Gordon Galloway, Pipemaker

boyd · Post by **boyd** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:09 am

http://www.gallowaypipes.com/index.htm

Gordon has just got himself a website

Boyd

tritaffy · Post by **tritaffy** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:41 am

Is this the same Gordon Galloway who at the Johnny Doran tionól told me that he didn't need to have a website as his pipes sell themselves

Mind you he was slightly four sheets to the wind as was everyone else. Looks a nice site as does his pipes look and sound nice too.

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:23 pm

Its nice for a pipemaker to have a website ,it's gives you an oppertunity to look at his wares and learn a little about the maker .

So Cillian O'Brien, Andy Faden and Mr Galloway are going to have their keys made by the same person, does this mean they are all going to look the same as the keys on the website.
I much prefer the buckle type that Cillian has been useing up to now.

Its interesting when a pipemaker says something that goes against what nearly every other maker is doing. Gordon reckons that key blocks on a chanter dulls the tone,where a metal plate embeded into the chanter to hold on a key does not. It just shows even the experts cant agree.

Its a well designed site ,I look forward to hearing the sound samples.

RORY

The Sporting Pitchfork · Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:44 pm

rorybbellows wrote:
So Cillian O'Brien, Andy Faden and Mr Galloway are going to have their keys made by the same person, does this mean they are all going to look the same as the keys on the website.
I much prefer the buckle type that Cillian has been useing up to now.

RORY

I took it to mean that Gordon designed his regulator keys in consultation with Cillian and Andy, not that they're all going to be made by the same person. I'm sure Cillian will continue to use his highly distinctive design on his pipes; I'm not sure what sort of regulator design Mr. Faden uses, as I've never seen one of his sets up close.

For the record, I play one of Gordon's chanters (apparently the first boxwood chanter that he made), and I think it's superb. His keywork design is unique and the action of the keys is sooooo smoooooooth. In the past, I've played several chanters with block mounted keys where the humidity would change and the key would get sluggish in the wooden block. Not a problem here. I can't imagine ever going back to block mounted keys, nice though they may look. Gordon's process of attaching key blocks directly into the wood also means that there's no need for pin mounts, which some people find aesthetically lacking.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 1:24 am

The Sporting Pitchfork wrote: I took it to mean that Gordon designed his regulator keys in consultation with Cillian and Andy, not that they're all going to be made by the same person. I'm sure Cillian will continue to use his highly distinctive design on his pipes; I'm not sure what sort of regulator design Mr. Faden uses, as I've never seen one of his sets up close.

The website wrote:The key system is a design collaboration between Cillian O'Briain, Andy Faden & myself. The idea is for the keys to be made by a 3rd party for all 3 pipemakers, thereby saving some time & increasing output. They are made from 1.5mm flat plate which gives a look & feel similar to the Taylor Bro's pipes or Cillian O'Briain's original key design. 2 compression springs are used for each key giving an excellent action with no bounce.

The Sporting Pitchfork · Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:38 am

Whoops. Good eye, Peter.

That is indeed a rather surprising development...Not sure how I feel about that, but I would imagine there are financial considerations that all three makers found to be advantageous...

svick · Post by **svick** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:24 am

Nothing new there.Johnny Bourke, Martin Doyle,Davy Spillane and Eugene Lambe were doing it 20 years ago.They all copied Paddy Keenans keys from his Crowley set except for the pin mounting.They all used the same moulds for casting the keys .All the best. Steve

rorybbellows · Post by **rorybbellows** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:41 am

svick wrote:Nothing new there.Johnny Bourke, Martin Doyle,Davy Spillane and Eugene Lambe were doing it 20 years ago.They all copied Paddy Keenans keys from his Crowley set except for the pin mounting.They all used the same moulds for casting the keys .All the best. Steve

Yes, but the crowley copies are nice looking keys.

RORY

Elmek · Post by **Elmek** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:24 am

svick wrote:
Nothing new there.Johnny Bourke, Martin Doyle,Davy Spillane and Eugene Lambe were doing it 20 years ago.They all copied Paddy Keenans keys from his Crowley set except for the pin mounting.They all used the same moulds for casting the keys .All the best. Steve

Rorybellows states

Yes, but the crowley copies are nice looking keys.

Yep all well said - nothing new or innovative here with several makers using coil springs as well as plate keys with wide pivot points giving a positive and side play less action. This is the style at least one maker uses for his student sets because they are quick and easy make and he does everything himself including cutting out the keys so is really a true maker not an assembler - they would appear to be a budget instrument at the price of top class set

This is not the first maker to promote himself as an innovator when other makers are using the same options as standard and do not see the need to make a point of it as it is just part of the job.

John