| In the 1760's Piper Joseph MacDonald sketched the picture below. It shows a three drone pipe with 'challis' or wine goblet drone tops. This was the basis for my 1700's Highland pipes. The chanter is patterned after the one in the well known painting of William Cummings, the Grant Piper. The set is quite unpretentious. The absence of combing & beading allows the beauty of the wood to show. The example at right is in cocobolo. The mounts are of figured red eucalyptus. I have pitched this set in true A in keeping with the historic nature of the pipes. At this lower tuning, the drones provide a solid foundation for the chanter music. There is a satisfying firmness about the bass and the tenors blend nicely. |
| While it is more subdued than it's modern cousins this is still a strident bagpipe. The Ancient Highland Pipe comes equipped with Wygent Synth-drone reeds for great sound and trouble free playing. The medium/large bag is hand stitched cow hide and comes with a velvet cover and cords in red, green, or blue. The Ancient Highland Pipe is also available in Bocote, Grenadillo, Ebony, and Lignum Vitae. Mounts may be turned in Yew, Boxe, Pear. Additionally, for the discriminating piper, I now have access to completely legal, prehistoric mammoth ivory. |
| Now there is an alternative to the ever-increasing standard pitch of the highland pipe. By returning to the traditional pitch of true A you can pull your sound out of the mundane without climbing into the Ionosphere. |
Ancient Great Highland Bagpipe