I have a sneaking suspician that with the extremely weak dollar that more set owners will consider putting their sets on the market here in the states and that more sets will migrate overseas to europe. Money is a sweet enticment, particularly for sets collecting dust.
Neil
A boon for US makers as well. If the dollar keeps falling against the euro, European makers are going to be in a bit of trouble.
Not good for me either, as I can’t afford a set of pipes just yet. By the time I can afford a set ( I’m leaning Gallagher) the waiting list may a 5 years long!
Quality of pipes crafted in the US will drive the migration…not price.
Price will factor in. It almost always does.
I am not talking about new pipes sales, though I think that there is a clear advantage to Seth on FX price and wait list. I am speaking about those people with sets in the closet or people with multiple sets that suddenly are finding that their set is worth equivilient to $11,000 or $15,000 US due to FX rates, and suddenly decide to sell a very valuable old set to a person in Europe or perhaps a high-quality high-demand modern set.
This might be a little too weird for you all, but once my pipes read this thread…like…they started to pack a suitcase full of hemp and teflon, then they, like, dis-articulated themsleves and collapsed in an orderly pile on the floor and tried to ‘roll’ into their case. No SH**!!! If it wasn’t for the empty bottle of Jamie that I used to subdue their sanctimoius cylindrical arses with, I’d be ‘pipeless’…even as I write this… 
Don’t worry, they would never get past immigration control here without a visa.
Although they could claim asylum. They would need to prove systematic abuse and/or torture. Then convince the authorities they would be subjected to more if returned.
On second thoughts maybe with a good lawyer they could pull it off. 
There is always this thing called tax (vat) to be payed for imported instruments.
At least in Sweden. roughly 30% of value.
30%! Shameful government ripoff. I sure hope that the money goes to good use. I’d suspect the people paying that sort of tax get very little back in return.
That’s the facts - in Denmark it is a 25% VAT and another 4% customs - plus the fee you have to pay to be allowed to pay the VAT & Customs tax…
That will slow down the boom in sales of american pipes in europe I think…
On the other hand; I did a bit of math when I bought the Angus set - It ended up costing me a lot less than I had thought initially - about 900$ less than a comparable set from Andreas Rogge who is the closest maker, so maybe…
Morten
-The Angus set is fantastic. End of story.
For me it will be cheaper to go to New York and pick up the set from S. Gallagher myself, comparing to the tax I have to pay.
(Anyone know amy cheap place to stay in the NY area…
Central Park…
Uilliam
…well, you may be required to pay the ‘Transient Tax’ to the current residents of Central Park…and that could be a little costly.
"A boon for US makers as well. If the dollar keeps falling against the euro, European makers are going to be in a bit of trouble.
" Father Emmet.
I doubt it as the best living makers are based in Europe, and it seems as if uilleann pipers in Europe choose European instruments, Wooff, Froment, Thompson, O’Briain, Rogge, Van Daal, Stephenson, Adams, Hunter, Dooley, Roberts and then you also have your “up and coming” makers to choose from such as Preshaw, Bayley, Dunne, Coulter with shorter waiting lists and prehaps lower prices.
In North America you have Kohler & Quinn who if I’m not mistaken have closed their order books for a while and apart from Brian McNamara and Paddy Keenan I don’t know of any other “name” pipers playing their instruments in Europe (I could be wrong here). Then there are Childress, Angus, Gallagher, Kennedy, Boisvert, but you hardly ever see any of their instruments over here. I’ve seen one Angus setin Denmark, and yesterday a piper came to the session with a nice Boisvert C chanter
This only makes sense if you follow the advice to buy from a pipemaker that you have easy access to. I don’t believe it has as much to do with quality of product as it does with the need to be able to get back to your pipemaker quickly to sort out any problems, real or perceived, without having to ship your set away for weeks or months.
djm
I don’t know of any other “name” pipers playing their instruments in Europe
Emmet Gill has a Koehler and Quinn Cn set. Liam O’Flynn plays a Cn chanter (as seen in the Planxty DVD) of their make. Kevin Rowsome plays their reeds…as do several other well-known pipers who ship their Rowsome and like sets to Benedict for reeds. I believe a young lady who is residing somewhere in Ireland also has a set. This small list probably just scratches the surface.
Don´t forget Jerry O`Sullivan. His recordings have made Seth Gallagher´s sets very well-known over here.
“Emmet Gill has a Koehler and Quinn Cn set. Liam O’Flynn plays a Cn chanter (as seen in the Planxty DVD) of their make. Kevin Rowsome plays their reeds…as do several other well-known pipers who ship their Rowsome and like sets to Benedict for reeds. I believe a young lady who is residing somewhere in Ireland also has a set. This small list probably just scratches the surface.” Glands.
Fair enough, 2 chanters, Keenan’s & O’Flynn’s and 2, prehaps 3 sets McNamara’s, Gill’s and the young Irish lady’s, not exactly a multitude, or even many instruments is it, compared to the number of Froment, Williams, O’Briain etc. instruments being played over here?
I don’t think that the quality of uilleann pipes made in North America is on such a level that uilleann pipers in Europe will be interested in buying or ordering on such a scale that European makers will need to be anxious. Even with the weak dollar there are more top level makers, and more “just as good” makers here in Europe to choose from
Paddy Moloney bought Seth Gallagher’s pipes. Moloney, O’Flynn (he was still playing the Q&K C chanter at the Galway Planxty gigs as of the 8th of December), Keenan (concert pitch chanter). - not a bad bunch to be playing stuff out of the US.
Unless I am mistaken, don’t Ivan Goff and Jimmy O’brien Moran both have Gallagher sets?