Thanks for your inquiry. Ed Neigh one of respected instructors. We worked on both styles and discussed the differences. Of course the first wraps are concentric. One observation is that most hemp is not uniform in diameter. Spacing concentric wraps leaves voids across the joint. Spaced diagonal wraps does no leave such a void.
2 ply hemp thickness is what is mostly used on Highland Pipes. The thinner 1 ply is used on small pipes but also serves as a light touch up on Highland Pipes when the thicker 2ply would add to much bulk to the wrap. There are several backpipe suppliers that carry this product. Here are two of them You should contact them and see if they have both sizes in stock to save on shipping charges. highcountry scottish natural-hemp-single-ply and claymoreimports
Greg Abbott introduced this Robert Reid setup to me. The Venturi effect is at work here in the longer tenor drone stocks which bring the reeds in to the desired tone faster. Strike-ins are a breeze. They do lock in together nicely and stay locked. I have two sets of pipes setup this way. The Bass is also easier for me to tune with the tenors as the mid tenor is now closer to the bass drone. Give this setup a try and you will want all your pipes setup this way. The concept of making the drone reed chamber longer is not new. McDonald-made Pressure Regulators Introduced: Before 1840 which were straight bore drone stock extensions. The air flowing from the bag into the reed chamber has a chance to stabilize. A reversed tongue drone reed is easier to strike in because the column of air has become more stable even though it is being reflected back from the base of the drone tenon. The longer stock thus longer air column. Take a look at a stream of water as it moves from a wider area to a narrower one. Note the disruption in the transition which stabilizes further down stream. Same thing occurs inside a bagpipe. John Kidd worked at addressing this issue and he “Kiddized” many a set of pipes to improve drone tone lock. A McDonald regulator should work on the bass. I am having one made and I will advise on its performance. May all be bagpipe voodoo but you would be surprised at what you find “under the hood” of top notch players.
