MacLellan bagpipes has been trading since 1988 and has firmly established a solid reputation for a rich, warm & stable tone. Research has enabled MacLellan to stay true to the sound created by late 19th century pipe-makers in Scotland. The beautiful MacLellan instruments produce a warm, broad, mellow sound that is stable and easy to tune at today's higher pitches.



MacLellan bagpipes purchased through Chris Apps Reeds LLC will be completed reeded with Chris Apps reeds. All bagpipes will be fully tested prior to shipping and will arrive ready to play. Click here to see the Chris Apps Reeds LLC 6 Point Inspection Guarantee.

MacLellan bagpipes are made with only the best well seasoned, (air dried, not kiln dried ) wood. Cocobolo from Mexico & Brazil and African Blackwood from Tanzania. All mounts are threaded on for a secure and lasting fit.

MacLellan bagpipes was first company in the modern era to look at woods other than African Blackwood, especially Cocobolo. After extensive research MacLellan decided that Cocobolo was extremely suitable for manufacturing Great Highland Bagpipes and today about 80% of their pipes are made in the Cocobolo. Several major bagpipe manufacturers also now use cocobolo routinely.

The Cocobolo sound is rich and mellow. The wood is slightly less dense that African. Blackwood, which allows the drone to absorb some of the higher sound frequencies. This damps or removes some of the harshness and buzziness which some synthetic reeds can produce. The result is a warm and full sound. MacLellan Cocobolo Drones produce that room filling envelope of harmonics that can embrace the player and his audience.

Both Blackwood and Cocobolo come from the Dalbergia family ( Leguminosae) of Exotic hardwoods. Both have a high oil content and are extremely stable dimensionally. Blackwood has a specific gravity of about 1.08 and Cocobolo 0.85 to 0.95. These are high numbers which mean both woods are very dense and tight grained although the Cocobolo grain pattern is slightly more open.

MacLellan bagpipes have been thoroughly tested by top level players throughout the world, including Roddy MacLeod & the late PM Angus MacDonald of the piping Centre in Glasgow. MacLellan drones are being played in Grade one competition by the entire Western Australia Police Pipe Corps.

MacLellan bagpipes are custom built to the buyer's specification. As a consequence delivery time varies from 3 to 4 months.