I generally work with Ebony and Brass with mount options being Imitation Ivory or Boxwood. Having said that I am completely open discussing material and design options if you have something specific in mind. All my work is individually hand made so I can customise any part of the design to exactly what you might be looking for. The only parts I don’t make are the bags (from Lawrence Thompson) and 10 brass screws (8 to hold the bass bar to the stock and 2 for the bass drone clamps).
The prices below are for a fully mounted D set in Ebony, Brass and Imitation Ivory. The prices of half, three quarter and full sets can be reduced by approximately 10% for less elaborate decoration and fewer mounts with no change to the sound of the pipes.
All chanters have blocks left for up to 5 keys. As with all wooden parts, they are rough bored and shaped, then stored for 6 months to allow the wood to settle before final reaming and shaping.
Drones are similarly rough shaped and left for 6 months. All drones have wooden slides, this means the internal part of the sliding section is wood with a brass ferrule over the wood. Internally all sharp corners are removed and the transition from the wide section to the final part of the bore is shaped with a bullet reamer. The final opening has a slight restriction which aids pitch stability.
Regulators are also rough bored and reamed 6 months prior to final shaping. They are reeded with spruce to aid stability
Waiting times are currently about 2 years, although I usually get practice sets completed within 6-8 months. A 10% deposit is needed to confirm an order.
**JULY 2023 UPDATE**
Due to the growth of my waiting list I am not accepting new orders. I will start accepting orders when my waiting list has been reduced to a reasonable length. I am still taking on a small amount of local repair work and reed making. Thank you to everyone who has ordered from me, I am very grateful to you.