Our Northumbrian sets are usually made in African Blackwood. Mounts can be in a variety of materials, including artificial ivory, boxwood, blackwood and natural buffalo horn. Metalwork is brass. Keys are hand-forged, and the springs are made from nickel silver. Silver plating is available as an optional extra.
African Blackwood is also the norm for our Scottish Smallpipes, but other woods may be available to special order. Mounts (where applicable) and metalwork as for Northumbrian Smallpipes.
Our Border Pipes are made in a choice of Muhuhu (related to Sandalwood) or Castello Boxwood (Lemonwood), which is similar in appearance to Box but with more stability. We can also offer Yew and some of the fruit woods, such as Pear.
Bags are stitched black cowhide, with velvet or "moleskin" (brushed cotton) fabric covers in a choice of popular colours.
Bellows are made from a double laminated layer of black leather, hand-stitched to hardwood cheeks, using locally sourced, and/or recycled timber where possible. Generally Cumbrian cherry wood, but other timbers may be available.
Chanter reeds are cane, giving an excellent tone and with a long life expectancy as they are not exposed to the moisture you would find in a mouth blown set.
Drone reeds are brass bodied, with plastic tongues, giving stability and a good tone.
The plug-in, or 'split' stock system (available as an optional extra) allows you to change chanters and drones easily, without risking damage to the reeds, which are totally enclosed in a removable stock.
You can use Northumbrian and Scottish Smallpipe drones and chanters with one another, for example, a Scottish Smallpipe chanter in 'C' played against Northumbrian 'F' drones - a low cost way of extending the scope of your playing without having to buy a complete new set of pipes.
All our sets are reeded, tuned and set up to the same high standards, and none of the options influence the tonal quality of the instruments.
We can supply instruments to lower or higher specifications - tell us what you want.