Bodhran question

naulpolan

Has anyone here tried any of Diarmud O Kane's bodhrans? They seem to be well made and are not too bad price wise either. He will have good training from his father Seamus anyway. I was given a Waltons as a present and am totally sick of it, it's just awful. I know this has probably been done to death but who is the best acclaimed bodhran maker?

Blade

I don't know about the best but Paraic McNeela has a good reputation in North Dublin. Don't play them myself but everyone around here seems to use them. I buy whistles from him, he's great to deal with and you can try out the instruments in the shop. He's in Baldoyle Ind. Est:

www.irishmusik.com

naulpolan

Thanks I've had one of Padraigs in the past and I didn't like it much.

Blade

naulpolan wrote: »

Thanks I've had one of Padraigs in the past and I didn't like it much.

Fair enough, it's a personal thing I suppose, just thought I'd mention him as a lot of bodhran players at the sessions I attend around North Dublin seem to use them.

Not my area at all at all though

naulpolan

Blade wrote: »

Fair enough, it's a personal thing I suppose, just thought I'd mention him as a lot of bodhran players at the sessions I attend around North Dublin seem to use them.

Not my area at all at all though

Thanks for your interest all the same. I suppose the question has probably been asked so often that people are fed up answering it, any yes it is probably just down to personal taste.

bodhrandude

You should try one of Mike Vignoles bodhrans, he is based in Claddagh, Galway city, he makes a pretty decent enough drum. http://www.michaelvignoles.com/

And if you can get hold of one of Charlie Byrne's bodhrans, my recommendation is that they are some of the best bodhrans ever, Johnny Ringo McDonagh would testify this as well and Colm Murphy, both still possess a few of Byrne's drums. You still see them occasionally crop up online, I've had mine since 1992 and I got a tuning device put into it a few years ago by Mike, its still a top notch drum.

tonybodhran

I've been playing professionally for 25 years, Seamus O Kane is the best I've played for tone and skin quality. I've been using his drums for about ten years now. You wouldn't go wrong with his sons drums. There are makers outside of Ireland that make savage drums but I think O Kanes are the best you can get here in Ireland.

naulpolan

tonybodhran wrote: »

I've been playing professionally for 25 years, Seamus O Kane is the best I've played for tone and skin quality. I've been using his drums for about ten years now. You wouldn't go wrong with his sons drums. There are makers outside of Ireland that make savage drums but I think O Kanes are the best you can get here in Ireland.

I think that answers my inital question. Thank you but if you were to pick a "best" bothran maker then where woud you go? I see a good few Brendan White (Netherlands)? coming up for sale on dd, adverts, fb etc. would they be worth a look?

tonybodhran

naulpolan wrote: »

I think that answers my inital question. Thank you but if you were to pick a "best" bothran maker then where woud you go? I see a good few Brendan White (Netherlands)? coming up for sale on dd, adverts, fb etc. would they be worth a look?

Hi, I don't know any decent bodhran player that uses them so probably not. If I was to get one other bodhran it would probably be from Christian Hedwitschak. But I've never had any reason to replace my O Kane. Christian's bodhrans are savage, and very expensive. If money was no object I'd have a few from both of them. :-)

MixedUpMick

I've been playing a Brendan White as my main bodhrán for over 10 years and never had an issue with it. In my (subjective) opinion, he's the best in the business. At the time I was ordering it, we had several phone conversations and he was very good to give advice and he built it to spec.

A while ago, I was at a session and I heard someone playing this very small bodhrán that had a real deep tone, it was only about 12-14” but sounded like a bass drum. I wanted to buy it but the owner wouldn't sell, so I asked him who made it. You guessed it, Brendan White.

Seamus O'Kane's bodhráns are fantastic as well. I played a few but never owned one. His skins seem to be paper-thin, it makes them really articulate, a very different sound to a Brendan White instrument (not better or worse, just different). My next bodhrán will probably be a Seamus O'Kane. I don't know anything about his son, so can't help you there.

I bought a Michael Vignoles as a present for a friend last year, and I was sorely tempted to keep it for myself and buy my friend a book token or something. There was a lovely sound off it, and it was one of the ones with the butterfly-wing tuners that you can turn by hand, saves you from fiddling around with allen keys (which I always lose).

Well those are my own experiences, for what they're worth, but really there's no substitute for playing some instruments yourself and finding out what suits your own taste. Follow your ears.