Nick Whitmer Half Set Restoration
Let me introduce you to a new friend of mine, professional highland piper Thom Moore, whom you can visit at happybagpiper.com. And I can tell you with certainty after interacting with him that he is truly 100% a happy bagpiper!
He approached me on recommendation from retired pipemaker Nick Whitmer regarding an interesting project. And now, presenting a half set of Nick Whitmer uilleann pipes, sans chanter.
There are a couple parts of this project. The half set was in need of a chanter stock, blowpipe and stock, and tenor drone ferrule to match the set aesthetic. The next part is reeds.
On to getting some decent drone reeds set up. Eezee drone reeds are definitely that . . . easy. However in uilleann bagpipes the overwhelming response I get from customers that I get is they don’t sound good and they don’t balance well in terms of tuning. Also the fit in reed sockets can be hit and miss.
As demonstrated after some quick balancing, we’re steady as a rock
Chanter stock-going for something to match Nick Whitmer's classic minimalist turning style on the bass drone puck.
Blowpipe featuring turned features to match the drones.
Testimonial
Testimonial from Thom Moore, whom you can visit at happybagpiper.com:
I like the steadiness and sweetness of the drones a lot!! The drones are quiet but sweet and STABLE! The drones were quiet but yes, they have way better projection in a big room and among a large group (39!!!) of players, much better than with either cane or of course the Ezeedrones, and they’re way more stable. Thanks again, Justin!!
I definitely want to say how incredibly pleased I am with the stocks and blowpipe — really beautifully made and they match Nick’s profiles wonderfully!! Henceforth I’ll call you “Lathemaster Justin”!
For help with making your uilleann bagpipe experience fantastic, hit the button below and contact me!