all right Peter you drew me out from under my rock. I knew Mike G.back in the day and he is very nice and honest guy. You couldn’t go wrong buying those pipes. they are worth the money. That was the first Wooff set I ever saw and I got my B set a bit after that. and I do still have it. It will be the last to go, right after a few unnecessary limbs. Mark
Geoff actually told me last year you sold the B, it surprised me to be honest, especially as you hadn’t mentioned selling it. He must have got the wrong end of the stick.
As a related piece of trivia, there is an Encyclopedia of Ireland (i am not sure of the exact title at this moment), it has , under the heading ‘Uilleann Pipes’, a photograph of that very B set. Taken by Geoff after he made it.
From Mike Gravina - Please accept my humble apologies to all for giving the wrong date on the ad. No wonder the various experts out there were puzzled as to the history of this set. In my haste I copied the date (incorrectly) from Geoff’s correspondence (blame his handwriting!) without stopping to think if that made sense. (Meanwhile I’m impressed by all the historical knowledge out there). Mike
I just received an audio clip from the seller of this set. The new listing is available at:
http://www.uilleannobsession.com/classifieds.html#1
The price has also been dropped 2,000 Euro!!!
Good luck, listening to the audio file this sounds like a really beautiful set…
Patrick.
Mein Gott!
For a second there, I thought D’Arcy had written
“The price has been dropped to 2,000 Euro!!!”
Nearly had a heart attack…
Ben Walkers Froment set sold for $14,118 USD – of course it had the extra reg – and this Wooff set is only $10,548 USD right now, and not selling.
Question for those in the know: how does a typical Froment D chanter bore compare with an early Wooff D chanter? Going on memory here…that this Wooff set was one of the first and that it is a small bore.
I remember that Wooff set as a particular nice instrument, personally I would take it any day over the big stainless steel yoke. I think Geoff’s drones are unmatched by anyone, I never really took to the sound of the narrow bore D chanter though but given the choice between the two you mentioned I’d take it without a moment’s hesitation.
Would the chanter bore be about the same size (roughly)? Both small? How would they compare in volume or cross fingering, etc.?
No, the Froment would be a Rowsome(-ish) style chanter.
I found the Froments I played less responsive to cross fingerings than Wooff sets but reeds and set up play their part.
But then again, it’s there where taste comes in, and what suits you best.
If the set is available, it would be well worth it to go see them and make your own determination. If you had the cash with you, you could carry them back, defraying the cost of the trip and angst waiting to see if they arrive OK.
Thanks. I’m not thinking of buying the set, but I was thinking that the small chanter bore might be what is hindering the sale, but not sure why if Froment D’s were small too. I didn’t realize Froment D’s were Rowsome size. I’ve heard Rowsome’s chanters varied a bit, but were considered large.
He uses (or used) a copie of a particular Rowsome chanter as a starting point for his chanter design. He has made narrow bore ones on special order. Dave Hegarty has a nice one that I have heard.
Alain’s concert chanters are based on several Leo Rowsome chanters but the closest in look and feel is the Leo Rowsome chanter that Kevin Rowsome plays.
Althought Dave plays a Froment set the narrow bore is by Rogge !!
RORY
During the early nineties Dave had a narrow bore set made by Alain. He was happy with it. He may have changed chanter since but that doesn’t changed what I said above: that Alain made a narrow bore for Dave.
Below he is showing off the new set at the second of two tionols held at the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon.
Hello
Dave provided all the measurements and Alain did all the rest. I played the set myself in Miltown and I thought that it was nice (it’s hard to make a judgement when you can only play on it for twenty minutes or so).
Cheers
John Moran
[quote=“Peter Laban”]During the early nineties Dave had a narrow bore set made by Alain. He was happy with it. He may have changed chanter since but that doesn’t changed what I said above: that Alain made a narrow bore for Dave.
Around the time that Dave Hegerty approached Alian Froment to build the narrow bore set ,Andreas Rogge was in Ireland and went to visit Alian ,While he was there he was very interested in the measurments that Dave had given to Alian.and asked Alain if he could make the prototype of the chanter which he did .When Alian got back the chanter he was so happy with it that he added mounts keys and the head and this is the chanter Dave has
RORY
Awwww…That was the sweetest bedtime story I’ve heard in a while.
Interesting, Dave always said Alain made it and I went by that.
(edited in later:) I was over at Geoff Wooff most of the day, we talked about Dave’s chanter and Geoff thought it was a Froment as well, Dave had never mentioned to him either it was anything else than a Froment.
Orriginaly Posted by Peter Leban
yeah they do that, simple economy, car breaks down, pipes go. I know at least three people who have the personal set’ of one particular pipemaker.
sorry about going of on a tangent
That’s how I accquired my D Lancewood set. I was on Ian’s second hand waiting list and he offered me his pipes. Originaly I was going to aquire Ozpiper’ set but fate turned out differently. In the end he aquired Ozpiper’ pipes and upgraded it to a full set.
Because it was one of the last D Lancewood sets that he made (of my kind). I’ts probably worth more than I bought it for. The fact that it’s owned by Ian for many years probably adds more to the value.
However I don’t wont to sell do I 
. An excellent set like that you don’t get the chance of aquiring all that often 
. Great tone too I might add and the graftmanship is spectacular. The pictures I posted don’t really show the true quality of Ian’s work.
Cheers L42B 