Alan Ginsberg?

[BigDavy]

I was reading the flute forum and one of the topics dealt with flutes being sold in an auction - auction catalogue.

Going to the index to see what other flutes were in the auction, I noticed that the flutes that were mentioned in the topic were from the estate of Alan Ginsberg.

Anyone have any further information about Alan Ginsberg?

David

[MTGuru]

Anyone have any further information about Alan Ginsberg?

The poet Allen Ginsberg?



I once saw him play shruti box or harmonium at a recital of Howl, as in the photo, and I can imagine him having collected, say, bansuris. But the instruments listed there make me think this was a different namesake with the different spelling.

[MTGuru]

Ah, more likely it's this Alan Ginsberg: http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/ab ... ipes.shtml

There's a Ginsberg flute in Sold and Old: viewtopic.php?f=36&t=73609

And our very own Nanohedron lists a set of Ginsberg pipes among his toys.

[Edited by Nano. - Nano]

[Steampacket]

Ginsberg started making pipes in 1979 as did Hubert Kwistout. Dave Williams started making pipes in 1977/78, Glenn McCarthy was also making pipes down London way. As far as I know these were the only "new" pipemakers in England at that time. I've heard that the quailty of Ginsburg's and Kwistout's pipes can vary, whereas Dave Williams developed into a master craftsman making top quailty uilleann pipes & flutes.

Ginsberg
http://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3337

[an seanduine]

Thank you for the link, Thomas. Unfortunately he would be 'of an age' where he might only be an estate up for auction, as are others of us here, and as Matt Kiernan was when Alan met him! I've check BBC for an obit, but there is nothing published. Looking over the auction catalogue there doesn't seem to be anything indicating a connection to pipes, or pipemaking. There are some vintage flutes in the lot, but nothing else showing a connection to ITM. Here's hoping the Alan Ginsberg whose estate goods are up for auction is not our Alan Ginsberg.

Bob

[Nanohedron]

And our very own Nanohedron lists a set of Ginsberg pipes among his toys.

That set, much loved, is in the stewardship of other hands at this time. BTW, John, I edited out the link as it is no longer applicable. Plus I hated the bio. I'll never write my own again. [Understood! - MT]

I have been aware of a reputation for variability in Ginsberg's work. If that is truly the case, I think I must have gotten one of the good ones. But discussion of that may depend on what you're going by. It's a full C set, one of his earliest (which Alan confirmed but wasn't exactly sure when in the lineup it came out; I was told by the seller that it was made in 1975, but according to Steampacket that can't be right; in any case it was definitely before CITES, and later given a major and admirably tasteful cosmetic overhaul, including new half-hollow mainstock and chanter cap w/ stop key by Dave Boisvert in 2005), and the general consensus is that this particular medium-bore chanter has great tone and presence once reeded up properly. The drones (w/ straight bass, BTW) have been pretty dependable; after seven years I hadn't even gotten to the issue of regs yet, so I don't know what problems to point out with those. However, its present caretaker reports to me that he just recently successfully reeded the bass reg. Don't know how much of a struggle he had with that, if any.

Some people have told me that the chanter is difficult to reed, yet another said it was the easiest chanter he'd ever reeded.

[PJ]

I'm not sure but I think Davy's original post was aimed at finding out whether Alan Ginsberg has died recently. The auction catelogue mentions "the estate of Alan Ginsberg".

[Nanohedron]

I'm not sure but I think Davy's original post was aimed at finding out whether Alan Ginsberg has died recently. The auction catelogue mentions "the estate of Alan Ginsberg".

It's a good question; Dave didn't really specify, so one could think that. IIRC, I've seen "the estate of Alan Ginsberg" before as a common, if curious, sales listing elsewhere while he took a breath - as I assumed and, one hopes, he still does in good health.

EDIT (and crossposted with Steampacket ): I recall a listing on eBay with the same "estate of" thing, AND brokered by his brother, which raised some curiosity. But as I recall we were to be assured that Mr. Ginsberg was as yet very much alive and in production. Gleaned from the Na Píobairí Uilleann website, this page lists his contact info; I can't vouch for its currency, although the address is as I recall it. I note he no longer has his website up; even when he did, you still had to contact him by landline or snail mail.

[Steampacket]

I'm sure Alan is still with us. I've heard that a brother or some relative has been in charge of disposing of Alan's apparently considerable collection of instruments for some reason. A number of flutes have been been up for sale these past couple of years on E-bay.
Regarding quality I remember Dave Williams telling me he had got some advice and tips from Alan. I think they helped each other out in the early days. I've never played a Ginsberg set or chanter myself, but sets I've seen in photos look nice.

[Nanohedron]

I've never played a Ginsberg set or chanter myself, but sets I've seen in photos look nice.

I was not best taken with a narrow-bore C chanter of his, but then again, I was habituated to the medium bore and so probably came to it with similar expectations.

Visually his pipes are fine nowadays, though they don't hit you as might a Rogge, say. My (quondam) set is in fact a little rough if you look too closely (no doubt a testament to its early provenance), but it was the tone that kept me with it. The fittings - ivory - were a bit the worse for wear and stylistically...oh, wild and disunified, shall we say. But a bit of time under Dave Boisvert's care made a pretty good-looking unit out of it in the end, I think. I hope Alan will forgive that bit of interference; a respectable-sounding set might deserve a makeover, if needed, after a few decades.

Hey! Just found this pic of my set (post-Boisvert, and me at them) on the GNIPC website:



The chairs were utter shyghte for piping, so that explains my awkward posture (but I fear the grimace and fingerly contortions are natural whatever I sat on), and I've gone tubbier now than that svelte dashing fellow you see back in 2007.

There's a smoke hanging out of my gob too, if you squint hard enough. Rakish, but ashing one's set does not a gentleman piper make.

[irishpiper]

I emailed Alan about 2 weeks ago in regards to a set of drones I have made by him and his wife replied with a rather “cryptic” response. She stated,

“Hi Sean, have been away and not logged into Hotmail for a good while. Al is away by now as well…..”

Don't know what that means but I hope Alan is still with us.

[BigDavy]

I'm not sure but I think Davy's original post was aimed at finding out whether Alan Ginsberg has died recently. The auction catelogue mentions "the estate of Alan Ginsberg".

You are quite correct PJ, that was what I was trying to find out, as I have 2 B chanters by him. I fact the first flat chanter I ever bought was by him.

Uilliam has a lovely boxwood full set by him as well.


David

[Elmek]

Steampacket wrote
Ginsberg started making pipes in 1979 as did Hubert Kwistout. Dave Williams started making pipes in 1977/78, Glenn McCarthy was also making pipes down London way. As far as I know these were the only "new" pipemakers in England at that time. I've heard that the quailty of Ginsburg's and Kwistout's pipes can vary, whereas Dave Williams developed into a master craftsman making top quailty uilleann pipes & flutes.

Think your a wee bit out on yer dates as well as the number of makers and can think of several more who were started around or just before '77 eg Wilkinson (worked with McCarthy), Addison, Bayley, Howard, and prob a few more

John

[Steampacket]

"Think your a wee bit out on yer dates as well as the number of makers and can think of several more who were started around or just before '77 eg Wilkinson (worked with McCarthy), Addison, Bayley, Howard, and prob a few more" John.

Aye, I was a bit too quick there, but I think my dates are about right. I should have mentioned Chris Bayley, John Addison, Brian Howard & Wilkingson. Although I'm not sure if John, Chris, or Wilkingson/McCarthy were making uilleann pipes before 1977? I think they were all making mainly other types of bagpipes?. Chris is on this forum - Were you making uilleann pipes before 1977 Chris?

Brian Howard made a brass tin whistle in 1974, but made his first pipes in 1979 according to his website "In 1979, he moved to South Kilkenny, and set up as a pipe-maker."
http://www.howardmusic.co.uk/reviews/re ... g_trad.htm

John, 1902-1991? (according to this link he died in 2002? - viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7717, John made I believe mainly Northumbrian and Scottish small pipes, border pipes & musette du cour, but only a few sets of uilleann pipes.
Here's a set of small pipes by John: http://moorlater.com/tag/northumbrian-smallpipes/

On the Uilleann Forum Chris Bayley wrote:
Douglas Wilkinson RIP by chris bayley » Tue Feb 02, 2010 4:40 pm:
"Former pipemaker Douglas Wilkinson has died. He was an active maker during the second half of the 1970's working in partnership with Glen McCarthy in the East end of London. They met whilst at the London College of Furniture when on a Musical Instrument Making course and made pipes mainly for Hobgoblin Music in the UK, Waltons in Eire and Lark in the Morning, USA. The partnership split up around 1980 with Doug going to engineering and then computing. Glen McCarthy continued pipemaking for a short while."

Do you have names of other instrument makers making uilleann pipes in England, Wales, Scotland during the 1970's?

[ambaiste]

We did move to Kilkenny in 1979 to set up workshops but we were making pipes in Woodstown from 1977. Brian was making practice sets in Market harborough in 1973 and made Finbar Fureys set in 1976