Description
In the key of A, Fred Morrison Reelpipes have the same fingering style and familiar ‘crack’ of the Highland pipes but have a softer, sweeter tone. This makes them ideal for playing with other instruments in groups and sessions. They are also an excellent solo instrument.
Fred Morrison Reelpipes have a characteristically resonant, expressive sound. They are beautifully crafted in African blackwood, finished with refined alloy ferrules and imitation ivory drone tops.
The chanter is perfectly tuned to concert pitch. The sound is clear with an excellent dynamic. The drones are steady and melodious and harmonise beautifully with the chanter.
The conical bore chanter has the added advantage of cross-fingered accidental notes, C and F naturals.
The luxury hand made bellows are fully padded with hand-sewn plush leather cushions on the front and back to ensure comfort and ease of play. The bellows are made from the highest quality components to ensure many years of great playing.
Available in the Key of A, complete with:
Blackwood Drones
Blackwood Chanter and cane reed
Luxury hand made bellows
Drone Switch
Synthetic Bag (Hide bag available by request)
Ezeedrone Reelpipe Drone Reeds
Bagpipe Cover
Bagpipe Case
The Reelpipes are set up by Fred and delivered, ready to play.
Mark –
These pipes are simply terrific! The chanter is in the same register as the GHB and have a lot of the attack familiar with that instrument though, to my relatively untrained ear, the reelpipes sound a little ‘smoother’ and less ‘harsh’ overall.
The drones sound very warm and sit nicely with the sound of the chanter, supporting it without overpowering or conversely vanishing into the background.
They take a little bit of a firmer squeeze than the smallpipes and are a lot more sensitive to pressure. They’re also considerably louder – I’d recommend ear plugs for prolonged period of playing, especially in a confined space.
The ability to produce extra notes with crossfingering is a boon too.
I love these pipes and I’m so glad I bought them!