Buying a Bodhran
www.bodhran-info.de/en/We are presently in a “Golden Age” of bodhran design and manufacture. There are many wonderful builders creating excellent bodhrans. I have not played them all much less owned them all. I do not recommend drums that I have not played extensively. I own several bodhrans including those made by Hedwitschak, McNeela, Metloef . Each has a unique voice. All are wonderful and fun to play.
I also own a low-end, Mid-East drum made in Pakistani I have sanded and taped the head and now this inexpensive instrument is really nice. This drum uses hex-wrench tuners. That is the biggest disadvantage with this drum.
Expect to pay around $100 for an entry-level bodhran that is serviceable. Drums can be bought for less. All I can say is "caveat emptor". Saving money on a purchase is one thing. Buying a drum that will frustrate, and perhaps prevent, you learning is quite another. A professional level drum may cost between $400 and $800.
It is impossible to own too many bodhrans ☺ ☺☺ ☺
Here are some suggestions about buying a bodhran
1. LISTEN acutely to as many live bodhran performances as you can before investing in a drum.
Ask the players who made their drums. Also ask about the dimensions of the drum – diameter and depth. These dimensions contribute significantly to the voice of the drum. “The Best” bodhran voice is a highly subjective matter. Buy the voice, not the name, not the frame wood. Go for the sound you like best.
Beware of deciding what make of drum to purchase by listening to recordings. Nearly all recordings of bodhrans are "improved" by using signal processing techniques in the studio. Compression, EQ, limiting, delay, reverb.... all sorts of tricks. These tools enhance the voice of the drum. Don't trust a recording of a drum. Trust a live performance OR an audio file that has not been altered by signal processing.
2. Buy the best bodhran your budget can support.
3. Buy a natural skin head bodhran.
Natural skin head drums ALWAYS sound best. Natural skin heads have a tonal range. Synthetic heads tend to make one sound no matter how hard you press on the head. It’s better to get a low-end bodhran with a natural head than to spend the same amount on a drum with a synthetic head.
4. Buy a tunable bodhran
Tuners increase the cost of a drum. But they are worth it. If you budget allows, get a drum with interior, thumb-wheel tuners. Many low-end drums use tuners that require a hex wrench. It's very inconvenient to have to fuss with a tool in order to tune a drum. Moreover, the hex wrench is easy to lose.
5. Buy a drum of the size that works best for you
Bodhrans generally range in size from 12” in diameter to 18” in diameter. Some have shallow shells. Some have very deep shells.
The "right" size bodhran for you is a balance between the sound you want to produce and the comfort you feel when playing the drum.
6. Buy a bodhran not an art objecwww.bodhran-info.de/en/t
Some bodhrans have corporate logos, cutesy Celtic art or beer ads painted on their heads. Avoid these drums. Paint or a transfer decal on the head of a bodhran does not improve the voice of the drum. It won’t make a lot of difference on a synthetic head, but paint will alter the sound of a natural head somewhat. If the drum is played a lot, the paint or decal will eventually wear off. So, what’s the point? Buy a drum with a clean head.
7. Crossbars
The bodhran world either loves or despises internal crossbars. If you stand to play bodhran, crossbars may be necessary. Some players find crossbars helpful in producing tonal changes. A crossbar can provide support to your hand as you push on the drum head.
It’s usually possible to remove crossbars from a drum. Much more difficult to install crossbars. There are three styles of crossbars: 1) a “plus” sign or “X” shape with four attachment points on the rim, 2) a T-shaped bar that attaches to three points on the rim, and 3) a single crossbar with two attachment points on the rim. Decide before you buy. T or X shaped crossbars limit how much freedom the interior hand has when moving to produce tones or mute the drum. Some crossbars are too close to the head to permit moving the interior hand. With some shallow rim drums it is impossible to place the hand between the head and crossbar!
I own drums with and without crossbars. My preference is to play a drum without a cross bar. But, when I have to stand and play, a crossbar is really helpful. Christian Hedwitschak sells a very helpful bodhran strap that uses Velcro to secure the drum. This strap gets the job done without marring the finish of the drum or requiring holes to be bored. This is a fabulous tool if you must stand and play. The cost of this strap is about $50. In the USA, the exclusive dealer is The House of Musical Traditions.
8. If you are going to buy a bodhran . . . .
Buy it from a store that understands Celtic music. If the bodhran on display is wedged in between electric guitars and saxophones or is stuck somewhere among rock and roll drum kits, this is very probably the wrong store from which to buy your bodhran. The clerks may not know much, or anything, about bodhran quality, options or care. Look for online retailers such as McNeela Music, The House of Musical Traditions, bodhrán-info , and individual bodhran makers. Stay away from synthetic heads, non-tunable drums, plastic frames.
I also own a low-end, Mid-East drum made in Pakistani I have sanded and taped the head and now this inexpensive instrument is really nice. This drum uses hex-wrench tuners. That is the biggest disadvantage with this drum.
Expect to pay around $100 for an entry-level bodhran that is serviceable. Drums can be bought for less. All I can say is "caveat emptor". Saving money on a purchase is one thing. Buying a drum that will frustrate, and perhaps prevent, you learning is quite another. A professional level drum may cost between $400 and $800.
It is impossible to own too many bodhrans ☺ ☺☺ ☺
Here are some suggestions about buying a bodhran
1. LISTEN acutely to as many live bodhran performances as you can before investing in a drum.
Ask the players who made their drums. Also ask about the dimensions of the drum – diameter and depth. These dimensions contribute significantly to the voice of the drum. “The Best” bodhran voice is a highly subjective matter. Buy the voice, not the name, not the frame wood. Go for the sound you like best.
Beware of deciding what make of drum to purchase by listening to recordings. Nearly all recordings of bodhrans are "improved" by using signal processing techniques in the studio. Compression, EQ, limiting, delay, reverb.... all sorts of tricks. These tools enhance the voice of the drum. Don't trust a recording of a drum. Trust a live performance OR an audio file that has not been altered by signal processing.
2. Buy the best bodhran your budget can support.
3. Buy a natural skin head bodhran.
Natural skin head drums ALWAYS sound best. Natural skin heads have a tonal range. Synthetic heads tend to make one sound no matter how hard you press on the head. It’s better to get a low-end bodhran with a natural head than to spend the same amount on a drum with a synthetic head.
4. Buy a tunable bodhran
Tuners increase the cost of a drum. But they are worth it. If you budget allows, get a drum with interior, thumb-wheel tuners. Many low-end drums use tuners that require a hex wrench. It's very inconvenient to have to fuss with a tool in order to tune a drum. Moreover, the hex wrench is easy to lose.
5. Buy a drum of the size that works best for you
Bodhrans generally range in size from 12” in diameter to 18” in diameter. Some have shallow shells. Some have very deep shells.
- Small diameter bodhrans sound more defined and clearer than large diameter drums. Small diameter drums are quieter than large diameter drums.
- Small diameter drums require more hand pressure on the interior of the head to produce and change tones
- Large diameter drums require much more movement of the interior hand to produce and change tones or mute the drum.
- The contemporary ideal diameter for a bodhran is between 13-3/4 inches [ about 35 cm ] and 15-3/4 inches [about 40 cm].
- The ideal frame depth of a bodhran ranges from 4-3/4 inches [about 12cm] to 6-1/3 inches [about 16 cm]. Bodhrans with very deep rims tend to sound muddy.
The "right" size bodhran for you is a balance between the sound you want to produce and the comfort you feel when playing the drum.
6. Buy a bodhran not an art objecwww.bodhran-info.de/en/t
Some bodhrans have corporate logos, cutesy Celtic art or beer ads painted on their heads. Avoid these drums. Paint or a transfer decal on the head of a bodhran does not improve the voice of the drum. It won’t make a lot of difference on a synthetic head, but paint will alter the sound of a natural head somewhat. If the drum is played a lot, the paint or decal will eventually wear off. So, what’s the point? Buy a drum with a clean head.
7. Crossbars
The bodhran world either loves or despises internal crossbars. If you stand to play bodhran, crossbars may be necessary. Some players find crossbars helpful in producing tonal changes. A crossbar can provide support to your hand as you push on the drum head.
It’s usually possible to remove crossbars from a drum. Much more difficult to install crossbars. There are three styles of crossbars: 1) a “plus” sign or “X” shape with four attachment points on the rim, 2) a T-shaped bar that attaches to three points on the rim, and 3) a single crossbar with two attachment points on the rim. Decide before you buy. T or X shaped crossbars limit how much freedom the interior hand has when moving to produce tones or mute the drum. Some crossbars are too close to the head to permit moving the interior hand. With some shallow rim drums it is impossible to place the hand between the head and crossbar!
I own drums with and without crossbars. My preference is to play a drum without a cross bar. But, when I have to stand and play, a crossbar is really helpful. Christian Hedwitschak sells a very helpful bodhran strap that uses Velcro to secure the drum. This strap gets the job done without marring the finish of the drum or requiring holes to be bored. This is a fabulous tool if you must stand and play. The cost of this strap is about $50. In the USA, the exclusive dealer is The House of Musical Traditions.
8. If you are going to buy a bodhran . . . .
Buy it from a store that understands Celtic music. If the bodhran on display is wedged in between electric guitars and saxophones or is stuck somewhere among rock and roll drum kits, this is very probably the wrong store from which to buy your bodhran. The clerks may not know much, or anything, about bodhran quality, options or care. Look for online retailers such as McNeela Music, The House of Musical Traditions, bodhrán-info , and individual bodhran makers. Stay away from synthetic heads, non-tunable drums, plastic frames.