Maker
Bagpipes & Flutes | Woowind Workshop Lab. | Repairs
From Piper to Pipe Maker
Born in 1979, in the coastal city of Oporto in northern Portugal, Gonçalo Cruz embarked on a self-guided musical journey. Over the past two decades, he has dedicated himself to studying the “Gaita de fole” – the traditional bagpipe models of Portugal and Spain.
A pivotal moment came in 2003 when he met Mr. Jürgen Ross, a renowned bagpipe maker, at a local festival in Germany. This encounter sparked Gonçalo’s interest in crafting his own bagpipes, leading him to establish his own Gaita-making workshop in the ensuing years.
With a background in design, Gonçalo was uniquely positioned to address the instrument’s limitations that he encountered as a musician and teacher. His pursuit of perfection and passion for the craft soon turned into an obsession, driving him to continuously refine and improve the instrument.
Types of Bagpipes
Gonçalo manufactures the following types of bagpipes
Folk
Instruments
Established models
Professional instruments
Design Innovations
Historical Instruments
Replicas
Design Solutions
For machine made products,
accessories, affordable music instruments,
please visit the GaitaMaker project
Folk Instruments
Tradition
Every piping tradition is a treasure trove of diversity and richness. Gonçalo’s folk instruments are his personal interpretation of this vast cultural wealth. By identifying the most common features of a particular tradition, he handcrafts a single, unique instrument that embodies the essence of that tradition. The result is a truly traditional instrument that is reliable, functional, and tailored to your needs.
Gonçalo is currently developing an online catalog of instruments and their respective prices.
If you’re interested in ordering a custom instrument or would like immediate details, please reach out via email.
Professional Instruments
Design & Innovation
Professional musicians often find themselves straddling the line between early music and Folk/Trad. music. They navigate the exciting cross-fields of “Acoustic” vs “Amplified”, “Big stage” vs “Small venue”, or “Street performance”, playing in conditions or alongside instruments that bagpipes were never originally designed for. Moreover, some musicians who play bagpipes don’t belong to a specific world piping tradition. They may have been born in a place where bagpipes simply aren’t a part of the cultural fabric. Yet, they have music within them, and they need to express their artistic vision.
“Professional instruments” are Gonçalo’s solution for these musicians. They are his interpretation of bagpipes designed to meet the unique needs of these artists.
Gonçalo is currently developing an online catalog of instruments and their respective prices.
If you’re interested in ordering a custom instrument or would like immediate details, please reach out via email.
Historical Instruments
Throughout his research, Gonçalo has meticulously measured numerous woodwinds housed in museums and private collections. Using these detailed documents, he can create historically informed replicas upon request (custom order).
If you have access to an instrument you’d like him to measure, or if you’re interested in learning more, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
More Design Solutions
www.GaitaMaker.com
Since 1999, Gonçalo has been deeply invested in solving common issues that pipers typically encounter when playing bagpipes. Over the years, he has developed innovative design solutions and improvements, which he incorporates into his custom bagpipes at the musician’s request.
GaitaMaker is a project founded by Gonçalo, dedicated to researching more of these seamless design innovations that could be applied to most bagpipes worldwide. The project aims to collaborate with other professionals, institutions, and businesses to produce high-quality, affordable musical instruments and accessories.
Address
Helsinki – Finland
Call
+358 45 251 87 27
Info@GoncaloCruz.com