Design
This refers to what is visible on your set. The design of the finished instrument is solely down to what you wish the instrument to look like and does not change the tone or sound of your instrument.
To help you decide on the shape of the bagpipe, here are some pictures of various designs.
Two main designs of drones
Concave design
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| Boxwood: Smallpipes in A with plum ring and nickel ferrule |
Convex design
| Ebony: Smallpipes in C with boxwood ring and ferrule |
Various ornament rings and other design examples
This set features double rings on drone tops, and tiny blackwood rings above ferrules
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Mother of pearl fitted to the common stock
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| A/D smallpipes combo set
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Inspired by the Montgomery set from the 18th century
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Regardless of design or model, all our pipes are turned by hand on the lathe and the surface treatment is done to the same quality. As said above, there is no discernible change to the sound of an instrument due to cosmetic reasons. Therefore it is entirely up to personal taste how you would like your set to look.
It will be your instrument for a number of years (we hope), so it is important that your set appeals to you not only acoustically but also visually. We are also keen to hear your wishes if you would like to customise your set even more.
Material & Timber
Following timbers are normally in stock for the instrument;
African Blackwood, Ebony, European Boxwood and Plum. In the past, we have made sets with Cocobolo, Olive and Walnut. These timbers can be arranged but may be subject to surcharge as we do not keep constant stock of these.
Each timber (naturally and obviously) do have different timbre or “sound”. This could be taken into consideration when planning your set. We are happy to answer questions you might have about wood selection.
Before & After: Boxwood smallpipe drones on a boxwood log
For ornamentation (mounts and rings), we have additional timbers that can be chosen from;
Faux ivory, Bocote, Bahia Rosewood, Tagua nut (ivory palms).
These materials are less suitable for the main timber of an instrument due to various issues (i.e. density of wood, size of the material) yet perfect for decoration.
Ebony C smallpipes with Tulip wood (Bahia rosewood)
Ferrules can be chosen from either nickel, German silver or brass. Gold plating on brass as well as silver plating on German silver ferrules can be arranged. Please note that the cost varies depending on the market price of precious metal and number and size of metal rings used for an instrument.
If preferred, ferrules can also be made in wood or faux ivory.