Woods, Mounts and Materials  

As more people become aware of environmental issues, we’ve seen a really positive shift in the world of bagpipe making. Traditionally, woods like African Blackwood have been the go-to for their density and tonal richness, but with growing concerns about their environmental impact and increased trade restrictions due to their endangered status, it’s clear that change is needed.

That’s why we’re turning to sustainable, responsibly sourced alternatives like Leadwood, Mopane, Olivewood and Camel Thorn. These woods don’t just tick the box for sustainability, they also deliver on performance. Each one brings its own character to the instrument.

Leadwood

Leadwood is quickly becoming one of our favourite alternatives to African Blackwood. It offers all the strength, density, and tonal quality you’d expect from a high end instrument wood, but with the added benefit of being far more sustainable. Leadwood is even harder than African Blackwood, which means it machines beautifully, holds its bores extremely well, and offers great durability, ideal for staying tight and true over time.

When it comes to sound, Leadwood really holds its own. It produces a rich, resonant tone with great projection and sustain. It has that depth and clarity pipers love in their instruments. It also performs incredibly well thanks to its tightly interlocked grain.

From an environmental point of view Leadwood is a much more responsible choice. It’s not listed on CITES and isn’t considered endangered, so it doesn’t come with the same export restrictions as African Blackwood. It’s typically sourced through more transparent and regulated forestry practices, making it easier to trace and support ethical harvesting.

And it’s not just about function, Leadwood looks fantastic too. Its dark brown to deep purple tones and subtle grain patterns give each piece a unique and premium feel ideal for smallpipes. Leadwood is now commonly being used for flutes as well as classical instruments such as clarinets and oboes.

So, for makers and players looking for a long-term, reliable, and environmentally sound wood that delivers on tone, strength, and beauty, Leadwood really does tick all the boxes.

Mopane

 Mopane offers a warm, full-bodied tone with strong projection, slightly mellower than Blackwood and Leadwood but just as stable and expressive. With deep reddish-brown hues that can shift from golden undertones to even rich burgundy, every piece of Mopane is visually unique. It polishes to a smooth, glass-like finish that brings out its natural sheen. This makes each instrument as beautiful to look at as it is to play.

Mopane produces a rounded, mellow sound that’s particularly well-suited the drones for smallpipes and border pipes. It still carries enough brightness to stay crisp and articulate, especially throughout the chanter.

What sets Mopane apart is its ability to balance warmth and clarity with a slightly softer edge. It adds a subtle depth to the overall voice of the instrument, not overpowering, but just enough to give it a distinctive tonal colour.

Olivewood

 African Olive Wood is bright, clear, and resonates beautifully, making it a great choice for players who want a lively, responsive sound. Its density strikes an optimal balance between resonance and responsiveness the wood’s natural vibrational characteristics support a wide harmonic spectrum, producing a rich tonal balance with the drones and chanter.

Olivewood is not only prized for its acoustic qualities but also for its striking visual appeal. The wood’s appearance is a golden yellow with deep browns. Its interspersed with darker swirling grain pattern that can resemble a marbling effect. This natural pattern is known as “figuring”. It adds a unique, ornamental character to each piece we turn. The grain is typically straight and can feature irregular swirls or waves that contribute to its distinctive look.

Why We Are Moving Away from African Blackwood to Other Hardwoods?

 We’ve found that these woods are incredibly reliable. Thanks to modern drying and machining techniques, we can work with these materials to the same tight tolerances and finish standards as traditional hardwoods. This means no compromise on quality or playability.

Some pipers even prefer the distinct tonal colour these woods bring to their smallpipes. There’s something exciting about the subtle differences, it gives each instrument a bit of its own voice.

And of course, choosing sustainable wood helps protect the forests and ecosystems we all depend on. These species are harvested under strict environmental guidelines, often with replanting efforts in place to ensure long-term supply. It’s a step toward preserving not just the materials, but the future of the craft itself.

By embracing these alternatives, we’re investing in a way of making pipes that honours our tradition while looking forward. Great tone, beautiful craftsmanship, and a lighter footprint on the planet

Mounts and Ferrules

Titanium

We have used Titanium as a standard on our products for over 10 years because it is light, strong and does not corrode or tarnish. This makes it excellent for mounts and ferrules as you never need to polish them. Titanium is also the first choice of engineers in the medical, aerospace and military industries and is used by jewellers for hard wearing precious metal applications.

Anodised Aluminium

Anodised aluminium is a smart, modern alternative to traditional mount materials such as imitation ivory or plastic. One of the biggest advantages is that it’s lightweight but incredibly strong. It doesn’t add unnecessary weight to the pipes like silver or other heavy metals. The anodising process makes the aluminium highly resistant to corrosion and scratches. The process is also environmentally frendly, especially aluminium. unlike traditional coating methods that involve toxic paints or plating, anodising uses an electrolytic process to enhance the metals natural oxide layer. By using anodising for mounts and ferrules it’s low maintenance, durable, and adds a clean, modern touch to your pipes in both form and function. Anodised mounts have a sleek, polished look that really elevates the appearance of the instrument. They’re available in a range of colours; We currently use black as standard but we may have other colours available on request.

What are the advantages of bellows bagpipes?

No Blowing = No Moisture = No Maintenance.

Moisture is the biggest enemy of pipers. Bellows blown bagpipes offer several key advantages over their mouth blown counterparts, especially when it comes to comfort, tuning stability, and long-term maintenance. Because you’re not blowing warm, moist air directly into the instrument, the reeds stay drier and more stable. This Leads to more consistent tuning and fewer maintenance issues over time. Bellows pipes are also much less physically demanding, due to lighter pressure compared to the Great Highland Pipes. Since you’re using arm motion instead of lung power, this allows for longer more relaxed playing sessions. It’s great for players of all ages and abilities. Bellows pipes are also quieter, making them well suited for playing indoors with other instruments like fiddles and guitars. 

About the Instruments and How it’s Made

With over thirty years design, manufacturing and business experience Burgess brings his knowledge and skill to turn raw materials into finished, working products. Scott has spent his whole life in engineering works run and owned by dad Burgess, so the lathe and mill are things he grew up with.

With Burgess still overseeing, Scott has taken over the day to day running of the company as of 2026 with a new workshop setup based in Dunfermline.  

Our instruments are designed differently to all the other makers in terms of look, sound and how they play. This makes them very distinguishable as part of the Burgess Bagpipe brand. During the design process we concentrated on how they sound and play. How they feel in the hands and the ease and stability of the instrument.

We use the best materials, tool and manufacturing techniques to consistently make the best possible instruments. We use modern and advanced tooling and equipment we have we use to our advantage, the technology is not used to mass produce instruments but to control the dimensional parameters and the product quality. Our advanced gun and spade drilling systems and short boring techniques ensures bore size and surface finish.

We make our own tools. This is another way in which we are able to control the manufacturing process is to make our own tools, including all fixtures and conical bore chanter reamers. This allows us to make small but crucial adjustments to designs during the prototyping and production process, and if a tool breaks we can produce a new one quickly.

Each instrument is made to order.

CUSTOM ENGRAVING

Please contact us – orders@burgessbagpipes.com if you have any requests.