"Our Quality is Magical: Seen, Heard, Sensed." (c)                                                      

 All the chanters are made on modern CNC equipment. This ensures accuracy and repeatability, this is extremely important for the band chanters. If a band needs more chanters in a years time we can guarantee that they will match!

The pictures below will take you through the process of :

1. Reaming the chanter, the collar on the reamer ensures an accurate bore diameter every time.
2. CNC rough to finish turning the chanter.
3. CNC mill machines the finger holes, always accurately placed and sized.

Click below to enlarge.

When properly set up, these chanters will work at pitch of approximately 476hz, solo, 482hz., for the band type, with the full range of drone harmonics to give clearer projection for more volume & broad sound. All of our chanters now have threaded reed seats for ease of fine tuning adjustments.

( These pitch numbers are approximate, recorded in our workshop at 70 Degrees and 30% relative humidity)

The solo chanter is designed for a sweet type sound & is available in African Blackwood.

The band style, available in Blackwood or Delrin, has a steeper taper in the bore, & larger finger holes than the solo style. This gives a more robust sound, for more power & volume. The pitch of this chanter is ideal for North America, where the warmer summers make some of the higher pitch chanters unstable & thin on the the top hand. The reed seats are threaded making fine tuning adjustments much easier than ever before.

Just released is the "Big Band Chanter". It features a bigger throat & threaded reed seat area. To get maximum power and tone you must blow a medium to hard reed . The reward is a rich and full sound with a strong and stable top hand. The power and harmonics it produces are hard to match!

We also have available pipe chanters in delrin pitched at 466, Bb or 440 A, these are designed for playing with other instruments and tune accordingly. Concert A 440 will require some work on drone reeds to get the bagpipe in tune at that pitch.

 Hear Lukas Lerner playing the A 440 Chanter

Some Comments

Hi Roddy,

I just bought one of your solo chanters from Chris Hamilton, and I just want to let you know I love it. Its easily in tune without tape, and
I love the sound and feel of it in my hands. I've been experimenting around with so many chanters, but I've finally found what I'm
looking for. Thanks!    Pat

 from: francoise.van.leersum@philips.com To: Roddy MacLellan <roddy@highland-pipemaker.com>
Subject: Re: Pipe chanter in the key of A
MIME-Version: 1.0
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 16:53:15 +0100 Dear mr. MacLellan,

I'd like to inform you that the A-chanter was a great success. The conductor of the orchestra I played with was very pleasantly surprised. He was glad I managed to tune exactly with the orchestra (442Hz) and he loved the sound and the intonation I got with the reed you sent me.

Thank you very much, owing to your chanter it was a great success.

Regards,

Françoise van Leersum

 

Contact Information

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Last modified: 04/30/08