This is a list of bagpipe makers. It covers both family-based and commercial outfits from the 17th century to the present era. In the 1950s, the bagpipe traditions of Europe were revived. The market is increasing in size as the popularity of the instrument is increasing, and the list of bagpipe makers is rising.

British Isles pipes

Great Highland Bagpipes/Great Irish Warpipes

FirmNameLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
UnknownJames Ramsay OswaldMelbourne, Victoria, Australia19412003One of only ten bagpipe makers in Australia.[1]
Dunbar Bagpipe Maker Ltd.Rick Pettigrew, Barry Dunbar, Jacquie DunbarSt. Catharines, Ontario, CanadaFounded by Jack Dunbar of Glasgow in 1985[2]
John Walsh Bagpipes Ltd.John Walsh, Tom MacMillanAntigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada[3]
The Burley Bagpipes CompanyGraham BurleyNaramata, British Columbia, Canada[4]
Lee & Sons BagpipesJack Lee, Andrew LeeSurrey, British Columbia, Canada[5]
Macbeth and Co. BagpipesMartin MacBethBrisbane, Australia1990sBegan in Brisbane 2010?[1]
Fisher BagpipesWayne FisherSarnia, Ontario, CanadaSelf-taught pipemaker. One of only a handful of bagpipe makers in Canada.[6]
American Bagpipe Makers Inc.Charles E. KronDobbs Ferry, New York, US1987?[7]
Rolf of SwedenRolf LittorinSweden1990sCustom made bagpipes: Great Highland Bagpipes, Smallpipes, Practice Chanters. Self-taught pipe maker.[8]
William Sinclair and SonWilliam M. SinclairEdinburgh, Scotland1926[9]
MacLellan BagpipesRoddy MacLellanZebulon, North Carolina, US1988Zebulon location began operations in 2023. The only business in North America to make, sell, and teach how to play bagpipes.[10]
McCallum Bagpipes Ltd.Kilmarnock, Scotland
O'Mahony WarpipesJames O'MahonyCork, Ireland1914?From Mitchelstown in Cork. Maker of Fiddles and Warpipes.[11]
O'Keeffe WarpipesO'KeeffeTippperary, Ireland1910Is said to have been one of the first makers of Warpipes in Ireland in the 20th century. Prior to that Warpipes weren't known to have been made since 1870.[12]
O'Crowley MusicTadhg & Denis CrowleyCork, Ireland19201952 1966Brother's Tadhg and Denis Crowley made Warpipes, Highland Pipes, and Uilleann pipes in Cork.[13]
David Naill & Co., Ltd.Leslie CowellSomerset, EnglandFounded 1976. Makers of Scottish Bagpipes, Smallpipes & chanters.[14]
Peter Henderson Ltd.Peter HendersonGlasgow, Scotland18681972One of the famous Scottish bagpipe makers. Merged with R. G. Hardie & Co. in 1972.[15]
R. G. Hardie & Co.Robert G. HardieGlasgow, Scotland1950[16][17]

Uilleann pipes

FirmNameLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
UnknownWilliam TaylorPhiladelphia, PA1840-18721901[18]
The Burley Bagpipes CompanyGraham BurleyNaramata, British Columbia, Canada[4]
UnknownCharles TaylorPhiladelphia, PA1840-18721902[18]
Patrick A. BrownBoston, Massachusetts19101958
Leo Rowsome
Bruce ChildressMaine

Scottish smallpipes and borderpipes

FirmNameLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
Fisher BagpipesWayne FisherSarnia, ONSelf-taught pipemaker.[6]
Hamish MooreDunkeldX
Fin MooreDunkeldSmallpipes, Borderpipes and Bagpipes
Fred Morrison SmallpipesSmallpipes and Borderpipes manufactured by McCallum Bagpipes Ltd
The Burley Bagpipes CompanyGraham BurleyNaramata, British Columbia, Canada[4]
John Walsh Bagpipes Ltd.John WalshAntigonish, NSSmallpipes, Great Highland Pipes, and Shuttlepipes.[4]
Iona BagpipesBill HartSydney, AustraliaSmallpipes, Scottish Double Smallpipes[19]

Northumbrian pipes

NameFirmLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
John DunnNewcastle upon Tyne17641820Developed keywork for the Northumbrian smallpipe around 1800
G.G. ArmstrongEngland18771955
Jack ArmstrongWideopen, North Tyneside19041978
Robert ReidNewcastle upon Tyne17861837
Tom CloughNewsham18811964
Colin RossUnited Kingdom
William H. Hedworth1994

Lincolnshire bagpipes

NameFirmLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
John AddisonSouth Somercotes, Lincolnshire[20]

Cornish bagpipes

NameFirmLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
Christopher Bayley[21]
Julian GoodacrePeebles[21]

Shuttle pipes

FirmNameLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
John Walsh Bagpipes Ltd.John Walsh, Tom MacMillanAntigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada[3]

Continental European pipes

Armenian bagpipes

NameFirmLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
Karen Hakobyan

Estonian bagpipes (torupill)

NameFirmLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
Ants TaulEstonia

Greek Bagpipes

NameFirmLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
Yannis PantazisLa PontaVenetian Tower Greek bagpipe exhibition-workshop[22]

Swedish bagpipes (säckpipa)

NameFirmLocationApprenticedRetiredNotesRefs
Alban FaustSweden
Leif ErikssonSweden

Sources

Bibliography
  • Hardy, Neal (March 1990). "Changing Traditions: Bagpipes in Australia". Australian Folklore. ' (4): 64–73.
  • Merryweather, James W. (May 2001). "Two-chanter Bagpipes in England". The Galpin Society Journal. 54: 62–75. doi:10.2307/842446. JSTOR 842446
  • O'Neill, Francis (1973). Irish Minstrels and Musicians. 1st Norwood ed. Darby, Pennsylvania: Norwood Editions. ISBN 0-88305-494-9.
  • Teahan, John (May 1963). "A List of Irish Instrument Makers". The Galpin Society Journal. 16 (16): 28–32. doi:10.2307/841092. JSTOR 841092
News articles
  • Collins, Glenn (1980-09-15). "And pipes for almost everywhere else". The New York Times. p. B14. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
  • Edwards, Bill (2003-11-22). "When pipes called, he answered". The Advertiser. p. 80.
  • Morden, Paul (2009-11-16). "Bagpipes unfairly maligned". The Observer. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
  • Prenon, Mary T. (1997-09-29). "Echoes of Scotland". Westchester County Business Journal. Vol. 36, no. 39. pp. 1, 2.
  • Rosenberg, Merri (1995-10-08). "Bagpipe maker outdoes the Scots". The New York Times. p. 13WC.14. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
Online resources

References

  1. ^ The Advertiser, November 22, 2003
  2. ^ Dunbar Bagpipes, 2020
  3. ^ John Walsh Bagpipes Ltd, 2020
  4. ^ The Burley Bagpipes Company, 1996
  5. ^ Lee & Sons Bagpipes, 2018
  6. ^ The Observer, November 16, 2009.
  7. ^ The New York Times, October 8, 1995; Westchester County Business Journal, September 29, 1997.
  8. ^ Hermansson, Mats d (2003). From Icon to Identity: Scottish Piping and Drumming in Scandinavia, University of Gothenburg, diss.
  9. ^ The main source for this information is the history page of the William Sinclair and Son website. See also:
    *The New York Times, September 15, 1980.
  10. ^ Shaffer, Josh (January 23, 2023). "How this world-class bagpipe maker came to set up shop in a highly unlikely spot". The News & Observer. Archived December 21, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  11. ^ Bureau of Military History: Seamus O'Mahony, witness statement
  12. ^ "An Claidheamh Soluis: Iúil-Nollaig 1910". Issuu. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  13. ^ Mitchell, John. "Crowley Pipemakers: Uilleann Pipers and Makers". Cork Pipers Club
  14. ^ "David Naill & Co. Bagpipes". www.naillbagpipes.com. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  15. ^ "Piping PressHistory: Peter Henderson, the Iconic Bagpipe Maker". Piping Press. 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
  16. ^ "History - Bagpipes, Pipe Band Uniforms and Drums". R. G. Hardie & Co.. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  17. ^ "Hardie, Robert G.". The Bagpipe Place Museum. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  18. ^ O'Neill 1973, pp. 160–161.
  19. ^ "Iona Bagpipes". iona-bagpipes.com. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  20. ^ Lincolnshire bagpipes? 'Scottish' instrument a piece of county's history. Sunday Telegraph, 1 January 2010
  21. ^ Merryweather 2001.
  22. ^ January/February 2013 issue of Songlines (#89) article:Postcard from Santorini