The Uilleann or Union Pipes are the most highly developed bagpipes in the world.  A Full Set of pipes with three regulators has a range of nearly three octaves; the addition of the Double Bass regulator extends this to the full three octaves.
Most players begin with a Practice Set of Bag, Bellows and Chanter, and this starting point allows for the upgrading to a Half or Full set when skill and finance permits. Many players do not upgrade all the way, and are content to have just the addition of Drones.

I make pipes in the style of the Taylor Brothers of Drogheda, who emigrated to the United States in the later 19th Century, eventually settling in Philadelphia.  They developed a louder chanter to keep up with the demand for volume in America's larger halls, but further than that, they brought an element of engineering ingenuity to a traditional craft.

I have been playing the pipes for nearly 20 years and I believe that the cost of even a basic practice set of pipes puts off many potential pipers.  My sets are not budget sets; they are made and finished to the same standard that you would expect from a quality hand-crafted  instrument, with ornamental mounts and chased ferrules .  They are priced to encourage budding pipers.  I am based in Liverpool, the pipemaking home of Michael Egan and Michael Mannion.  Please feel free to email me with any enquiries.


My practice sets are based  loosely on the external chanter designs of the Taylors, and rigidly on the bore and tonehole data derived by Chris Bayley from his study of original Taylor instruments, and adapted for today's modern concert pitch of A=440 Hertz. At the present time I am offering sets in Concert D only. Woods used include Blackwood, Boxwood, Snakewood and Palo Santo.  Mounts and ferrules are of imitation ivory and brass.  Nickel silver ferrules are available as an alternative at an extra cost. I am also able to offer mounts in Mammoth Ivory for half-sets; please contact me for detials

The two styles of Chanter I make are those known as the "Long Block" design, which has a more traditional look and feel to it, and the "Square" design developed by the Taylors for ease and speed of construction.  Both styles are easy to play and have a thumb rest for greater comfort and control. They can be made for either right  or left-handed players.

The bores and tonehole spacing in both styles are exactly the same; only the position and method of mounting the keys is different. On the Square style chanter all the accidental toneholes are drilled on the back face of the chanter, with all the keys operating from the front. The two styles of Chanter are shown here:

                                                                  
                                                                                          The Square chanter, fully mounted with 4 keys

   

                                                                                        The more traditional "Long Block" style with 7 keys



Keys are not necessary for most of the traditional Irish tunes, but a C natural key comes in very useful in the second octave where the note cannot be cross fingered.  The Long Block style chanter comes with the C natural key fitted while the Square style chanter is automatically fitted with all four keys for C natural, F natural, G sharp and B flat.

I make all my chanters with a matching wooden headpiece; these look better than a metal tube and complement both the looks and tone of the instrument.

My  bellows are made from high quality chrome tanned leather which is bonded to thick leather edging strips and then further bonded and nailed/stapled to the paddles. Double pads for elbow and waist are fitted during this process and bonded to the gusset before the decorative pins are inserted. The pads make the bellows very comfortable to play for long periods.  They are very efficient and supply enough air for a full set of pipes. The air outlet can be of the traditional type, or a recessed blowpipe can be fitted which allows the bellows to be packed flat for use in smaller cases. Straps are of good quality leather, and any size waist belt can be provided.

 


I have my bags made by a professional bagmaker in Scotland who supplies some of the leading pipemakers.  They are consistently of a very high quality and are guaranteed to be airtight, without the need for further seasoning.