Flat Sets - C or B Flat

[billh]

Again, please see my comment in this recent thread about tonehole spacing:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.ph ... ighlight=

Bottom line is, it depends on the maker. Some B chanters have wide spacing, some do not. Some B sets have less of a stretch than some other makers' D sets.

Bill

[Jim McGuire]

Seth Gallagher's work is solid, so there are no issues there. You might try them out either at the shop (if Seth has one around) or someone else's set before they are made. Tionols are handy for that. Pipes, with the big investment that they are, are worth sorting out ahead of time. Getting them fitted to you is important too.

[seisflutes]

I got to play a Seth Gallagher B set a while back, when I was a more crummy player than I am now. So I can't tell you much about it, but I (at the time a 17 year old female[I'm still female, no longer 17, before you say anything]) had no trouble at all with the hole spacing. If I were getting a flat set, which I plan to do after I get a car and save up some money again, I'd go with B or Bb. The lower the better, I say.

[malanstevenson]

You certainly can't go wrong with Seth's gear, and I'm sure the same can be said of a number of other makers as well: http://faculty.weber.edu/mstevenson1/Piping/MyPipes.htm

A rich and satisfying tone off the drones and chanter, and aesthetically very well-proportioned and pleasing to the eye - I don't know if the overall external design is Coyne-inspired, but they have an antique look to them.

There was a discussion of Gallagher's C chanters in some thread a few years ago, I believe the upshot of which was that he modelled his C chanter on Quinn & Koehler's work, which in turn (David, correct me if I'm wrong) was an attempt to capture the sound of Pat Mitchell's pipes on his piping recording of yore (of which I've only heard a few tracks). A slightly wider bore than some designs out there, which allows the character of the chanter to assert itself a bit more in a way that I think gives greater scope for expression when played with the right reed setup (my preference is for a reed that is slightly hard to blow and can be pushed a bit).

Speaking for myself, C's the key for me, although I'm quite sure I could fall in love with B as well if I had the funds and the ability to keep yet another set of pipes in playing trim.

Cheers,


Mark

[Uilliam]

To be pedantic.a flat set is in C# or B. That is to say Baroque.
Whilst C and Bb are variants of the modern Concert pitch.
This thread is like giving a box of assorted sweeties to someone and asking which one do ye like.
Slán Agat
Uilliam

[billh]

To be pedantic.a flat set is in C# or B. That is to say Baroque.
Whilst C and Bb are variants of the modern Concert pitch.

No.

[Coyne and Harrington made C sets (16.5") and Egan made Bflat sets, as well as the C# and B pitches we are familiar with. However it's true that what we call C# and B sets could arguably be called 'Baroque D and Baroque C', respectively.]

This thread is like giving a box of assorted sweeties to someone and asking which one do ye like.
Slán Agat
Uilliam

Yes.

[Big Time]

Richard Murray from here in Galway is getting a flat set from Seth soon - can't remember what key, so that'll be a good indicator, well probably a deciding factor of what I'll do.

I suppose my personal problem is that I'm a very impatient person and hate the idea of waiting a number of years for an instrument that I've been considering buying for a long time so Seth's short waiting list is a big attraction for me.

Seth has estimated a time of 10 months for the set. Most Irish makers have crazy waiting lists. And of course, my concert set from him is my absolute prize possession. (My harp is getting very jealous!!!)

Seth told me he just does B nat and C nat so from my point of view, that's my options.

I know this thread is very open-ended but I'm really confused, have listened to loads of recordings, and weighed up the social/practical/spacing issues and still find myself not much closer to making a decision. Ahhhhhhhhhh

Sorry, but help........

[BigDavy]

Hi Big Time

Why not ask Seth to make the drones so that you can tune them to both B and C then you can get both chanters and have a full set in one key and an effective half set in the other.

David

[Joseph E. Smith]

I know this thread is very open-ended but I'm really confused, have listened to loads of recordings, and weighed up the social/practical/spacing issues and still find myself not much closer to making a decision. Ahhhhhhhhhh

Sorry, but help........

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I feel for you, I am certain that I would be in the same quandry regarding which pitch to choose. How about finding a recording of you favorite piper playing your favorite tune on a flat set, one you want to emulate, and go with the pitch of the pipes being played?

I think it should be a decision made by your heart. Think about it, and then go with your first choice... and don't look back.

[Big Time]

Hi Big Time

Why not ask Seth to make the drones so that you can tune them to both B and C then you can get both chanters and have a full set in one key and an effective half set in the other.

David

Already done. Seth reckons its probably possible, but wonders whether the bass drone will be equally stable at both pitches.

I assumed that it would be easier to tune B drones up to C than C drones up to B, so I've asked Seth about this also.

Yeah Joseph, I've been listen to tapes of Robbie Hannon and Neil Mulligan, both playing B sets, and am trying to fish out CDs of C.

I've provisionnaly placed an order with Seth, depending on finances, etc. and he didn't press me on which key I would finally go for.

He also recommended the C set as being easier to play but said the B set was great too.

Thanks everyone...

[billh]

Already done. Seth reckons its probably possible, but wonders whether the bass drone will be equally stable at both pitches.
...

Even if the drones are, the reeds aren't likely to be as stable at both pitches - at least, not over the range of pressure needed. In my experience this doesn't work perfectly - just changing pitch 30 cents or so can throw the reeds out of whack enough so that bridle/tongue adjustments are necessary.

Yeah Joseph, I've been listen to tapes of Robbie Hannon and Neil Mulligan, both playing B sets, and am trying to fish out CDs of C.

Robbie's in B all right, but Neili usually plays in C#. What recording are you talking about?

I've provisionnaly placed an order with Seth, depending on finances, etc. and he didn't press me on which key I would finally go for.

He also recommended the C set as being easier to play but said the B set was great too.

Thanks everyone...

[Joseph E. Smith]

Yeah Joseph, I've been listen to tapes of Robbie Hannon and Neil Mulligan, both playing B sets, and am trying to fish out CDs of C.

David Power: My Love Is In America, excellent piping! He is playing his Fromment C set... a very nice set of pipes there.

[Big Time]

Robbie's in B all right, but Neili usually plays in C#. What recording are you talking about?

its a recording from 1990 or 1991, I'll check the name of it for you this evening.

[Big Time]

woops, i'm not very good at this quoting business.....

[billh]

its a recording from 1990 or 1991, I'll check the name of it for you this evening.

Barr na Cuille, probably. I had forgotten that he plays most of that album on a Froment B set on that album. The rest of the album (4 tracks I believe) is played on his Mulchrone C# set.

Bill