Chiff and Fipple Forums

Hi.
I am interested in learning more about added drones. Please share what you know of makers and sets with more than the three normal drones. Is it possible to add one or even two additional drones and all of them have individual switches? Must be a cool feature and although it will never replace regs it could be a nice way to add harmonies without a full set.
Please enlighten me!
Ketil

You should check this out - many videos by Tom Kannmacher playing his multidrone pipes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... dFGbSXcbXt
Also, our member Hans-Jörg has made at least one set with two complete sets of drones for D and E respectively.

I'm receiving a new full set from Andreas Rogge in a few weeks that has a 4th drone (A/G) that can be switched independently from the other three. Here's a picture pre silver plating.

I have a C set from Andreas which has a fourth drone tuned to the dominant. I've never tried to tune it to the subdominant or submediant. It is switched on and off by a slight radial movement of the drone switch. It tends to leak at the pressure the reeds (chanter and drones) require, so when trying to play without the drones, I always have the fourth drone sounding. It does not leak when the other three drones are on. I'm considering using the "traditional" stopper on a string to allow me to practice "sans accompagnement".

dave boling

That Richard Patkos video was actually what started me thinking about it. Sounds lovely! I play a Patkos chanter so I guess I should ask him about extra drones sometime in the future I don't think I'll ever get regulators (but I guess I am not the first one who have said that)

My Joe Kennedy B set has a fourth drone - it's "turned on/off" using a stopper on a string. Actually, I went ahead and had Joe make a stopper for each drone, similar to a couple old James Kenna sets he had in the shop at the time (and similar to the one Ronan Browne plays), so that I could change configurations easily - I like stopping the bass for instance. My fourth drone plays a fourth and fifth, with the fourth being a bit quiet. Joe has made a few of these configurations.

(At the risk of self-promotion) Here's a video showing the dangling plugs (and watching pug), but I'm just using the normal configuration of drones: https://youtu.be/TPHOtqOveZA

wsm wrote:I'm receiving a new full set from Andreas Rogge in a few weeks that has a 4th drone (A/G) that can be switched independently from the other three. Here's a picture pre silver plating.

Nice setup, drones all in descending order out the end of the mainstock. I've seen sets with the A/G middle drone tacked on the side of the mainstock, much like the bass reg, only on the opposite side.

Plugs are the simplest (mechanically) way to turn on or off certain drones. Note the antique set on the right has no drone switch at all... Both sets have four drones, but note that the antique set has the tenor on the right, and fifth drone on the left.

NicoMoreno wrote:My Joe Kennedy B set has a fourth drone - it's "turned on/off" using a stopper on a string. Actually, I went ahead and had Joe make a stopper for each drone, similar to a couple old James Kenna sets he had in the shop at the time (and similar to the one Ronan Browne plays), so that I could change configurations easily - I like stopping the bass for instance. My fourth drone plays a fourth and fifth, with the fourth being a bit quiet. Joe has made a few of these configurations.

(At the risk of self-promotion) Here's a video showing the dangling plugs (and watching pug), but I'm just using the normal configuration of drones: https://youtu.be/TPHOtqOveZA

Love your B set Nicolas, and I just bought the album.

Thank you, and enjoy

The head of the music department at Sotherby's in London during the 1980s and 90s was a Northumbrian piper who used to keep records and photographs of all the pipes that came through the auction house.He told me of an ornate (probably presentation) set of uilleann pipes by Robert Reid of Tyneside with six drones, one complete set in D and another in G.

And a quick google and here they are, currently in a museum.
http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record. ... -579-667-C