I’m looking into getting a bodhran for someone as a gift. I know nothing about them and I’m looking for a playable yet inexpensive one. Any ideas?
Any taped up cardboard box and a pencil will suffice
sorry i will crawl back into my hole now…
It’s okay, Boo. Given the history here, a straight line like the thread post cannot be expected to be met without mirth. When everybody stops laughing, can someone offer a helpful answer?
I ue a Walton’s 16" Tuneable bodhran I got from Hobgoblin music, and it’s fine for learning on, and fits my needs. It’s not my primary instrument, so I didn’t want anything too heavy or bulky to carry.
It comes with a tipper (the stick you hit it with) but it’s best for the player to try lots of different ones and find one they like. Different tippers will produce very different sounds. I’d suggest you buy two or three tippers to go with the bodhran as a present. I like a tipper with a grip about 1/3 of the way along, or a central grip. Some have no specific grip, and slide in my hand if my hand is sweating.
I’d recommend getting either a 16" or 18", bigger ones exist but they’re cumbersome, heavy and expensive.
Get a tuneable one, so your friend can adjust the tension to his needs, and slacken it off if storing it for a long time.
Thw Waltons bodhran does not have a very deep rim, and experienced players often like a 5-7" rim, but your friend can buy his/her own later, if that’s what they want.
Goatskin gives a more traditional sound than plastic skins, but can vary enormously in quality and thickness. The teacher I had used a plastic skin, and sounded great.
The larger, thicker and slacker the skin, the deeper the sound will be, before the hand is used to add tension and variation to the note. Deeper bodhrans are usually preferred, as they’re less annoying.
I bought myself a Waltons 18" a few years ago and it has worked fine for me. I bought it at a local music shop (which doesn’t exist anymore) for about $79. I’d say that they are a good bodhran to learn on but if your friend gets serious about it then they’ll definitely want to get a tunable one. I live where it is hot and dry so mine is always very tight and I have to wet the skin in between every tune I play. They are not bad quality but they are not fancy by any means, I would recommend them for beginners. I don’t know of anything better that you could get without spending at least a few hundred dollars.
I’d stay away from the novelty ones that have prints on them such as celtic designs, the guinness logo, etc. A lot of those are made cheap for decorational purposes and I knew a few people who bought them for playing and were very disappointed.
I have a 16" Howard non-tunable one and it works fine for me. It works exceptionally badly for everyone else within earshot but it works fine for me.
Go with a non-tunable, if the giftee is a beginner. You should be able to get a good one in the $80-120 range.
I’ll chased out of here for suggesting this!!! BUT one of those Pakistani tunable bodhrans are not half bad and they come in around the €50 mark. I have one with a rosewood? hardwood drame - and while I would like a better skin and a few other refinements, I think it does the job for me - a beginner - just fine.