Inventor plays homemade electromagnetic bagpipes in rock band
An inventor in the UK has created a homemade electromagnetic version of bagpipes, a project he began 30 years ago. The instrument uses a carbon steel reed connected to an amplifier, allowing it to compete with electric guitars in a rock band setting. This innovative design addresses challenges faced by traditional bagpipes in modern music environments.
- ▪The inventor started the project in 1996 by modifying an Irish Uilleann bagpipe.
- ▪The electromagnetic bagpipes utilize a carbon steel reed that connects to an amplifier.
- ▪This design allows the bagpipes to produce sounds similar to electric guitars, making them suitable for rock music.
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| Original publisher | Popular Science |
| Canonical URL | https://www.popsci.com/technology/electromagnetic-bagpipes/ |
| Publication time | Wed, 20 May 2026 14:57:58 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-20T19:00:03.691Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-20T19:00:03.691Z |
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The key component is a carbon steel reed. Credit: Goat Industries / Hackaday Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. Email address Sign up Thank you! Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Bagpipes: You either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. But even among the instrument’s diehard defenders, most wouldn’t spend years designing, building, and perfecting an electromagnetic variant. But that’s exactly what one intrepid hobbyist in the United Kingdom has accomplished—although he first began toying with the idea 30 years ago. “This project started back in 1996 when I hacked an Irish Uilleann bagpipe chanter by replacing the cane reed with a homemade reed made from carbon steel,” he explained on his Hackaday project page.
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