I've just finished a set of two-drone medieval great pipes in A for Al of Istanpitta.
I made the set from curly maple, with water buffalo and olive wood mounts and inlay decoration. The ends of the drones are capped with Texas Ebony. It's an extremely hard wood, so it works well as an end cap that might get knocked around a little.
For Al's set I wanted something extra special, so I added a second style of inlay to decorate the drones and created a split-texture effect on the mounts by using two types of material.
I finished the set with hardening oils, so it's easy to look after: an occasional wipe with a polishing oil is all it needs.
Tuning the drones
Each drone has three sections. Fully extended, they play A and E. Pushed down and shortened, they give B and F, with no change to the reed. With both middle sections removed, joining the top and bottom, they play up a fourth, in D and A.
A common setup is the bass in A with the baritone in E. For a more contemporary sound, play the bass in A and remove the middle section of the tenor so it sounds in A an octave above the bass.
