Customer Reviews

Trophy Bodhran 14 in

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This drum seems to have a nice tone to it, and it's obvious that the head is made from real animal skin... at some point I need to shave the hairs off it! (ick) Seems to be very sturdy, too.

this is a good sounding drum. I bought this for my husband, who use to play drums, because he was interested in the bodhran. The rim is sturdy, and the skin looks to be in good condition, no thinning in places and it's nice and tight. If the hubby sticks with it, then I'll get him a more expensive drum. But as it stands, this will be a good practice/learner drum.

Sorcha

A lovely drum with a lovely tone. Truly a nice bodhran considering the price range most drums are found in.

It's an ok drum, especially for the price. However, the drum pictured has a decorative band where the skin meets the wood. The drum I was sent did not. I also did not care for the fact that this "Irish" bodran came with a little label saying "Made in Pakistan". I knew that with a low price, it was probably going to be made in one of the numerous countries that undervalues its workers. But, I would have preferred to have known this upfront before purchasing it, and would have paid more money for a drum made in the USA or Europe.

I purachased this bodhran AFTER I had purchased a larger 18 inch drum and was having problems as a beginner, holding the larger drum properly as I'm a small female. I had a death grip on the larger drum, so much so that I was causing bruises on my inner forearm from the drum rim. That being said, I bought the smaller 14 inch drum and the fit is MUCH better!
This a a nice little drum, although on arrival the drum head was so incredibly tight and thin that I was afraid it would tear and the sound was horrid!!! In all fairness, it arrived in the dead of summer, very low humidity and I feel quite sure that contributed to the tension and tinniness of the drum.
I let the drum acclimate a bit indoors, and then applied a few sprits of water to the inside of the drum head, waited awhile and it seemed to improve a bit. Since I didn't want to keep applying water to the head, I gave it a bit of drum conditioner on the inside of the skin, let it soak in and wiped off the excess and now it is quite a bit softer, more flexible and has a deeper more resonate sound.
The tipper that came with the drum, for me was pretty useless, very short and heavily weighted on the ends. While I find some weight to the ends of the tipper helpful while playing, this one was too short to maneuver easily, so I merely used one I had on hand.
I'd definitely recommend this for anyone entertaining the idea of learning to play. Great price,(not horridly expensive if you later change your mind about learning to play or lose interest) fast shipping, hopedully your drum won't encounter the problems I had and the tipper will be prefect for you. Nice drum to just hang on the wall for decoration if you're into that, but what's the fun in that! :)

I was surprised at the quality of this drum. I needed something of a backup for when I don't feel like taking my more expensive Bodhran to clubs or pubs to perform. I got the 14" and it is great. Yeah it's made in Pakistan but so what. It does the trick. Muted it has a great attack and is plenty loud for what I need. Seems very solid and made well. I sanded the head a tad to get rid of the little fine animal hairs (don't get grossed out) still on the skin and cleaned up the rim and I'm good to go. Very pleased.

The firsrt drum was 14", but the second drum 18" I received is perfect. Thank you for such an easy return and exchange.

I bought this based on other reviews but when I received it, I was disappointed in the sound. It might make a fine prop for a cub scout fire circle but as an Irish hand drum, it falls flat. I expected a low flat sound associated with this type of drum but it has a very high sound.It takes a lot of hand work to make this playable. Next time, I'll buy one Ican play first. Like all handmade instruments, they vary. My advice, try first buy second.

I am a bodhran player with more expensive drums. I purchased this one two years ago (when it was half this price), and it is my favorite. The head is supple with a nice tone. The tipper that accompanies it is also very nice: lighter and smaller than other tippers, so it's easier for smaller hands and longer playing with less hand fatigue. The frame is also lighter than other frames, which again lends itself to less playing fatigue. I highly recommend this drum as an excellent first drum. But again, I have been playing for several years and have other drums, and this one is my favorite. Mine came without a lot of hair. It was sans the decorative band, but I prefer it without it, anyway. I would definitely buy this again and probably will in the future.

thought I should practice 'til the hairs wore off, then think I might be a drummer...