OK...my son (he's the piper in the family) is not here at the moment but I can answer your latest questions.

1. No, get the chanter first, and as already mentioned get a "long" one from a quality manufacturer. You might want to check out the Dunbar polypenco chanters...excellent instruments and tough enough to last several lifetimes.

2. Smallpipes are just that...small in size and small in sound. They are designed to play indoors with other instruments, so they are keyed differently than Great Highland Bagpipes. You need to decide which way you want to go with this...do you want to play LOUD, and maybe join a pipe band, or do you want to jam with friends in the parlor? You probably can't afford both, so you need to pick one and stick to it.

3. Great Highland pipes use four reeds, one inside the chanter and one in each of the drones. The reeds fit inside the pipes..that's why you aren't seeing them in photographs. You don't put the reed into your mouth like a clarinet or oboe.
The bowpipe just inflates the bag...there's no reed in the blowpipe.

Hope this helps.