This page lists all the bodhrán vendors that I know about. If a store in your area isn't listed, then I don't know one.
Andy's Front Hall (USA)
Apple Mountain Music (USA - NM)
Boston Music Company (USA)
Celtic Artists' Network (USA)
Carousel Music(?)
Celtic Cultures (USA)
Celtic Shoppe (Canada)
Celtic Soul (Australia)
Celtic Trader (USA)
Crafton Percussion Works (USA)
Custy's Traditional Music Shop (Ireland)
Pierre Demeure (France)
Distant Caravans (USA)
Dusty Strings Acoustic Music Store (USA)
Earth Rhythms (USA)
Elderly Instruments (USA)
Fiddler's Green Music (Canada)
George's Music (Canada)
The Harp and Dragon
Hobgoblin Music (England)
House of Musical Traditions (USA)
Interworld Music (USA)
Irish Food and Gift Store (Ireland)
Knock on Wood (England)
Lark in the Morning (USA)
Latin Percussion (USA)
Melody's Traditional Music (USA)
Mid-East Manufacturing (USA)
Rainbow Farms Dulcimer Works (USA)
Rikki's Music Shop (Scotland)
Saga Musical Instruments (USA)
Shanna Quay Ireland
Soar Valley Music (England)
Stoney End Music Co. (USA)
Traditional Rhythms (USA)
This company has been in business since 1978, selling books and recordings of folk, traditional, and acoustic music, and also sells a variety of traditional instruments. I've gotten their 1995 catalogue, and I have their pricelist. The offer a bodhrán kit from Here, Inc., finished drums from Cooperman and Buck, various accessories, instructional material, and recordings featuring the bodhrán.
New Mexico's sole Bodhran selling store.
Boston Music carries a wide variety of instruments, sheet music, and instructional material, including framedrums and bodhráns. They carry several models of bodhaán, including one painted with the logo of Murphy's Irish Stout, plus replacement heads. They're also the first company I've found that carries the bodhrín (miniature bodhrán). Matthew Newby reports that they got a shipment of Roundstone bodhráns in early August; he bought an internal tunable drum for the excellent price of $165.
I have their pricelist as of April 1995; they charge between $80 and $100 for basic drums.
Feingold is a concert promoter and bodhrán instructor, and also sells drums, tippers, books & tapes from various makers.
I found them in the Ceolas mail-order database; turns out this company is run by a friend of mine, Stuart Joseph. He sells a variety of celtica including 18" Pakistani bodhráns with solid wood frames and goatskin heads. He also offers drums handpainted by his wife, Veda. Last time I saw one, I thought his drums were good for a beginnner or for occasional use, but not professional quality. Veda is a fabulous artist: If you want a magificently painted drum, you couldn't do better. Take a look at some examples: an achievement of arms, another achievement, and an angel in the style of the Book of Kells.
He also carries carrying cases, beaters, replacement goatskin heads, and a tutoring book and cassette by Tony Sullivan.
His current bodhrán catalogue can be found on his website.
Canadian distributor for Malachy Kearns. They sell wholesale and retail.
They distribute Belgarth bodhráns in Australia.
The owner, Regis Malady, carries Buck bodhráns, bones, and bodhrán books and accessories. He sells the full Buck line of bodhráns with a mark-up of $10 to $80. I have his prices from his 1996 catalogue.
Randy Crafton carries framedrums from a variety of drummakers, including Cooperman bodhráns. He also carries instructional materials. I've copied prices from his 1996 catalogue.
Custy's carries drums made by several drummakers, including Dave Spenser, Aidan McRory, Padraig Mac Neela, Malachy Kearns, Kevin O'Connell, Brendan White, and Darius Bartlett.
Demeure retails Malachy Kearns bodhráns, and tutorial books and videos. He also makes beaters in a variety of woods.
This company seems to be primarily focussed on clientele within the SCA, but they offer a goatskin bodhrán for $56, probably from Mid-East Manufacturing, a carrying-case for $30, and Robin Smith's instructional book, Power Bodhrán Techniques, for $8.00, and Robin Anders's video Percussion of the World, for $24.00.
They carry Cooperman, Buck, and other brands of drums, and hold bodhrán workshops a couple times a year. They can also recommend local teachers.
Bodhrans from Remo and Crafton Percussion Works. Video Tapes, CD's, Instrucion Books. Hand Drums, Percussion Instruments, Beads, Imports, Classes, Workshops & Educational Programs.
Brian Nelson bought a drum from them for $37. It is Pakistani, with a goatskin head and cross-bars. He describes it as "a very good starter bodhrán". Brian sent some pictures of his drum.
I've copied Elderly's price list from a flier that Brian sent me.
Ernie Pynn, the proprietor, writes that he sells Washburn guitars, tapes and cd's, and bodhráns and uileann pipes by Neil O'Grady. They'll send you a catalogue if you drop them your postal address by e-mail.
They sell a variety of folk instruments, including a tunable bodhrán, which he tells me is the same drum sold by Mid-East Manufacturing. This is a decent beginner's drum, but not professional-quality. He's asking $99; Mid-East's last published price was $80. He plans to offer better drums in the future: Buck, Cooperman.
A re-seller of Pakistani-made Mid-East Manufacturing bodhráns. They carry Mid-East's 18 inch tunable drum, with goatskin head and rosewood body, at a price of $75.00 plus shipping. They also offer a range of carrying-cases and Robin Smith's tutoring book. I have a pricelist from October 1997.
Folk music instruments. They have three shops in London, Crawley, and Bristol, and a mail order service. They sell bodhráns and bones (UK) and (US), including their own Gremlin brand manufactured in Pakistan, and drums by Brian Howard, Malachy Kearns, and Waltons Manufacturing. They also sell books and recordings, including several instructional books, tapes, and videos in the UK and USA.
They require proper care so as not to void the warranties on their products.
Their current price list.
HMT sells a wide variety of instruments, music, and books. A couple years ago they were carrying Buck drums. At the 1995 Comhaltas convention, they had a second-rate drum by Tipperary Music and an inexpensive Pakistani-made drum from Mid-East Manufacturing.
Interworld specializes in ethnic percussion. They carry recordings and instructional material for a large variety of percussion styles. Their offerings include Bodhrán and Bones, an instructional video, available for $39.95 plus shipping as of 31 Mar 95.
Declan Droney, the proprietor, carries Roundstone bodhráns. The information is not yet on his web page, but he plans to add it.
They stock bodhráns made by Oakwood, Brian Howard, and Remo, as well as some inexpensive imported drums. They also carry tutor books, videos, and recordings.
website, e-mail larkinam@larkinam.com
Their website contains a collection of information, including an article on caring for a bodhrán, and offers a variety of instruments, including bodhráns from Cooperman, Roundstone, Buck, and several other drummakers. Their ads include pictures, including a picture of the beaters they sell. They also offer Chris Caswell's video and books by O Súilleabháin and Sullivan. I copied the relevent entries in their on-line catalogue.
They sell World Beat bodhráns.
"We now sell bodhrans made by Cooperman, Waltons, and Buck." - Drew Ellner, Melody's Music
Mid-East carries a large variety of traditional drums and other instruments from around the world, including bodhráns. They also sell an instructional video, Percussion of the World, which has a section on playing the bodhrán, and a book, Power Bodhrán Techniques, by Robin Smith.
My first encounter with Mid-East came when I bought my first bodhrán, a plastic-headed drum equipped with a thumb-hole so that it can double as a tar (a Middle-Eastern hand drum). I don't know their methods, but the result has a fine, low ring that quite a few musicians have been unwilling to believe can come from a plastic head. When I bought mine about six years ago, they were selling around $40. After years of heavy use, the head is just beginning to show wear and tear around the edges. Take a look.
At the 1995 Comhaltas convention, I saw a drum made in Pakistan for Mid-East; it was not a well-made drum, but it was not expensive. I think it would make an acceptable beginner's instrument.
Mid-East is widely represented at local music stores and their wholesale prices are about half their mail-order prices; you may be able to save by ordering through a local store. I have some listings from their March 1995 catalogue, or you can take a look at their on-line catalogue.
My only knowledge of this company was a drum I saw at the 1995 Comhaltas convention, made by Tipperary Music, on sale from House of Musical Traditions.
WWW-based music store. They sell bodhrán videos by Tommy Hayes and by Steáphán Hannigan, for £15.95 and £19.95, respectively.
My only knowledge of this company was a drum I saw at the 1995 Comhaltas convention, made by Tipperary Music, on sale from House of Musical Traditions.
Retailing bodhráns made by Malachy Kearns, of Roundstone Musical Instruments, Ireland
Soar Valley handles the full range of Howard bodhráns, from 14 to 24 inches, tunable and not, priced from £60 to £200.
Recommended by a correspondant, a beginner in Florida.
Return to the |
|
Part of the Ceolas celtic music archive |
|
Josh Mittleman
bodhran@ceolas.org |
|
