An outstanding opportunity to acquire a fine set of Northumbrian smallpipes which were by David Burleigh of Longframlington, Northumberland. The chanter is in African blackwood tuned to the key of G (sounding closer to F) and is fitted with 11 keys, offering two additional G sharps and two F naturals over the basic 7-key instrument scale. The drones are Burleigh's 'complicated drones', each of the four drones having a tuning bead to change their pitch and adding the keys of D, A and E to the basic drone range of G.
The bellows are made of hand-stitched leather with wooden facings and leather straps and the pipe bag is covered in dark red velvet. All leather parts are soft and pliable and in good working order.The pipes were played fairly regularly for the first ten years or so and were serviced by the maker during this time. More recently, because of changing musical interests, they have been played much less frequently but not neglected. There is some tarnishing of the brass keys commensurate with age and some marking of the velvet cover, but overall the pipes are in good clean condition for their age. All tuning slides and chanter keys are in working order and the leather chanter key pads have been kept oiled as advised by the maker. All reeds are sounding, although all would benefit from some fettling attention to get them singing again.
The set are supplied complete with hard case (very good condition, with lock and key), the original advice and maintenance sheets supplied by the maker ( very useful) and a copy of Richard Butler's Basic Tutor for the Northumbrian Pipes.
