Box with bagpipe drone reeds

Cardboard box containing several bagpipe drone reeds from the firm of R.G. Lawrie Ltd, Glasgow.

R.G. Lawrie Ltd, 38 Renfield Street, Glasgow, were manufacturers of Highland bagpipes, reeds and accessories, including Highland dress and uniforms. The business was founded in the late 19th century by Robert Lawrie who then bought the Aberfeldy bagpipe making business of Gavin C MacDougall in 1913. Lawrie's advertising literature in the 1930s described the use of cocus wood from the West Indies, ebony from Gaboon and African blackwood, West African ivory for decorative mounts, sheepskin for pipe bags, and cane for reeds being produced at the rate of 50,000 annually.

A strong type of cane, Arundo Donax, both farmed and naturally grown, is favoured for making reeds for bagpipes as well as for other musical wind instruments. The drone reed, a so-called 'single reed', uses the whole body of the cane. The same cane is also cut into thin blades to make into chanter reeds, the so-called 'double reed'. The cane is cut into lengths, longer lengths and larger bodied cane supplying bass drone reeds, one end is blocked off at a natural division within the cane; the 'blade' is cut horizontally and this produces a 'tongue' which vibrates freely in the flow of air from the bag into the drones. The cane reed is 'seated' in the bottom end of the drone.

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