Didn’t Ronnie Wathen (?) also play Wooff pipes ? What became of those pipe after Ronnie pasted away ?
RORY
Brian Vallely has them now.
The newest issue of An Piobaire notes that Jaye Grigsby (Bernard’s sister) recently donated a C set of Kohler & Quinn pipes to Na Piobairi. No mention of anything else, though.
My Wooff C chanter came from Malcom Sims in Australia in 2001. I think it was made for Malcom’s dad. Malcolm was using it with a Froment set instead of the Froment C chanter. Malcolm had returned it to Geoff in 1997/98 to be uppgraded with Geoff’s new bore measurements as the chanter was made in the early '80’s. Malcolm asked me if I wanted the Froment wind cap (nickel) or the original Wooff wind cap. I chose the original wood and brass wind cap. It came without a working reed, but with a Wooff reed in pieces in a vial. It came to Sweden without mishap from Australia. I took the chanter to Clare at Willie Week time, 2001 and Geoff took the chanter home and I got it back during the week with a new reed that has been working fine ever since. It’s very in tune and sounds very mellow and oldfashioned compared to a D chanter, although my D chanters are not shrill and strident like some can be. Geoff is a bona fide craftsman that’s for sure.
I believe so, and that he has made fewer sets per year in recent times. At one time he was estimating four sets per year, I believe. Taking the figure from the Heart of the Instrument (190:2004) and the recent completion of nr207, it seems the figure may be smaller.
Has Geoff really made over 300 sets of pipes?
Sorry, my mistake ,maybe I was thinking about Alain Froment.
I’m not sure about the accuracy of this, but I had read that Froment made between 100 and 125 sets in his entire career, and typically made 4 or 5 sets a year. Probably a subject for another thread though.
I heard he made at least 9 a year ,sometimes more, and just as an idea of what is possible, David Quinn once made 17 sets in one year.
RORY
I play a C chanter which Geoff set up and re-reeded last year. I know of two proficient German pipers who own Wooff sets but are rarely seen in public with them I dare say - or at least they told me so.
I know of four sets in New Zealand (and another D set that has left the country).
D half set (mid 80s), whose owner is the original, and an occasional player.
Bb full set (mid 80s), also original owner and regularly played. Distinguishing feature is the sixth key (for e) on the tenor reg.
D full set #151
B full set #205 (made last year)
Last two are mine and are played daily at home, plus out at two gigs minimum weekly. My only problem with the B set is that they are impossible to put down, once you start playing them. NZ’s east coast of the South Island is wonderful for reeds. Climate just like Ireland!
Greg
OK, are we talking about full or at least 3/4 sets of pipes, or counting anything that leaves the shop? Brad Angus only stamps 3/4 and up with a number, as a practice set you couldn’t really call a “set of pipes,” in his estimate anyway. To me that’s a sensible way of looking at it.
Eddie Nolan in Waterford has just gotten a D set made for a bloke in California that never played them. Glad they are where they are appreciated.
While in Clare, I visited the shop of Geoff’s former apprentice, Derrick Gleeson. He was well trained and is a superb craftsman. The day I left, Blackie O’Connell was coming to pick up a C chanter. It was wonderful. The sets are based on Geoff’s bores. The level of craftmanship, tuning and voicing are well up the standards of Wooff. He has it all well down. I would be glad to have one of his sets as easily as one of Geoff’s, and they are available. You never see a set of Wooff’s for sale, except the D sets. Call him a Wooff clone if you will, but that is a compliment, rather than a slagging. He only has a two year wait list at this point, but that will only get longer as more see and get to play his sets.
Geoff only makes four sets a year, as does David Quinn, who may have made five sets one year. Geoff does some repairs on his older stuff and the odd chanter only as well. David also does a few chanters and may have made five sets in one year. 17 sets a year is ludicrous. They both work six day weeks and often work into the night. Their stuff is great value for the money. Neither are getting wealthy and could make more money working for someone else. We are all better of because of their and Derricks devotion to the instrument.
I know, I would have thought that as well.but in an interview on the source (NPU site) David states that he makes about nine sets a year and in one particular year made 17.
RORY
I wonder if it was 17 sets completed rather than 17 sets made. If he had a number of sets in various stages of completion, and then cleaned them all up, that would make more sense.
David said back in the 70’s or early 80’s, before he knows what he knows now, he made 17 sets, mostly practice sets and half sets and some chanters in one year. The present output of his and Benedict’s is 7 or 8 sets a year, with David doing the manufacturing, incl. turning and keys etc., with Benedict reeding, tuning and voicing the sets. They each turn out a few chanters and Benedict has made full sets as well. That compares with Wooff and Gleeson at four sets a year, plus repairs and the occasional chanter. At four sets a year, at say $12,500 per set is $50,000 per year. There are materials and tooling costs as well, so I don’t see them getting wealthy. A top craftsman in other trades makes more than that. For the quality of work and the materials used, pipes from the top makers are still a bargain.
Michael Gravina, now in England had a narrow bore D in boxwood. He may have sold it. Any ifo. on that?
It was sold and re-sold some time ago. He had varnished it and scalloped the holes on the chanter. see here
Another D chanter up for sale recently had been subjected to non original scalloping of the holes as well.
Quite true, Ted. And materials and tools are not cheap - not by a long shot. On an hourly basis, performing and teaching provides a better income than pipemaking. If you have enough gigs and students, you can do very well indeed. It became painfully obvious to me years ago, when I realized I made more money in a recording studio in a few hours than I made in a week in the shop.
Yea! but at ten sets a year ,thats $125,000, thats two and a half grand a week. Sounds OK to me .Whats the adverage wage in the US. In Ireland $2500 (1950 euro) a week would be a very good wage indeed ,even with the expense’s mentioned.
RORY
Who is making ten sets a year? $12,500 is a figure I made up, but close to the price from the top makers. Four sets a year is their output. Where does 10 sets a year come from?
Ten sets a year? Not bloody likely. Even if you could make them, you couldn’t sell them, especially these days. In the '80’s, there were only a handful of makers in the world. Nowadays there may be a hundred, and the vast majority of them are little more than hobbyists. The reality is that there simply isn’t a market for that many expensive sets. My guess is that, eventually, some bright MIT student with a penchant for trad, a keen sense of marketing, and a working knowledge of futuristic manufacturing techniques will come up with a design that is both affordable and dependable. They will be able to build fully functional pipes, and build them cheaply, (and in unlimited quantities, to boot.) If and when that happens, the most desirable sets of today’s master builders will become unaffordable for musical artists. The market in historic sets will become the playground of superstar pipers, collectors, and wealthy dabblers. Poorer artists will soldier on with whatever works, be it assorted older crap, or newer plastic stuff that people will eventually come to accept, (and bemoan.) Fine traditional sets won’t ever be built in any significant number.