I recently say a picture of a set of smallpipes with 10 drones and I was wondering if anyone had ever experimented with adding more drones to their uilleann set, putting two extra drones into the regulator holes instead of regs, maybe an extra tenor and bari drone, or perhaps two new drones pitched between the tenor and bari and bari and bass.
Jeff
I’ve seen a 4 drone set. It uses an A tenor drone with seperate shutoff.
There are a bunch of sets with extended bass regulators, here’s two:
Dicky Deegan
http://artists.iuma.com/IUMA/Bands/Dicky_Deegan/images/lg-127118.jpg
Phil Wardle
http://www.concentric.net/~pdarcy/photos/bil_phil-wardle_1.jpg
4 drone sets where not uncommon in the 1800s my friend has a set made by Hussey Dublin in 1820.4th drone is A .Also there was no drone switch in those days the drones having wee plugs at the end.So there is nothing new under the sun although some makers would have us believe that by adding another drone that they are being innovative!!
Liam 
I have a Peter Hunter set in B with a fourth drone, w/o a separate shut- off switch. I use a small rubber stopper to shut it off. The 4th drone sound really nice with certain tunes (e.g. “The Lark in the Morning”),but I don’t use it all that often.
FWIW,
No E
I make my sets with 4 drones, as does Tim Britton, adding the fifth between the tenor and bari which sounds an “A” and adds a lovely tonal quality to many tunes. www.greenwoodpipes.com/personalhalf.JPG
There is a set here, made by Charles Roberts, with five drones: one extra between the baritone and bass, as well as the usual extra between the tenor and baritone drones. I had a set with the extra drone which was made like a NSP drone with tuning bead and plunger. Ihave seen very old four drone sets with stoppers for each drone. I have also seen a set in D with two drones in E and two shut-off switches.
Ted
It is possible to make an uilleann five drone stock that shuts off all five drones together, or two or three if needed, its a bit more plumbing, the
stock is slightly larger in dia but looks just the same.
You can also fit a rocking snap valve on the end of the Alto or fifth drone on a four drone set, for quick and easy shut off.
The ten drone set by David Burliegh has three seperate shut off valves to control all the drones, a real feat of engineering, I have the plans for this set.
Any combination is possible if you want to pay the money for the R & D into making it, existing plans are easy to follow the rest takes time.
Davy.
Robert Reid 1836 - Union Pipes with 7 keyed chanter, 6 drones and 2 regulators. Built for Robert Miller a music master of Dundee
Drones were arranged in two sets of three tuning Dda and Ggd and each set could be shut off independently. It was also possible to have all six sounding at once !
Will have a go posting a picture or two later
How large was the original bag? 
More bag size issues!!! The bag size has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of air going through the set… this has been covered before.
Basically you want a nice tidy bag that allows you to press comfortably on it without your arm extending at a 90degree angle away from your torso. The L&M bag’s are an ideal size for any amount of drones or regulators 
The one I got for my D set is a design Todd Denman had L&M make for him and it is lovely I must admit. Look at pictures of your favourite pipers and that’ll show you what an uilleann pipe bag should look like. It’s a non-issue… why is it continually brought up… am I getting narky in my ould age?
Patrick.
Narky in your ould age? Gnaw, you couldn’t be year over 19. 
Hey, if bag size has nothing to do with it, I’ve got an old leather football I’ll trade you for that L&M designed one you’ve got…consider it an extra.
HO HO HO! 
I see what you’re saying… I had to get a new bag because my old Eugene Lambe rubber one (neoprene) was ripping where it was tied onto the stock… after many reliable years of use I might add! The L&M was the quickest, cheapest and strongest option… it is brown but hey… so is … em… chocolate 
Seriously though. There was a time there a few years ago when lot’s of people were getting these HUGE bags but it makes no sense, you still have to inflate the bag and the air travels through at the same pace… the only thing the big bag does is cause you to pump more to fill the blasted yoke… just ask Kevin Rietman 
Patrick.
I know Kevin and email him from time to time. I mean to get into Portland and stop by and see that B set of his soon.
psssst…if the football’s too big, try one the size of a softball! 
Kevin is great craic.. tell him I said “Rock on” and tell him to drag his ass down to LA some time… Kevin… you out there?
Patrick.
The Irish rugby players are all becoming uilleann pipers now after Ireland lost the triple crown to England last weekend… what’s the world coming to? Atleast they can get ahead of the game and use their oddly shaped balls for bags… cough cough 
Patrick.
