Jefferies pipes (Australia)

[Piobairi Uilleann Inis Fa]

Anyone have any opinion/experiences with Uilleann pipes made by Jefferies of Australia?

[Piobairi Uilleann Inis Fa]

web site is http://www.irishpipes.net

[Tony]

I've heard nothing bad. Here is a previous discussion:
http://chiffboard.mati.ca/viewtopic.php ... 5868f0d968

[Piobairi Uilleann Inis Fa]

Thanks Tony for the thread. Any more specific comments on your knowledge of this maker and his skills inparticular, as I think that he states that he copies the Rowesome style, would be appreciated.
Neil

[Tony]

Are you looking to buy?

I bought some Australian pipes from SIMACK (Sue & Ian Mackenzie) back when the US dollar was nearly 2 Australian dollars. The whole process of contact, sales, support after service (reeds and modifications) is still ongoing and very pleasant. I've been lucky, but I still advise finding a pipemaker close to home.

Though more expensive, Seth Gallagher http://www.uilleann.com
is your closest pipemaker, currently with a short waiting list.
Other pipemakers relatively close with short wait lists:
Davey http://www.greenwoodpipes.com/index.html
Joe http://www.kennedysuilleannpipes.com/

[Piobairi Uilleann Inis Fa]

Thanks again for your info. Actually I own a Gallagher concert pitch set, which I am happy with. In fact it is a bit unique in that it is the only full set (and fully keyed, teardrop reg keys) in stainless steel that he produced, and he osn't planning any additional ones. You could say that I am equally obsessed as many others around here in getting a taste of some other pipes and also an opportunist when interesting pipes are available. I am one of those knuckleheads bidding up some of that risky boxes of crap on ebay though mostly a wee bit less crazy than the next bloke that seems to always bid over me! So I am attracted more to private negotiations.
Neil

[omarapiping]

I'm with Tony on the SIMACK recomendation. Ian & Sue are great people to deal with, more than helpful. Ian makes alot of chanters out of unique Australian woods, such as Red lance wood, whitch i have as well as Tony I beleive. So thats something different. I think Ian is open to most suggestions regarding customized pipes as well.
Oh, and one small other thing, the pipes sound great, and are made really well!
Good luck,
Liam

[Wombat]

The good news is that I'm Australian. The bad news is that I don't play pipes.

Seriously, I do have a comment that might be helpful. About a couple of years ago I was on the verge of taking up pipes, so close I rang Ian Mackenzie to order a half set. I settled on Ian after asking the opinion of several noted local pipers and other Irish musicians. Ian's list was closed at the time but we did spend most of the afternoon talking about music and piping in particular.

My research led me to mixed opinions of Jeffries sets. One good piper recommended him. Another opinion was not so complimentary. Nobody I spoke to actually owned a set made by him. Conclusion: don't order unless you can get a recommendation from someone who actually plays a Jeffries set.

I never did get on the list for an Ian Mackenzie set. I decided to play concertina instead. I play a secondhand 32 button anglo that just happened to be on loan at the time I bought it to ..... Ian Mackenzie.

[Tony]

I didn't intend to promote Mackenzie nor sway Neil from Jeffries. I hope you guys realize that. I was just stating while a long distance purchase is possible, it's still easier dealing with a closer pipemaker.

[Lorenzo]

The good news is that I'm Australian. The bad news is that I don't play pipes...About a couple of years ago I was on the verge of taking up pipes, so close I rang Ian Mackenzie to order a half set...I decided to play concertina instead. I play a secondhand 32 button anglo that just happened to be on loan at the time I bought it to ..... Ian Mackenzie.

Hey Wombat, you should venture into the pipes, I think you'd like them. The concertina is great on many tunes, but not all. You'd be surprised at the diverity of expression rendered on some tunes with the pipes. There's nothing like'em, miate...give'm a go.

Hows that Copeland D whistle working for you?

[Wombat]

I didn't intend to promote Mackenzie nor sway Neil from Jeffries. I hope you guys realize that. I was just stating while a long distance purchase is possible, it's still easier dealing with a closer pipemaker.

Well it wasn't my intention to do that either but since Ian had been mentioned there seemed no reason to suppress that part of the conversation. Obviously I wasn't giving my opinion either; since I don't play pipes I don't have the right to an opinion. What I was doing was summarising, as diplomatically as possible, the opinions of several Australian pipers, makers and instrument sellers and repairers. Since I don't know of any Australian Uilleann pipers who post here, and since I had researched the topic intensively, that seemed to be useful information worth sharing.

Just two points to clarify my post. One reason for going to Ian first, apart from the fact that his sets seemed to be universally well-regarded, was that he lives and works within a 2 hour drive of my place. That was a big plus for me. The second is that certain names cropped up again and again on the to-be-avoided lists or, in the case of makers reluctant to comment on fellow makers, heavy hints were dropped. Adrian Jeffries was not on that list.

[Wombat]

Hey Wombat, you should venture into the pipes, I think you'd like them. The concertina is great on many tunes, but not all. You'd be surprised at the diverity of expression rendered on some tunes with the pipes. There's nothing like'em, miate...give'm a go.

I'm sure you're right about my loving pipes, Larry. I have lots of piping records and I love the sound. My reasoning was this at the time. I didn't realise that I'd have a long wait just o get on a list, let alone get started. Had Ian just placed me on his list, I'd be playing pipes today. But I'd just given up saxophone and I wanted an instrument that was similarly expressive. Uilleann pipes and fiddle came immediately to mind. but being just on teh wrong side of 50, I wanted something that wouldn't take up all my time. Since I already played about a dozen other instruments, concertina seemed like the best compromise. I'm improving and still finding time for the other instruments. But every time a put on the Johnny Doran CD ... the pipes, the pipes are calling.

Hows that Copeland D whistle working for you?

Fine, thanks. Not my favourite high D but a nice whistle none the less. One of these days I'll have to do what you did and decide which ones to keep and which to let go but I have no idea how I'll part with any of these instruments, still less idea which.