Does anyone have a set of Vignoles pipes? How do they feel about them?
Dionys Murphy
Michael’s work is reported to be some of the best, though I’ve never had the privileage to play it. I seem to recall someone here aying they had a set though…just can’t remember who!
Have you tried the UP contact lists at all?
B~
I have personal experience with two sets of his pipes and do not really like them much at all. I know of several other people who currently have or have had his sets and they are of the same opinion.
I would be happy to discuss my experience with Vignoles sets off-list. Please feel free to contact me at eskin@home.com
Cheers,
Michael Eskin
http://www.michaeleskin.com
No offense to you Michael, but this is something that really bugs me about this board.
If there is something good to be said about an instrument then everyone is quick to praise it. If there is something wrong with an instrument then either “mums the word” or “send me a private email” so I can tell you the truth about how bad it really is!
I know that this is a personal preference but I would like to know the whole truth about the instruments.
Someone on Pat D’Arcy’s UP messageboard recently described MV’s work as ‘I have seen better looking work done by a blind man’ or similar. This sums it about up.
However, apart from that, the instruments never work properly either and people who happen to get one seem to have the urge to sell it on immediately.
Clear enough?
As a PS it is fair tp add that the pipes I have seen and the one I have played (I played it for well over an hour, long enough to assess the set properly) were made four to five years ago. A serious and capable maker should have had room to improve his workmanship within that time. Although I have seen no evidence of this, maybe MV’s work has improved since. Still, given past experiences several people had with this maker recommending a fair amount of caution would seem in order.
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2001-08-24 16:09 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Peter Laban on 2001-08-25 06:14 ]
Everything Peter said, and more… There are so many less potentially troublesome set builders out there… Some people really like the MV sets, I’ve seen at least three that were very problematic.
I dumped my MV full set for a $1000 less than I paid for it when I got my Kirk Lynch 1/2 set. I highly recommend Kirk’s work, I have a 1/2 set and two of his chanters. Just ordered my regulators. I also have a Seth Gallagher practice set in C, which is also a wonderful set.
Good thing about having owned an MV set was that I had to learn to make my own reeds since MV wasn’t able to build one for me that would survive the shipment to SoCal., so its not an entirely bad thing that I started on such a troublesome set.
Michael,
I read two threads about Vignoles including your comments on Patrick’s ‘Obession’ message centre.
How did you end up with a full set without knowing there were so many negative comments about Vignoles?
His website states “Your satisfaction, and the workmanship of the pipes is unconditionally guaranteed.”
Didn’t you try to send the pipes back instead of taking a loss unloading them?
[ This Message was edited by: tony on 2001-08-25 04:44 ]
I bought the full MV set from a seller on eBay. This was my very first venture into playing the Uilleann pipes. This was long before I had ever heard of Patrick’s site, was completely new to the instrument…
I’m sure that there are people who like MVs sets, but so far, I haven’t played a set out here in California that I’d ever consider owning and have recommended to two students that they return theirs after they had so much trouble. Wish it weren’t so…
I bought the full MV set from a seller on
eBay. This was my very first venture into
playing the Uilleann pipes.
I feel for ya in that respect. I too went through ‘isolated piper’ pains, the learning curve is much steeper this way.
As far as pipes go, even the best pipemakers have variances from instrument to instrument. This isn’t a problem on well designed pipes. However, this could easily make a marginal design fall way below acceptable playing standards.
Let me add to this posting…
Who’s pipes are you recommending to your students now? Be realistic because Gallagher is currently 1 1/2 year wait and I’ve heard Kirk Lynch isn’t taking on new orders.
There are a few ‘middle-of-the-road’ pipemakers with wait times less than 4 months.
[ This Message was edited by: tony on 2001-08-26 14:53 ]
I bought both of my sets used, had to wait 12 hours for the Kirk Lynch first set, and 48 hours for the Gallagher set. Same for my second Lynch chanter. I actually got on a plane and flew up to Sacramento with cash for my Lynch set. That’s the best way to get a set, find a used one that you know has a good reputation, and show up with cash. Other than that, I’ll have to leave it others to recommend new sets, since all the people I play with already have sets. I’d consider any of the following U.S. builders for a practice set (I’m sure there are a few I’ve missed that are also very good, but these I’ve actually tried): Lynch, Gallagher, Roberts, Childress. Also, a very good practice set for a new player is the David Daye Pennychanter.
Michael,
You know the ‘stars & the moon’ must have been in perfect alignment for you to make such excellent deals on used pipes. I too check the listings awaiting my perfect deal.
Yes, I was very, very lucky on my sets, but clearly being prepared to hop on a plane made the difference. On my first set, there were 9 people on the waiting list if I had decided not to buy it, and they were still calling while I was trying it out (at a firestation in Rancho Cucamonga, of all places).
My student had a Vignoles practice set. IIRC, that was around 4-5 years ago, so I am vague abour the appearance except I think it was possibly ebony and had artificial ivory trim, which blew out of the reed cap and needed gluing back.
The reed had been sealed into the reed seat with either sealing wax or varnish, but once I was able to break it loose from the seat, I tuned it against my drones and it had the typical large bore Rowsome sound and response.
My reed design or the David Daye penny chanter reed both worked well in it.
I felt sorry for my student when the sax player in his band pulled the reed cap off and mouth blew his reed and killed it. I loaned him a Daye reed during his next few reedmaking class (he never could roll a staple seam shut for some strange reason) and he then just vanished into thin air thereafter.
One of his check valves failed at about the same time as the sax player killed his reed, so that was on his next lesson as well.
Note to self: Self, never let a reed out of your possession for less than 40% margin over what you think it is worth to you to make another and play it in.
Brian,this is a pretty useless post don’t ye think?
Never seen one ,never played one,someone somewhere owning one??? 
And ye start the post by saying that his work is reported to be some of the best? Best what?and reported by who or what??
So if it is worth saying then say it if not ,don’t
Slan go foill
Liam 
PS what happened to the Chris Bayley thread???I am too, equally pissed off with this censorship issue about pipemakers.Tell it how it is and stop fannying about ,ye would think this forum was being read by nuns and censored by the vatican!!!
FREE SPEECH OR BE DAMNED 
PS.Have a nice day y’all
PPS Brian just realized this was an OLD thread(where did it come frae??)So I am sorry for harking back to something ye said 3 years ago,I am sure ye have moved on from there.
Liam
Edited because I just noticed the date of the thread thanx to Peters’ vigilance. and begs the question Why??? has this been ressurected and inserted into current discussion,talk about confusing.
is there much point to reviving this [old] thread? There is the possibility that your man has got his act together over the years. Most expereinces described are wit hset made well over five years ago.
On the other hand Harry reported playing a set in the Shannaquay shop in Adare last year saying something along the lines of ‘they are fine to start off on if you can’t get anything else, if you want to play in tune however they are not for you’.
Right on Peter and well spotted the date.This board is getting silly.
Slan go foill
Liam
ive tried them, they would be ok for about a year or two until you can get a set of pipes