Description

The Talking Bodhrán kit represents a significant saving over buying the components individually.  It includes, of course, the Talking Bodhrán

• Size: 14” x 4”
• Handmade in England by Blackwell Original Drums (BOD)
• 14” custom Talking Bodhrán drum head by Evans
• Hand-painted custom airbrush “settling stout” finish to automotive standard

and the following accessories:

• Black powder-coated spun aluminium Talking Sound Bar
• Cormac Byrne Hybrid CB2 Hybrid Bodhrod handmade in Germany by Stevie Moises from maple and walnut
• Tuning wrench
• Protection Racket soft case

Cormac Byrne was so intrigued by the possibilities of John Blackwell’s BODdrums, that he collaborated with John to develop a special edition: the Cormac Byrne Talking Bodhrán and then the Talking Sound Bar.

With a spun aluminium frame a bit heavier than the standard BODdrum, and a special synthetic custom drumhead made by Evans, the Talking Bodhrán™ offers endless expressive and creative possibilities. For such a small drum, it is capable of producing jaw-dropping rich, deep bass tones and beautiful crisp highs. But the real excitement lies in the fact that it possesses the holy grail of mid-tones that have to be heard to be believed… they really do ‘speak’.

The Talking Bodhrán responds beautifully to the uniquely shaped Talking Sound Bar. This is used on the back of the drum head to produce an incredible range of sound styles and voices: warm bass tones like an Indian Tabla Baya, mid range tones that bend and mimic vocal tones like a West African Talking Drum, and a fabulous range of high pops reminiscent of a samba band.

The Talking Bodhrán can be played with or without the Sound Bar and both methods produce a very different soundscape.  It will perform brilliantly acoustically, or mike it up for a whole new dimension, bursting with life and response. When using the Talking Sound Bar, you have the added ability to get longer, more sustained notes that are normally not possible with a traditional bodhrán. This lends itself beautifully to slower tracks.

As Cormac says,

This is not a Bodhrán, this is a Talking Bodhrán.

For me, it will never replace my bodhrán. But that was never the intention. It sits alongside the traditional bodhrán in my setup. I see it as a different instrument. The beauty of the Talking Bodhrán is that you can use normal bodhrán technique to play it. It plays and feels the same. If you already play the bodhrán you will find it easy to transfer your skills onto this drum and find a whole new voice.