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Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

A friend of mine wants to buy her first bodhran. She's not one of those who want to buy a free ticket to ITM world, and knows what it's all about, so she wants some decent tunable instrument.

I'm a tinwhistle myself, she plays guitar, so we don't know much about buying bodhrans. I hope there are some people here who can help :)


The price limit is $150-200 for a whole thing, w/stick, case and shipping to Russia. Is that enough?

Should she consider buying a used one? If yes, are there any well-known problems or pitfalls about that?


Any general advice, or particular makers, or whatever, as well as offers, are welcome and very much appreciated.

My email (if needed) is kulikov.artyom@mail.ru.


Thank you in advance!

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by breqwas

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

> I'm a tinwhistle myself,

Oh. I'm actally not a tinwhistle, but a tinwhistle player (not too good, though). Sorry for misprint :)

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by breqwas

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

this gave me a laugh:

http://www.nardozza.com/bodhran/bodhran-notation.jpg

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by llig leahcim

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

tee he, it gets better:

http://www.nardozza.com/bodhran/triplets-sixteenths.jpg

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by llig leahcim

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

Come on, that's not real. I don't believe it. You made that, right? ;-)

breqwas, I'm sure someone will be along soon with some assistance for you. Good luck!

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

Michael, I notice that website starts off with the line "I have developed a form of music notation specific to the bodhran." - which I find even funnier!

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by Ron P

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

I don't mind the goatskin drum played by a good musician but the page with the dots for bodhran sixteenths made me blurt a laugh out load!
Excellent!!

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by Krick Stahlschwanz

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

Good makers as follows, no doubt there are others but these are a good start, check out your budget against anyone here.
Google up info as the following name plus bodhran.
Hope this helps

O`Kane
Darius Bartlett
Rob Faulkner
Brendan White
Eamon Maguire
Christian Hetwitshak
Norbert Eckerman

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by Dave_

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

Harland & Wolff (Belfast) are very good makers - theirs are pretty rip-proof (as long as you don't play it near Greenland)

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by geoffwright

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

Eamon Maguire or Paul McAulay in N.Ireland. Both can be found on the net.

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by bodhran bliss

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

First; kill your goat, skin, place skin in peat water for 6 months.
Second; take old garden sieve, remove rusted grid from inside.
Third; take now dehaired and cured skinfrom bog, tack firmly to one side of sieve frame. Allow to dry and tighten.
Hit it !

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by Guernsey Pete

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

Buying a nice bodhran is not rocket science. Everyone tries to build a better mouse trap, but IMO, what you want is one with a genuine goatskin head. Beyond that, it's about how it feels and sounds to you. You most definitely do not need one with a tunable head. In the name of full disclosure, I have been playing bodhran for 25 years, presently own 5 (several were gifts), but have owned many over the years.

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by Ailin

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

You can't beat the sound of this bodhran:
http://nexus404.com/Blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/geek-emoticon-smiley-designer-cushion.jpg

# Posted on June 6th 2008 by Bren

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

Breqwas try going to

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/bodhran/

and

http://www.bodojo.com/

Here you will useful information on the subject.

Ignore the comments made by llig and Ron P who don't know anything about percussion instruments and (in this thread) notation for them.

# Posted on June 7th 2008 by Gran Cassa

Re: Buying the first bodhran (WTB, and general questions)

since when has derision automatically been equated with ignorance?

# Posted on June 8th 2008 by llig leahcim

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