Reel Pipes are Fred’s own brand of Border or Lowland pipes which he has helped popularize lately. He worked closely with the McCallum Bagpipe firm on their design. The coolest thing is that they come with a drone switch.
Note that they also come trimmed in engraved silver as standard so these aren’t exactly “economy class” pipes.
Sorry to intrude on the sanctity of the Uilleann Pipe Forum but I know there are pipers of various persuasion who may be of interest.
The border pipes have the same 9 note range as the GHB but are mainly made in the keys of A and D (B flat and C are less common keys).
A good set of border pipes can get one extra note (High B if you are playing a set in A) by half holing the thumb hole - they call this “Shivering the back lil”. Freds pipes can do this (at least when Fred is playing them, he is my favourite piper by miles).
Well designed border pipes can be cross-fingered to give a chromatic scale.
Fred’s do look similar to Hamish Moore’s because they’re based on the same 1740 Cox plans. They’re not the same as Hamish’s “Reel” pipes. I saw/heard them played by Rory Campbell of the Old Blind Dogs.
Border pipes (lowland pipes) are great. Especially in the key of A. Have that Highland pipe sound to them, but also much mellower and quieter at the same time. Gonna make me a set sometime. My pipemaking mentor also makes these and SSP.
just got few weeks ago new borderpipes(A). Nice and strange pipes indeed,
you play it like GHB, BUT, chanter has it own “Personal” sound and its more
something like Up’ chanter, you can make allmost samekinda movements (clissandos and vibs etc.) and also get Cnat,Fnat,D#,A#,topG# with crossfingering,easily said than played…
Really new world..
Fred Morrison had H.Moore’s pipes on the “Sound of the sun”, and these
McCallum made pipes on “Up south” .
It’s true that you can play lots of things with Border pipes (more than with a scottish small pipes, because you can have sharp or flat notes by crossing fingers). But the problem is that you can only get 9 notes, and its a problem when you want to play irish tunes. Some of them work very well like Dinky’s or Gravel Walk in wich you can put some nice specific ornementations like birls. However you mostly need to change the tune, to arange it, and sometime you just can’t play it. It’s very frustrating
But if you play scottish tunes with other instruments … it is the best !
Have a look on Cantrip web site, you can hear Dan Houghton playing border pipes, sooo niiice ! I highly recommand their cd for those who like border piping (Dan plays Hamish Moore pipes) http://www.cantriphq.co.uk/
enjoy !
Various bits of misinformation or misunderstanding going on here. They’re not based on Cox’s plans - the starting point was Fred’s own set of Moore pipes, which is based on Cox. The design was modified to meet Fred’s requirements. Up South features the Moore pipes, the difference in tone is down to the reeds Fred had started making.
I haven’t seen any pictures of him playing the MacCallum version yet, but I can assure you he does.
This is MacCallum, so anything you want designed and built by them can be done, but they are doing this particular specification in mass manufacture, so they are a bit cheaper. Well worth the money, anyway.
I have seen Fred playing these pipes and they have a lovely sound live. They are a little mellower than his Moore set, but not so mellow as a Nigel Richards set.
I contacted Ian about sending me one of the border pipe chanters.. The only way you can make a payment is by (BANK DRAFT :adminno: )… they don’t accept credit cards… I think I will have Nigel or Hammish make me a chanter , Or I will make one myself, I have an x-ray of a Hammish chanter in A…HMMMM
but I know there are pipers of various persuasion who may be of interest.
Just take out the silver and add copper and zinc and I think that’s a bit better compromise. Pretty engraving, though.
!