Whilst we cannot accurately put a name to this set, it produces a lovely rich sound in the Henderson tradition, displaying bags of character both tonally and aesthetically.
Some argue that this is in fact a post-war Henderson, whilst they could be correct, we are driven away from this conclusion by the angular cord guides and non-standard Henderson wood-mount profile.
The stocks are an excellent match – though not original – and one of the tenor bottom sections is a perfectly matched replica. There are also a couple of minor flaws in the wood which have previously been filled, though are still visible. Oddly, the bass top ferrule has been glued on the wrong way up at some point too. These wee issues are purely cosmetic and have no bearing on the integrity/sound of the instrument.
They also display some lovely sapwood (the light coloured bits), this is entirely natural and makes this set very unique.
Please take a moment to listen to the recording linked below. The drones are set-up with cane reeds, using a custom McCallum mk2 chanter (listed for sale on this site!), and a fantastic sheepskin bag by Ciaren Ross.
