Hi there,
I am a Maker of Uilleann pipes and I plan on making bodhrans as well down the road. I was wondering if I could get some advice from you Bodhran players out there as to what are the qualities/options that, to you, make the perfect bodhran based on your experiences. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
CJ
Hi Chris
Here is my take on what would be a good bodhran spec.
Tunable
Body 12 to 16 inches in diameter and minimum 5 inches deep.
After that it depends on the use you want to put it to:-
For accompanying singers then a soft medim thick to thick skin with low sustain is best - something that can be tuned down low and still play acceptably.
Tune accompaniment is better with a higher pitched drum with a thin skin that has more sustain.
A thin skin that has been weighted can also be used as an acceptable compromise between the two.
Good luck with the bodhran making
David
(now going to don the flame proof suit)
Hi David,
Thank you very much for your input.
Cheers,
CJ
found on Ebay.
CJ,
First, I’m an amatuer intermediate bodhran player so I may or may not be in your targeted market. Anyone can pick up in-expensive thin skin, non-tunable bodhran for under $75, so I wouldn’t worry about offering those. At the other end, there are a number of fine bodhrans in the $250-$400 range. What I think the market needs is more in the range of medium duty bodrans in the $100-$200 range for folks like myself. I’m primarily a guitar player in sessions, but enjoy playing bodhran when other guitarists are playing a set. I need something in the intermediate range.
As crossover from my guitar playing, for me, what I do with my left hand is as important as what I do with the tipper in my right hand. I play with my my whole forearm inside the rim, so an 18 or 19 inch is a must for diameter. Ideally I’d love to have a flexible medium thick skin on a tunable 19 inch rim 4.5-5.5 inches deep. with a cross bar about 3"-4" off the skin. I’d like to have a slightly weighted band or cushion around the outer edge of the skin to reduce some of the higher pitched overtones.
Now for the hard part … Under $150.
My suggestion is that there are lots of variations of what folks want in a bodhran. Perhaps a cafeteria of choices. (all Tunable).
BTW, if you start with a thick skin, 18/19x5, inside tunable with crossbar 4" off the surface for under $150, E-mail me with specifics. It’s what I’m looking to buy in the next couple of months.
Hope your venture works out.
CJ, 
only if you promise not to export outside Canada,
then i might give you a few tips … http://www.qub.ac.uk/sa-old/resources/Belfast_Project/G_Doyle/text/Instruments_bodhran.html
Lee, thank you for your suggestions based on your experience. That is just what I am looking for.
Lixnaw, thank you for your info as well.
Going forward, I am looking more for what lee and David have provided with regard to your likes and dislikes and not how to make one.
Cheers,
CJ
I am aiming to release my bodhrans by spring, if not sooner. They will be goatskin, tunable, high end quality without the high end price tag.
Thank you all again for your input.
All the best,
CJ
The frame is, for me, not the most important piece.
It can be 16" or 18" and 4 to 5" deep. I do find a
single crossbar better for the skin hand to play with.
A system where the crossbar/s are easily fitted or
removed woul be really good.
What I find affects the sound most is the skin quality
and having it tunable. A quick tune facility would be
really neat - where a lever could be moved to slacken
and retighten the skin (to a predetermined amount).
The weight is also important. I have one in rosewood.
Its really nice - but very heavy to hold for long periods.
Another thing that would be really neat, is a system where,
when a skin gets damaged it can be quickly and easily
be replaced, like on a drum - with the option of buying
a spare skin.
So go to it - and re-invent the Bodhrán!!!
Okay, I have to weigh in. We all have various things we are all used to on any instrument, but what I have noticed in 10 years of playing one of the buggers and in years of teaching others as well, is that the cross bar is an annoyance. It interferes with the finer aspects of tonal variation. I do not know of many if any professional bodhran players who prefer to have a cross bar to be perfectly honest. I am thinking of times i have played with Kevin Coniff, Kathy Jordan, Albert Alfonso, Paddy League, or Donnchadh of Danu (amongst others)… the smaller diameter seems to have a better tonal range than the larger ones… due to the length of the skin and its wavelengths when you try to change the tone by pressing on it… it takes longer and more distance to change the tone on the larger diameter drums.
depth should be 4-6… tuning pins should not exceed 6 (my favorite alfonso has 4 and it works just fine)… the skin should be untreated ideally so again it has more elasticity… and should be on the thick side.
the best drums i have played amongst many are Alfonso’s, and Brendan White’s. Coincidentally, Albert made a friend a drum here in FL that was a double skin… an experiment… and it is a really sweet instrument (if you can call the bodhran one)… has a really muted thud to it, with Albert’s characteristic sweetness of tone.
Seriously though, I would not venture much past 16 inches… 14-16 inches seems ideal, IMHO.
Maze and Tony, thank you very much for your input.
Due to feedback received, I am offering the choice of having 1, 2 or no crossbars.
Cheers,
CJ
Lucy Randall who I had lessons with had a bodhran with the tuning mechanism on the skin side - that is, you could tune as you tapped with the right hand to check the tension. That seemed far neater than having the tuning screws inside the rim, so you had to swich hands to retune.
Not sure if that’s any help, CJ.
She had also added a crossbar to her bodhran, which previously had none, so some professionals do prefer one. I don’t know anybody who recommends two, that seems to be reserved for very weak rims which require the extra bracing for stability.
CJ, you may also want to research and make tippers, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of varieties available.
Thanks Gary,
I am making double headed tippers, which come with each bodhran as well. I was going to offer the choice of none, 1, or 2 braces merely for personal preference. When a brace is preferred, does anyone prefer two? My rims are very solid (Red Oak) and do not require any braces but I want to give the choice so that no one has to compromise their preferences.
ATB
CJ
The name’s Martin, the Gary bit is a quote (from Gary Kelly of our own fair Chiff & Fipple)
Someone called?
Oh poop. Now I’ve posted in a Bodhran thread. Next thing you know I’ll be buying Junior Davey’s solo album 
oopsy 
my bad sorry about that…
CJ
CJ-
Just saw this post while recovering from the weekend marathon this morning…
If you’re starting on drum building, my advice to you would be to not worry about much except skins right now. Don’t worry about finding a corner of the market (you will not make money at this- none of us really do!). In bodhrans, the skin is pretty much everything. The shell is important, as is the finish, etc., but if you want to make a good drum, you need to focus on good skins. That will get you further than anything. Think about it in reference to pipes. You can have a great looking set, but if you have crap reeds then forget it.
If you can, try and find someone local who might be able to supply you with skins. The best way is to start the hard way! Start with the fresh ones off the animal and learn the black art of curing the skins via trial and error. I’ll tell you this- even the “raw” skins out there are treated with something. Try liming first, its a good place to start, although it is by no means the only method to try. Otherwise, you can always go for Tandy leather or any of a number of the pakistan skin sellers and go from that, although your product will not be as good.
I commend you for trying to make a really nice tuneable drum for around $200 CDN, but to be honest I think that you’ll soon find that this price is a de-valuation of a lot of hard work. Believe me, even the “expensive” drums out there are undervalued when you factor in the number of hours of work put in to finding materials, setting up shop, preparing the skins, and actually building the things!
Cheers and good luck!
Rob
Here’s a pic of a couple of my drums based on everyone’s input:
an 18" drum with 4" rim and single cross brace…
a 16" drum with 6" rim and arm access cutout…
ATB,
Chris