Hello Folks help required in identifying these pipes.The chanter with the Stopkey is an early Williams.The cap on the other chanter may not be original .It is in Concert pitch D with silver keys but the bag has brass so that isnae original to the set .The chanter has an unusual bell end and the keys are brass so that may not be original to the set but given that the drones have a brass drone switch which may have been a later addition then goodness knows the maker may have been one and the same..any ideas
Go Raibh Mile maith Agat agus Nollaig Shona Duit,
Slan Go Foill
Uilliam
The drones have an early Peter Hunter look to them. There are some Harrington influences in the mounts on the drones? Looks like the bass drone return section may be a new addition possibly by Kiernan or Seery? Might it even be a Kiernan set?
Thanx guys,Pat.. The keys and the metalwork on the drones looks to be silver.The rest of the metal work IE the ferule on the stock and possibly the regulator bar may be silver plated on brass I think or good chroming not sure.The bass drone end seems to be very compatible with the rest of the drone metal work and I don’t think it is an addition as it follows the existing work very closely and when pushed in is symetric.(the guy in the shop where they have been living in for the past year in London said they were Ginsberg but I really can’t see that he also gave me a drone guill to try in the regulator which didnae have a reed so that kinda puts anything he says in a holding box I guess.)
Tommy the leopard isnae mine it was taken in a friends flat in London..and the tats are only the ones ye can see
Thanks again for your interest
ps Looking again at it I would go with Kevin on the metalwork and say that it does indeed look to be Nickel Silver all over.
Willie R, John Brogan or John Clarke? Willie Clarke? How come these pipemakers in Ireland 100 years ago only had a handful of names to go around?
The keyed part of the bass plugs into the bass bar, that was Willie’s innovation. Also the permanently attached bass bar. Plus the chanter is obviously a big bore. Looks old fashioned to me in the turnings and shapes.
Kiernan regulators have those bigass key blocks, which this doesn’t have. You might compare it to Nelidh Mulligan’s Brogan pipes.
This may be a dud, but did Dave Williams leave any notes of the work he did or sets he restored? He may have known more about this set and left some information about it in his records. Just a thought.
Hi Patrick
Al took a look at the pictures and he identifies the set as one he made when we were living in London, over 27 years ago. The chanter with the stop key is obviously a Williams one, and the drones switch is not original.
All the best
Check out the detailing at the fulcrum point on the lowermost bass and bari reg keys.
My 30+ year-old Ginzy C set has that same feature. Did any other makers do that such that it might be a notable thing? I’ve had it suggested by a couple of people that my set looks very much inspired by Egan - the reg keys are much like those above, except for that swelling profile in the middle of the lowermost bass key arm, and “lunettes”, I suppose you’d call 'em, cut out on both sides of the touches, so I was wondering about those bumpy bits.
The ‘teardrop’ shape of the key touches on the Ginsberg are like those of Egan.
However the “detailing” in the form of crosswise grooves in the regulator key fulcrum points is typical of Kenna and Coyne, I can’t say I’ve seen it on an Egan. On some Coyne sets its very prominent, on others, notably the NPU/Busby Coyne set, this ornament has been reduced to more-or-less vestigial proportions.
I suspect it was originally an artifact of the forging process, which was made into a feature - I’ve had it happen inadvertantly when hand forging long regulator keys, which seem to require the use of a cross-peen hammer or something similar to form the tight “zig zag” bends.
Before Joan chimed in, I was going to say Ginsberg, as the deep cuts on the reg. keys were a feature of his in the past. Much of the turning looks like his as well.
Thanks all for the interest and help.I spoke wi Alan today and he said he can’t remember exactly when but he made them nearer 30years ago or more in London.The chanter is very bright with a mellow feel and a good hard bottom D .He said it is a Rowsome copy .He used Coyne as a basis for some of his work as well. The Williams Chanter plays very well if a little loud but hey thats with me just putting my reed made by Alan Burton (plug plug that’ll be 10%Al ) into them without any adjustment whatsover.A couple of us played them both at The London Pipers Club on Thursday and they both got the thumbs up so how bad is that then
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
A wee plug also made of box serves the job.The upper picture gives the impression that the reg is warped but it is the leather seat it is on rising in the middle which gives the illusion.
Slán Go Foill
uilliam
