Instrument Makers & Vendors 2011

Preliminary Listing

 

The musical instrument makers and vendors that come to The Pipers' Gathering are true artisans in every sense of the word. They create an object of art that a musician uses to create musical art. Their  biographies, contact information and pictures can be found below.

Please click on thumbnail picture to see larger image !

Nate Banton

Nate Banton
141-10 Cronston Avenue,
Belle Harbor, NY 11694
Telephone: (845)807-2768
E-mail: elbowmusic@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.elbowmusic.com/

  
 
After a three-year apprenticeship with the well-respected uilleann pipe maker, Seth Gallagher, Nate took a trip to Cape Breton Island. There, he became captivated by Scottish Smallpipes, and their role in the island's musical traditions. Focusing his pipemaking skills on Scottish Smallpipes and Border Pipes, Nate has gained a reputation for making beautifully crafted instruments with a rich, creamy filling.

Nate's workshop is located in Rockaway Beach, in New York City.
 

 

B.C. Childress

18 York Street
Kennebunk, ME 04043 USA
Telephone: (207)985-2942
E-mail: bruce@bcpipes.com
Website: http://www.bcpipes.com/

  
 
BC Childress is a pipemaker (specializing in the manufacture of the Irish Uilleann Pipes) who has been making the Uilleann Pipes since 1987. BC has been featured as a guest piper on several recordings, as well as having his pipemaking work show up in a major motion picture. Supplying Uilleann pipes to both amateur and professional pipers has become a full-time pleasure for BC. African Blackwood, Rosewood, Cocobolo, brass and all manner of custom work are available. Repairs and restorations are also carried out in the BC Childress workshop.
 

 

Timothy Cummings

PO Box 51
Monkton, VT 05469
Telephone: (802)453-4721
E-mail: tim@beithepublishing.com
Website: http://www.beithepublishing.com/

  
 
Tim runs a tiny cottage industry of self-published piping music -- compilations, arrangements, and compositions that are largely focused on gently expanding the boundaries of the common repertoire. Tim holds a Bachelor's of Music Education degree from the College of Wooster (OH), and both an Honours Degree in Ethnomusicology and a Master of Arts (Musicology) from Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand). He is currently based in Monkton, VT, where he also teaches and performs Celtic and Americana music.
 
         

 

Michael Dow

29 Pudding Lane
York, ME 03909 USA
Telephone: (207)363-7924
E-mail: madow@maine.rr.com
Website: http://www.archcarving.com/

  
 
Michael Dow has been a professional woodworker for well over 30 years and makes his living as a hand, architectural woodcarver. His interest in bagpipes started in 1974 and he made his first set of Scottish smallpipes and bellows around 1989. At the request of Jerry O'Sullivan a few years later, his uilleann bellows were developed.

"I needed a large-capacity bellows that would be a comfortable, dependable, efficient workhorse that would stand up to excessive wear and tear. The bellows Mike made for me is an outstanding piece of craftsmanship which is all of these things plus some. You simply cannot do better than a Mike Dow bellows."

- Jerry O'Sullivan - 2000

Please visit his web site at www.archcarving.com for more information.

 

 

Jerry Freeman Pennywhistles

P.O. Box 191
Coventry, CT 06238
Telephone: (860)498-0014
E-mail: jerry@tcenet.net

  
 

Jerry Freeman is the world's only full time, professional penny whistle
tweaker. "Tweaking" a penny whistle is much like setting up a guitar or fiddle; it is the process of making fine adjustments and modifications to get the best possible performance from the instrument.

Jerry takes mass produced whistles (Generations, Feadogs, etc.) and adjusts the soundblade position, windway exit geometry, voicing chamber and tonebody to create affordable instruments that many consider not simply outstanding whistles for the modest cost, but outstanding whistles at any cost.

Jerry offers tweaked Generations in high G, high F, Eb, D, C and Bb, tweaked Feadogs in D, and his own creations, the widely acclaimed Blackbirds and Mellow Dogs.

Mellow Dogs are wide body whistles available in D and as a D/C set (one whistlehead with two tubes). Blackbirds are standard body whistles available in Eb, D and C. Both are noted for their pure drop authentic traditional voicings that favor a birdlike, sweet timbre in a very responsive, clean playing instrument.
 
           

 

EJ Jones

78 Indiana Ave
Asheville, NC 28806

E-mail: ej@piperjones.com
Website: http://www.piperjones.com/

  
 
EJ Jones is primarily a performer on the Highland and Scottish Smallpipe who started making instruments for friends and to express his own music. He also makes pipes for other players in his workshop in Asheville NC relying on his own experience as a customer and stage musician as well as fellowship with other artisanal instrument makers and love for the work.
 
         

 

Sweetheart Flute Co.

32 South Maple Street
Enfield, CT 06082
Telephone:(860) 749-4494
Website: www.sweetheartflute.com

  

Connecticut's own wooden flute makers since 1974. Founded by Ralph Sweet; retired physics teacher, caller and teacher of contra and square dancing, fifer and drummer since 1946.

Specializing in Irish flutes, pennywhistles, low whistles, military fifes, baroque flutes, renaissance fifes, folk flutes, piccolos, walking stick flutes and tabor pipes. Featuring the revolutionary new WD Sweet professional model pennywhistle as well as books, CDs and other fine wooden instruments.
 

 

Monroe Bridge Books

P.O. Box 1434
Greenfield, MA 01302
Telephone:(413)773-7645
E-mail: luckypew@mtdata.com
Website: http://www.biblio.com/bookstores/mbbt.html

  

With over 5,000 books in stock, Monroe Bridge Books specializes in used and rare - Scottish, Irish, Welsh English and Gaelic Books ( as well as an extensive general stock). Their inventory can be found on-line at the website link listed above. They also provide lists and catalogs that are subject specific - upon request.

Will gladly open by appointment, if you are in the area.

Monroe Bridge Books is a proud member of MARIAB, the Massachusetts & Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers Association.
 

 

Chris Pinchbeck

619 Camden Road
Hope, ME 04847
Telephone: 207-763-2710
E-mail: pinchbeckpipes@gmail.com
Website: www.pinchbeckpipes.com

  
 
Chris Pinchbeck has been playing Great Highland and Scottish Smallpipes for over 15 yrs. He has been fine-tuning making Scottish Smallpipes for equally as long. Along with the ability to supply drones of traditional tuning style, he has developed a unique, professional quality, extended tuning range drone assembly that expands the capability of the Scottish Smallpipe to play tunes in a wider range of keys. These distinctive drones can be conveniently tuned in performance to chanters keyed in D,C, Bflat or A, with a handsome look and a beautiful sound. Teamed with artisans with an equal love of the craft, Pinchbeck crafts high quality instruments delivered with pride in workmanship and assurance of their ability to please.

 
 

 

The Wee Piper

734 VT Route 14
South Royalton, VT 05068 USA
Telephone: (802)763-88
E-mail: weepiper@weepiper.com
Website: http://www.weepiper.com/

  
 
Michael Mac Harg is a professional pipemaker and Celtic music seller who has been in the business for nearly 30 years. His specialties include the Scottish Highland pipes, Scottish Lowland pipes, Central French pipes and he also make bombards from Brittany. Michael restores and rebuilds all sorts of bagpipes. Michael specializes in pipebags for virtually all bagpipes. He also carries a large selection of French traditional music, to include hurdy gurdy and French bagpipe music. 
 
     

 

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