My seven key set is the usual set of Northumbrian Small Pipes with four drones commonly played in NSP piping groups and I offer these in F or G pitch. I also make F or G chanters without drones in both seven-key and keyless configurations. G chanters are usually a popular addition for playing with other instruments not tuned in the same way as our local group “F pipes”.
My NSP designs are based on years of advice and encouragement from Richard Evans and are my own interpretation of his second-generation drones. My F chanter is based on one of his designs and much assistance from the work of Mike Nelson, both makers part of the modern NSP tradition and both incredibly generous with pipemaking advice. My G chanter is based on one made for me by the late Colin Ross.
My NSP drone stock can accommodate my own design of ‘synthetic’ drone reed (again a Richard Evans inspired development) produced using 3D printer techniques and with a styrene tongue. These drone reeds produce a tone very much like cane, but with the considerable advantage of strong humidity stability and less of a tendency to choke or close during humidity changes, thus making maintenance easier.
My NSP sets are provided with bag and bellows and are reeded and voiced. I make my own version of NSP bellows based on a smaller version of my UP design, edge-pinned through a sealed leather trim. This design is my preferred method as it works just as effectively as the traditional versions.
All my bags and bellows are made using quality airtight leather and bellows have an internal thinner suede liner, to give the bellows their traditional feel and response and to avoid ‘ballooning’ when pressure is applied.