HI bodhran players, do you take special steps to keep the head supple? Are there oils, salves, treatments that you would advise for occasional treatment? How about lanolin? Is nothing a reasonable option?
I keep the tension off the head when not playing, but worry about the dryness this time of year.
Thanks,
Lewis
I probably wasn’t supposed to, but I put ArmorAll Leather Care on my Metloef (kangaroo skin). Seems to work OK.
Hi LewisC
The maker of the first custom drum that I ever bought said leave the skin alone - the only thing that you should put on the skin is water, and with a tunable drum you can can control the skin with the tensioners, so even that is not needed.
That drum is now 18 years old and still playing well.
Of all my bodhrans (13 at last count) only one gets anything done to it at all, it has a partially cured goat skin and I put a little hand cream on it every now and then.
So if you want to slap something on the skin, “borrow” some of your wife/girlfriend/sister/whatever hand cream and rub it in and that will do the trick.
David
i actually put some fancey organic hand-cream on mine from time to time, like once a month, tops. I also make sure it is deadley slack before packing it away.
I know this may fatigue it more then preserve it, but it was a cheap drum, so i would rather it had a happy life then a long one.