Nigel Richard, who passed away in 2021, was a superb maker of Border pipes. He made bellows-blown sets, but also mouthblown sets, which he called “Session Pipes.”

Session Pipes are pitched in A440, and the sound is pretty much the same as a border pipe. Other pipemaking companies are making similar items now, but Nigel was the forerunner and a real craftsman. Reeds are still available from Ezeedrone.

This set was owned by a late acquaintance of mine, and it looks to me like the pipes were rarely played, maybe hardly at all. The reeds all went beautifully, and the bag was tight. This is a lovely instrument that plays well with other instruments!

John Walsh’s Shuttle Pipes have cheered many a piper and many a party over the decades, and they still remain popular today. This two-drone is how John got started with Shuttle pipes. This set was owned by a late acquaintance of mine. It’s in very good shape though there is some tarnishing on the ferrules. The bag is brand new  Comes with a pouch.

The set played really well for me. 

This Sinclair chanter comes to me with no date, no serial number. The two Chesney reeds I put into it pitched into the upper 470s. The imitation ivory sole has a tiny chip in the top, and the bottom has a shallow indentation made by a small drill bit. The chanter has not been carved, and it has been stripped and refinished.

These old Sinclairs are lovely chanters, rare, and they have aged well!

This Deger chanter is the same model I use to record tunes on pipetunes.ca.  It is in fine working order, has a new battery in it, and its own case!  This is a good deal.

While Joseph MacDonald was writing his  famous “Complete Theory of the Scots Highland Bagpipe” in 1760, his brother Patrick was preparing this publication which came off the press in 1784. Together they represent the first serious attempt, using the medium of print, to make Highland music more widely known throughout Scotland.  With four piobaireachd appearing at the end of the book, and Joseph’s book not seeing publication until well after his death, Patrick’s “Vocal Airs” marks the first appearance of pipe music in staff notation. 

The book lacks its cover, but is otherwise in excellent condition. The parchment pages do exhibit some show-through and slight discolouration, but the print is still clear and legible. 

General C. S. Thomason lists the publication of this seminal work as 1900, though there were apparently small editions published before this date. The book contains several hundred piobaireachds, all written in General Thomason’s ‘code’ which allowed him to place an entire tune on a 4.5″ x 8″ sheet. Besides being the largest single piobaireachd collection ever published, it is also one of the most significant. It is difficult to untangle the various early editions, but this appears to be edition V, exact publication date unknown, but certainly before 1910.

The book is in very good shape except the front cover board and cover spine have come loose from the binding. The back cover board remains attached. 

Donald MacDonald published his seminal “Ancient Martial Music of Caledonia” in 1822, beating Angus Mackay by 16 years. While it never achieved the importance of Angus Mackay’s book, it almost certainly stands in second place as a major early piobaireachd source. 

This is a third edition, published between 1822 and 1833, when the publisher ceased operation. The book cannot be dated more accurately than this. 

The book has a cover, but it is almost certainly not original. The cover is well affixed to the binding, but the title pages are loose. The binding is solid.  There is some slight show-through of the staves on the pages.

Sir John Dalyell was an antiquarian and naturalist lived from 1815-1844 and was a regular judge and organizer at the Highland Society of London’s competitions. The book is an account of the musical antiquities of Scotland, beginner with three chapters on the bagpipes and bagpipe music. Though clearly not a fan of the bagpipe, Dalyell nonetheless gives us a rare account of piping in the early part of the 19th century and his book remains a window to another age.

The book is in excellent condition, though the cover is not original.

Published in 1920, this book records “the Achievements of Pipers of Scottish and Overseas Regiments during the War 1914-18.” With colour plates and nearly 300 parchment pages, the book outlines activities of pipers in the various regiments. The last half of the book features essays by various authors on piping in the military. The blue music book was written to accompany the large book and contains tunes written during the Great War. 

Only 200 of these pairs were published and it is indeed rare to have a pair still together.

Both books are in very good condition, with some fraying and wear on the covers.

This is a first printing of the first edition of Angus Mackay’s iconic “A Collection of Ancient Piobaireachd,” published in 1838. Angus Mackay was the prime caretaker of the ancient piobaireachd  tradition in his day, and this is his opus. Most of what piobaireachd performers play today comes down to us through Angus.

The book has no cover and the title page is badly frayed and worn.  The edges of the book are age-stained with some slight tearing here and there. The spine has had some primitive repairs made to it, but appears stable. 

This book is not to be confused with the 1899 edition, which has a hard, burgundy cover, but still retains the 1838 publication date.

This Bannatyne small bag is one size smaller than the extended small, roughly equivalent to the Ross Livingstone size.  It has been tied in and played briefly.  It’s virtually as good as new.

This Bannatyne bag has been tied in and played briefly.  It’s virtually as good as new.

This Jim Begg small (9.5″) hide bag has been tied in and played briefly.  It’s virtually as good as new.

This medium sized Ross hybrid bag made with natural leather, has been tied in and played briefly.  It’s virtually as good as new.

This medium sized Ross hybrid bag has been tied in and played briefly.  It’s virtually as good as new.