Taylors.
Flat keys seem to be the Pavlov effect for people to shout ‘Taylor’, even when nothign else matches, in that case William Clarke turned out a few. One notorious example was owned by the Potts family, Sean Og played it during the early 80s. I was told the keys were made of ‘Republican silver’ which means they were hallmarked during a specific period during the war of independance.
Makes for OK shorthand though. You could describe every part of a set with some similiar term but we’d really come across like anoraks.
Was the “Republican” set by Clarke, then? Any good? Clarke was a nice player, wish I had some more of his recordings.
Taylors were not the only the only wind instrument makers to use this style of keywork . A system using square/rectangular keys for orchestral woodwind was devised by H L Schaffner- an Austrian Dentist. Looks simple but hides a complex tracker rod system underneath. It was applied to a few clarinets and used by Giorgi (Florence, Italy) on some of his vertical flutes. Keys are engraved with the note they play. Date is the same time as the Taylors and original patent maybe slightly earlier 1875ish - need to check this.
Probably the most famous of the living taylor style makers has stated that although the outward appearance of these pipes are in the style of taylor internally they are rowsome !!
The reason being that he has never heard a taylor set that were worth copying
Which can be open to debate, I find Taylor drones overall vastly superior to Rowsome ones. Taylor regs are a bit too much of a traffic jam for me but for example the Touhey chanter is an extremely fine chanter. I can imagine most of us having grown up musically with the sound of Rowsome pipes in our ears and find ourselves looking for that sound in concert pitch chanters but I am not sure sure they are actually objectively (if that is possible) the better chanter.
Gotta agree with Peter here. I have a good recording of Sean McKiernan playing the Touhey set - video, actually - very sweet chanter although Peter says it’s a loud 'un too. Never heard a Rowsome with anything like it for tone. Will be nice to hear them/Sean in person this fall.
Unfortunately Sean isn’t planning on bringing the set with him. I can’t say I blame him. He will be on the lookout for a good lefthanded set though so any lefties willing to share should submit your applications as soon as possible.
Well, if I can make it down, he can have a go on mine.
Damn. I was looking forward to seeing the Touhey set as well. But you’re right–it’s not the kind of thing that you want to risk knocking around on international travel.
That would’ve been an ironclad way of my forsaking all fiscal responsibilities (including marital) and getting me out to CA for the tionol… I suppose there’s always the year after… maybe…
Sean’s a great piper, I’d listen to him even on a _______ set.
Be cool if, say, you guys could yoke up Barry O’Neill’s pipes left-handed, and Sean could just bring the chanter.
Or maybe that Holy Order set. In the name of the Bent Bass Bar, let us pray. Get on it Pat!
