Scottish Smallpipes

Description

The Scottish smallpipes are handcrafted by Alan Waldron of Stirling Bagpipes.

The Scottish smallpipes fingering system is that of the practice chanter and Highland Bagpipes.

We make sets in A, Bb, C and D.

The choice of timbers we prefer to use are African Blackwood, ebony, mopane, and boxwood. The density of the timber obviously affects the tone of the pipes. So sets which are required in A are best suited to be made from blackwood which gives them a ‘crisper’ more distinct sound. Slightly softer woods of mopane and ebony are better suited to smallpipes of a higher pitch, C and D.

We build both mouth-blown and bellows-blown models according to the following specifications:

1. Standard: metal ferrules and decorative ringcaps/ bushes
2. Fully mounted: art’ ivory, boxwood or bloodwood
3. As 2. but with nickel or gold slides.

Ferrules can be in original brass, nickel and gold.

The chanter sounds an octave lower than a conical-bored chanter of the same size, such as that of the Border Pipes. Being parallel bored, the muted sound (of 80 - 85 decibels) makes smallpipes a popular instrument to play in folk sessions, alongside instruments such as fiddle, guitar, flute or bodhran etc…

Scottish Smallpipes make a more ‘sociable’ alternative to the Highland Bagpipe!

The set comes with great sounding 'Ezeedrone' drone reeds and a leather bag.