Yes! what can I say? no matter who perfects something, someone will always find a method of perfecting 'even more'. (If that makes sense) nothing ever STOPS. Look at the Uilleann pipes! from the early stages to what we have now, it's taken the passions of pipers to bring it to what it is today. The amazing thing is in ten years time it will have progressed further than what it is today. I was handed a blue-print of the Brian boru pipes (possibly spelt wrong) a few months ago, which brings them up to 'TWO octaves'. (this one I feel will work) but I was given one about fifteen years ago quite similar to the one today. The difference is it has taken one person to boil all the ideas together over the past while to come up with one that works. HE did not come up with the idea all on his own(it evolved) WOW, I am getting in TOO deep here! What I am trying to say is YES! Colin Ross has made the smallpipes what they are today but others have picked up on what he has done and carried them further. As you said smallpiper, Gawd bless 'im!. I wish every type of pipes could find a person like Colin Ross! OH, by the way I dont play the smallpipes, it's the uilleann pipes that rings my bell.