I’ve just realised why it is that I like longer reed caps on bass regulators such as the likes of Liam O’Flynn’s concert set and Seamus Ennis’ C# set - symmetry. The long projecting cap up and away from the pipers bag arm seems to create balance when one views the piper from the front. It seems to create a sense that the piper is comfortable (particularly when posture is upright too- as is the case for these two pipers generally), and it all just seems balanced.
Cheers,
DavidG
I know exactly what you mean. I saw a picture of someone playing a Rogge D set and thought the same. It was a very balanced, elegant, and relaxed looking setup. At first glance I thought it was a flat set actually.
I agree with your aesthetic assessment and add that I think that it has a physical benefit as well in that it acts as a counterweight to the other end to a certain extent.
I think the end cap too, needs to have a bit of ‘bulk’ to it, for the aethsetic sence of balance and the physical balance as you mention, Khan Krum
You can’t chop down symmetry. 
djm
Ausdag, are you thinking of getting regulators?
One day, PJ. But at the moment I’m still devoting my time to chanter work. Maybe I’ll do what some Pakistani sets do and stick a bass reg separator bar and end cap on the stock just to add to the effect 
For this very reason, when Bruce Childress made mine I asked him to make the “knob” on the end a bit larger than normal. (The whole thing has a “pimp stick”-esque look to it, which I quite like. 
)
For practical reasons (more compact, easier to transport), I prefer the “taylor style” turned-back bass reg bars, which doesn’t allow for a big reed cap.
In fact, in about 4 weeks, I’ll have my bass reg!! 
Here’s what it’ll look like.
I find myself always gravitating toward the look of the long bass reg tube. For all the reasons mentioned above, and because it seems to be the kind of ‘quintessential’ look. When I picture the pipes in my mind’s eye, they always have the straight seperator.
I also like the look of a long bass drone, the whole compact pipes thing doesn’t do much for me (the exception is the barrel drone/reg set up). I know that these longer estentions on the pipes can make them less convienent in a small playing space, or to break down and transport, but I like things overly complicated (especially if there’s a more convienent alternative )
Some owners of pipes with straight bars remove the bass reg reed cap and reed to transport them. In that case it’s very messy, requiring the bass reg to be retuned, and also risking damage to the reed.
As long as the straight separator is long enough and the end cap is bulky enough. If it’s too short, only extending a little past the piper’s elbow, and if the end cap is too small, it all kind of looks strange.