BOD are pleased to announce we now have the Cormac Byrne Signature Series Drums in stock. The CBss is the traditional 18 inch diameter by 5 inches deep (45 cm x 13 cm) or the CBss Compact is smaller at 16 inches diameter by 5 inches deep (40 cm x 13). You can buy the drum alone, or as part of a kit comprised of the CBss or CBss Compact drum together with the appropriate size of HEDCase and a Cormac Byrne Bodhrod CB2.
Cormac has very decided views about what makes the perfect traditional bodhrán for him and his style of playing:
- beautiful natural wood with a natural oil and wax finish
- a medium weight Edlauer Premium goatskin with the spine offset to enhance his bass notes
- the skin is fixed to the drum with traditional round headed tacks which can themselves become part of the music when you run your tipper over them like a guiro
- tool-less turning wheel tuners for maximum speed adjusting the tune in performance
- no taping on the skin.
The “no taping” choice may stun many modern bodhrán players, but this was critical to Cormac, as he explains:
Getting the sound right is the most important part….and the most difficult. I love a drum to be as ‘wild’ as possible, I feel it’s my job to tame it just the right amount for whatever musical situation I find myself in. Whether it’s a big fat open tone, or pure harmonics, huge bass notes, or a pop as crisp as a Djembe slap, a top end with the clarity of a Bongo player or a bending tone to rival any Tabla player, I want to have it all available from one drum! Bright, percussive, alive, lots of attack, resonant, wild overtones, clear harmonics, and rim shots as big as gunshots, it’s all these things and more! Just as capable of being subtle as it is being the solo voice.
So without the tape (I hear you ask), is it not difficult to control the tone? Not at all, and here’s why: I see the use of tape as an excellent way of controlling the tone of a drum, just as drummers use moon gel to rid the drums of unwanted resonance. However bodhrán players have a huge advantage over drummers in the simple fact that our bodies are constantly in contact with the skin. I find it just as easy to get the same level of tone control over the skin by simply dampening it with the chest. Even minimal body dampening can get huge results. And this has one major advantage over taping….you can let go and un-dampen the head when you want to and let the drum go wild with the natural resonances and frequencies. Like taking a sports car into ‘sport mode’, the control is off but the possibilities are much greater. All you need to do is learn to control them and you can let rip when the time is right!!
Cormac’s vision has been realised by Christian Hedwitschak – Cormac’s passion for the details and the performance is combined with Christian’s passion for fine workmanship and the technology of sound in the Cormac Byrne Signature Series drums.
The CBss drums are not beginner’s drums. but for those ready to immerse themselves in their playing and explore the possibilities, the CBss is, as Cormac suggests, the high performance sports car of bodhráns.
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