Kyle, Norman
Norm Kyle made bagpipes in the 1990′s in Edmonton, Alberta, under the name Kyle of Argyll. He also made plastic pipe chanters, practice chanters and drone reeds. Norm was the first to make a set of pipes from clear Acrylic……
Thanks to David McLean of Grande Prairie, AB for the following pictures -
A newspaper clipping of Norm playing his Acrylic pipes.
Plastic pipe chanter - "N.A. Kyle" stamped on the bulb. Norm ribbed the chanter bulb for a better grip.
A Kyle set, made from black acetyl plastic with engraved metal parts. Norm likely imported the metal from Pakistan.
A side profile shot of the shoulder and combing
Close-up of a projecting mount
Makers name "N.A. Kyle" stamped just below the bass stock ferrule.
Norm made most of his products with an injection molder
Norm also made chanters out of rosewood and cocabolla. The last 4 years befor he died he made chanters for at least 2 bands. Not consistant and I doubt they are being used for band chanters today.
Norm made me a pipe-chanter from a billet of African Blackwood I sent him. I believe this was around 1980 or so, when he was first experimenting with making injection-molded pipe chanters. (His first injection-molded chanters would routinely break at the hi-A hole. Our small band in Moscow, Idaho used them for a while, and every one of them eventually broke.)
As I remember it, I had to “adjust” the position of one hole in the upper hand, but cannot now remember which one that was. In any case, it was a very small adjustment. (I have “perfect relative pitch”, and any note not in perfect tune against the drones bugs the he** out of me)
My Kyle ABW chanter has always sounded superb in my pipes, and is my favorite chanter. It sounds especially nice when playing Piobaireachd. The Piob Hi-G is perfect. It is easy to reed, and easy to tune.