Jack Dunbar began his early days of bagpipe making in Glasgow while apprenticing with Peter Henderson Limited. After immigrating to Canada, Jack began work offering bagpipe repairs and restoration. The quality of his craftsmanship became widely known and soon he was producing practice chanters, pipe chanters and full sets of pipes. Jack Dunbar was instrumental in introducing plastic to the piping world.

As an alternative to African Blackwood, J. Dunbar Maker Ltd provides imitation Blackwood pipes which are more durable than Blackwood and resist cracking due to heat, cold or humidity. The bores can be washed with no chance of cracking warping or twisting. This makes the material hygienic and more durable. In addition, Dunbar pipes offer the unique feature of hempless seals, thus avoiding the need for hemping the drone tuning pins.

'The sound speaks for itself.' Quality and consistency are the hallmarks of manufacturing at Gibson Bagpipes. As a piper for over 40 years in Scotland, Canada and the U.S., Jerry Gibson has heard many great sounding sets of pipes. The makers of the 'classical' bagpipes as Gibson calls them - Henderson, Robertson and MacDougall - have long since gone. Many of these sets are highly sought after by professional and amateur players for their excellent tone and volume. Through intensive research and development and musical understanding, Jerry Gibson has been able to duplicate and enhance the quality of sound produced by the pipes of generations ago. His thorough understanding of modern manufacturing techniques has allowed him to produce an outstanding musical instrument. Newly located in a larger facility, Jerry expects to continually increase production to meet the demand of his innovative products

Pipe Major Robert T. Shepherd, a former Principal of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association College Board and leader of the Dysart & Dundonald Pipe Band - two time World Champions, has used his strong piping background to develop the products of R.T. Shepherd & Son.

High quality Shepherd instruments are the result of years of experience, research and skilled craftsmanship. Superior production and fine materials contribute to the overall performance of Shepherd pipes. A quality instrument is an investment that can last a lifetime and provide enduring resale value.

Models 1-5 come with a Shepherd polypenco chanter, Canmore bag, velvet bag cover, cords, Shepherd chanter reed and Shepherd plastic drone reeds. Models 6-9 include the Shepherd African Blackwood chanter.