Bagpipe questions for paper

[Mindrop]

So, i am in college and am doing a process writing paper on how to make bagpipes. A source I had gave a e-mail address for questions, but whoever it was just said look at this and gave me the link to what I had already read and had further questions about. So, in an attempt to get another source, I have turned here. I am not sure how many of you are pipers or how much you know about the process of making bagpipes, but it is worth a shot in my mind. Okay, so here my questions go.

1: What tools are used?

2: What materials are used?

3: How does wood affect the sound?

4: How does the shape affect the sound?

Thank you.

[EagleJCS]

I'm a piper (about 10 years now), and discussed the bagpipe-making process with our local pipe maker (Peter Crisler) when he was making my pipes, so I can help a little. I also did a presentation last year on "The Mechanics of the Great Highland Bagpipe", covering that topic from a very high level - no physics.

I presume you're asking about just the 'sticks' (drones and chanter), and not the bag, reeds and cover.

1: What tools are used?

Typically a variable-speed lathe and a variety of gouges (wood-turning tools) and measuring tools. I'm not sure if Pete uses a drill to do the bore (the inside of the drones) or if he uses a bit on the lathe for that as well. I do know the bore is done slowly due to the natural oil content of the wood (see question #2). Turn it too fast, the oil heats up and BANG, you have an expensive piece of firewood.

Pete doesn't produce a chanter, but he told me they're usually produced with a stepped bit, because it has a conical bore instead of a cylindrical bore like the drones.

2: What materials are used?

For the past 100 years or so, African Blackwood (a.k.a. Mpingo or Dalbergia melanoxylon) - "ABW" for short - has been the wood of choice for most pipers. Pete also produces pipes in Madagascaran rosewood, or Bois de Rose (also in the Dalbergia family, with similar density but slightly lighter weight).

ABW is a fairly dense, naturally oily wood that is used for a lot of musical instruments, furniture and tools. Its tight grain structure and density make it highly desirable for stability in the face of rapidly changing humidity. (A less-dense piece of wood would warp or crack under similar conditions).

Other materials include cocus, ebony, and Delrin (a high-grade plastic). Some pipe makers have been experimenting in recent years with other woods like maple, boxwood, and cherry due to the growing scarcity of instrument-grade African Blackwood and the rising cost of the other exotics like Bois de Rose. Since these don't LOOK like 'standard' bagpipes, they're considered to be 'one-offs' in some circles - good for conversation pieces, but not something a 'serious' player would use for public performance. Also, some of these materials don't travel well to other parts of the world (changes from their native humidity and temperature ranges cause them to crack or warp).

3: How does wood affect the sound?

Some pipers believe that wood provides a deeper/richer/more complex tone. Some don't notice much difference at all between wood and plastic (depending on the plastic). Some pipers will swear that ABW produces the best sound of all the woods used. I think most would agree that it depends on a lot of other factors as well - temperature, humidity, altitude (barometric pressure), type of reeds used, type of bag used, etc., etc.

4: How does the shape affect the sound?

That's getting a little more into physics (the resonance of a closed cylinder). Some say a smooth bore has a better tone that that of a rough bore. Typically newer pipes will have a smoother interior finish due to advances in the machining technology.

The dimensions of the bore at various points, how smooth or rough the bore is, and how long the drones are can all have an effect on the tonal quality and the acoustic harmonics produced. Drones have a 'tone chamber' at each of the joints where the tuning pin of the lower section enters the upper section. Each drone also has a 'tone chamber' in the very top, or the bell of the drone, whcih is constricted by the drone cap. These tone chambers help to remove or reduce some of the harmonics produced by the reed and produce a more pleasant sound.


Hope that helps a little.


You could probably also ask these questions over on the Dunsire forum and get more than you'd ever want to know.

[Mindrop]

Thanks. I will post over there. Lot of good info, lot more questions.

[ohiopiper]

Look into the thread over there titled something about handmade versus CNC made pipes. There is some discussion about tooling used in both methods, which are very similar except for the type of lathe used.

I'd also try searching for the names of other types of wood, such as mopane and rosewood. Searching ABW will garner a lot of hits probably not relevant to your question.

While I am a piper, I do not pretend to be a pipe maker or an engineer. Here are the few generalities I know to be true, specifics, how and why are beyond me for the most part.

Tools used include boring bits and gouges for turning on a manual lathe, drills and cutting inserts for turning on a CNC lathe. Boring bits and drills afix to the tailstock of the machine and the workpiece turns as the drill or bit is fed into it. Gouges are held by hand as the lathe turns while inserts are afixed to a tool post or turret.

For materials, EagleJCS summarized well, the short version being that denser is usually better, just like wood for violins and guitars. Dense wood (or man-made material) resonates better.

Wood affects sound because of its resonance. You'll likely find that someone who can answer question 2 completely will also answer this at the same time.

Now the black magic part. Every maker has their own specific internal dimensions and that is what gives every maker, sometimes even a specific set from a specific maker, a distinctive sound. Some have a different balance between tenor and bass, some have a slightly different tone to the tenors, some have a different balance between the drones overall and the chanter.

I've just told you everything I know about pipe making. Not much to go on, is it?!

[MadBagpiper]

i think that eagle said it best.

I can however offer more on how the shape affects the sound of the pipe:
There is a maker by the name of John Kidd can make a set of pipes that, once tuned, are theoretically not supposed to be tuned again for about a week. I've worked with Kidd several times and his method is long and grueling but the results are stellar. http://www.mv.com/ipusers/lsg/Bagpipes/KiddWork.htm
this link has a some details and pictures.
Kidd's theory is that every drone must be very smooth and not have any places inside the bore where sound waves can reflect. This makes the bore of the drone very smooth and very open. Another term he uses for this is called an "open pipe". The tenor drones are about as identical as they can be and are measured down to very very exact increments. The result is a set of drones that sound absolutely amazing!! The harmonics that came off them blew me away and he was right; I tuned them and played them one day so that they could go through the process of "mode-locking" which is the process of using sound waves as a source of musical stability, came back the next day and picked them up and played them and they were right where I left them.
If you have any more questions on this particular topic or need clarification I have some documents that Kidd gave me that describe everything in detail.
Cheers!

[Mindrop]

MadBagpiper: Anything you can give me would be great. I would rather have too much information, than too little.

[Barb T]

Hi Mindrop,

So here's one of the resident XMarks professors replying to your post (and yes, you guys know me as a kiltmaker, but I'm also a Full Professor). Just a gentle reminder that your own professor will undoubtedly want to know more about your sources, so don't forget to PM these wonderful and helpful guys on XMarks and ask a little about them in "real life" so that you can cite them properly!

[Mindrop]

Thank you for that hint. I will do that.

[Barb T]

And best of luck with an interesting paper! Do you play the pipes?

[Mindrop]

No, I really need to learn though. Just doing this research has fired me up. I believe our local Pipe and Drum bad teaches people for free to keep the heritage going.

Anyway, I want to thank you all for your help. I will post the Paper on here probably Monday or tuesday.