Modifying the bagpipes for sound and tuning quality, or
Tweaking bagpipes with lathe and chisel

John Kidd of Kidd Instruments (Asheville, NC; 828-299-0309) calls this work “modifications.” Here’s how he explains the theory behind what he’s doing:

A Highland Pipe should have drones that are as close to perfect open pipes as possible... A near-perfect open pipe produces clear tone, a great deal of musical power, and reinforces the chanter in such a way as to make the chanter notes musical, vibrant, and powerful. When this is combined with the flaring and tapering of the stocks, it has another benefit: ultimate stability. A perfect open pipe with a properly flared stock allows the pipe (the drones and chanter) to mode-lock. The instrument is then as stable as is theoretically possible.

Kidd’s modifications have four objectives: (1) minimize disruptions to air flow, (2) transform the bore of the drones into an “open pipe,” that is, make the bore as straight, smooth, and continuous as possible, and (3) ensure the two tenor drones and reeds are matched perfectly, and (4) taper and flare the drones and chanter stocks so the reed acts as if it is inside the bag instead of up a cylinder (no pressure gradients). To do this, Kidd offers to make four, actually five, modifications as required:

Taper and flare the three drone and the chanter stocks to remove edges and disruptions that would stop air from smoothly flowing from the bag to and through the stocks. (See figures 1A & 1B.)



Figure 1A. Drone stocks before modification. Note the square edge along the inside diameter, the bore of the stock.



Figure 1B. Drone stocks after modification. The square edge along the inside diameter has been rounded so that air can smoothly flow from the bag to and through the stocks.

Ream the reed seats in the tenor drones and add “shallot stops” (basically spacers, shims) to match every dimension of both tenor drones, reeds, and reed seats.



Figure 2: Here are the tops of two lower drone sections. On the right is the drone after modification. The square edge along the inside diameter of the drone section on the left has been reamed to make a depression in the drone section on the right. This leaves somewhat of a knife-edge on the rim of the drone top. This shaping helps air smoothly flow from one section to another.

Taper the tops of the lower drone sections to remove disruptions to air flow. (See figure 2.)

Smooth out (contour) the ledges within the upper drone sections (especially the middle bass section), again to remove edges and disruptions to air flow.

These modifications involve removing wood. The bagpipe stocks are measured, remeasured, put onto a lathe, measured again, and then, while the spindle is revolving, Kidd shaves the inside of the stocks. Not for the faint-of-heart. There is also a lot of testing and retesting the drones acoustically, shaving and reshaving the drones as a result, over and over, again to produce the end product: a precision instrument (measured in the ten-thousandths).

Brian, my bagpipe teacher, did some of this work to a set of his bagpipes years ago under Kidd’s tutelage. Taking woodworking tool to bagpipe stocks filled Brian with a certain amount of dread. Three days later, after drones and reeds settled down, he was pleased with the results. A couple of years later, at a dinner for judges and volunteers at the New Hampshire Highland Games (2004), I listened to three bagpipe judges talk about Kidd’s modifications to their pipes. They, too, worried beforehand about the modifications. All three were pleased with the results.

I’m solidly a Grade Good Enough player. I’ve won some metal the one bagpipe season I competed, and people are pleased with my playing (including the paying gigs). I plan to play these pipes for decades to come. So, what the heck, other than ruining my beloved six-year-old Gillanders & McLeod (G&M) wooden bagpipes, what’s the worse that can happen? Plus, while the work is expensive—what of bagpiping is not expensive?—it amortizes to a pittance over the life of the bagpipes. Last, I can always use extra help in tuning and making my bagpipes sound good.

In December 2004, I shipped three drones and both the chanter and blowpipe stocks to Kidd. About two weeks later they came back with all the modifications as listed except the reed shallot stops. (To save some money, I’ll use the conventional way—using hemp—to match how the tenor reeds sit.) For my drones, the cost was around $300. Realize that costs will depend on the work done and the instrument itself.

Tying the stocks into a new bagpipe bag did not go smoothly. This was my fault, not Kidd’s. I wound up having to do it twice. (Alas, bagpipe bags don’t work with extra holes, no matter how small the holes.) Nearly a month flew by before I got everything retied. By then, it was the dead of winter, I was practicing inside the house (a dry house), and I was caught up with a new pipe and drum band that was tuning much higher than what I had my G&M pipes set at, so I was mostly playing my plastic bagpipes.

Nevertheless, time marches on. So does bagpiping. So do the seasons. So does the weather. In New Hampshire, the snows came and went. Then mud season. Then black-fly season. Then the three days of spring. Then summer. During that time, I was playing the G&M pipes more and more. I finally became convinced that something really was different with my bagpipes, that the modifications were doing what they were supposed to do! Also, each season I’d think, “Well, let’s see how the pipes do next season.” It’s August as I write this. It’s hot and humid. Damn hot and humid. I don’t operate well in heat and humidity, but my G&M pipes are doing just fine—playing, tuning, sounding, and maintaining their tuning.

Here are two examples. During mud season, I was practicing outside one comfortable 60° day. I tuned the pipes after about 10 minutes of playing and then played a bunch of tunes. After playing for about 30 minutes straight, I played a piobaireachd. The pipes remained in tune. Mind you, because I’m a wet blower, my pipes usually go out of whack after about 30 or 40 minutes—and especially toward the end of a piobaireachd. That day, the bagpipes stayed in tune. And that’s typical.

Second example. For the past two weeks, again, the weather has been mostly hot (>87°) and humid (>87%). I’ve been practicing outside under some trees, out of the sun. More often than not, the pipes are still in tune from the day before. Thirty, forty minutes later, the tuning might need some adjustment.

I’m pleased.