The Signature Bodhrán Set {2-Week Lead Time} Reviews

4.8 Rating 31 Reviews

The McNeela Signature Bodhrán Set
Our brand new Signature Bodhrán is here - a luxe take on the quintessential McNeela bodhrán experience. The Signature Bodhrán Set includes our brand new 16" tuneable Signature bodhrán, with a choice of Lambeg or Vellum skin and a range of bodhrán accessories including a selection of our premium bodhrán beaters; a quality lightweight bodhrán gig bag; and free access to our Bodhrán Beginner to Master Course with Rónán Ó Snodaigh. The McNeela Signature Bodhrán offers everything an aspiring bodhrán player needs to get started on their musical journey. It's perfect for any level of player, from beginner to advanced.
Key Features of Signature Bodhran
Diameter 16.5” Rim Depth 6.5" Rim Depth at Cutout 4.5” Cutout Depth 3" 8 point hand-tuning system Rim cutout for playing comfort Highly responsive Wide tonal range Lush bass sound Taped edges for superior tone and extended harmonic range Choice of Lambeg or Vellum Skin
Each Signature Bodhrán Set includes:
McNeela Signature Bodhrán A selection of premium bodhrán beaters & percussion accessories Lightweight bodhrán gig bag Free access to Beginners to Master course with Rónán Ó Snodaigh
This highly responsive bodhrán offers great action and superb control. With a lush tonal range, it offers strong resonance and depth of tone with a rich, booming bass - everything you need to take your playing to the next level.
Featuring an 8 point hand tuning system, you're fully in control of your sound. It even comes with a choice of top quality Lambeg or Vellum goatskin, for a truly personalised musical experience.
The unique signature cutout style and the deep claret French polish finish is guaranteed to turn heads for all the right reasons. The Signature Bodhrán is truly worthy of the McNeela seal of approval. Lambeg vs Vellum Hand produced in Northern Ireland for the famous Lambeg drums, Lambeg skins were first adapted for use on the bodhrán by the legendary maker, Seamus O’Kane. These skins produce a strong clear tone, with an exceptionally resonant high end. Lambeg skin is the perfect choice for bodhrán players who favour a more melodic style of playing. They do however also offer a rich, resonant bass and offer plenty of volume - making them perfect for session playing.
Vellum is the art of producing paper from skin - many ancient Irish manuscripts, including the famous Book of Kells, are written on Vellum. Vellum skins offer a warm mid range while producing deep, dark, rich bass notes. They also offer excellent sustain. Vellum skin is typically quieter and slightly more subtle than Lambeg skin. Whether Lambeg or Vellum, each skin that we use here in McNeela is hand-selected for quality, responsiveness and sustain. This is a natural sustainable product and each skin will be unique to your bodhrán, waiting for you to explore its characteristic sound. We recommend using McNeela's to keep your new bodhrán skin in optimum condition.
Free Online Bodhrán Lesson with Rónán Ó Snodaigh Get Instant Access to the Complete Beginner to Master Bodhrán Course. with the magnificent Rónán Ó Snodaigh of Kíla (Worth €365/$410) Lifetime Access absolutely Free! Rónán is one of the greatest Irish bodhrán players in the world. What You'll Learn: Bodhrán Basics- Introduction To Rónán (5:43)- Learn the Basics (7:03)- Different types of Beaters & How to use them - Comprehensive Tutorial (18:33)Beginner Lessons- Irish Dance Beats: Jigs (14:41)- Irish Dance Beats: Reels (12:18)- How to Strap your Bodhrán & More (10:15)Intermediate Lessons:- Irish Dance Beats: Polkas & Hornpipes (7:39)- Session Tips (14:07)- Accompanying Singers in Basic Waltz Timing (1:56)- Alternative Beats - Turkish Beats & More (9:15)- More Alternative Beats (8:29)- Rosewood Performance Hand-Tuneable Bodhrán (1:36)- Pops, Snaps & Bass beats on the Rosewood Performance Bodhrán (5:09)- All About Rolls - Intermediate Level (11:02)- Rónán’s Unique Notation System (7:05)- Paradiddles (1:28) Advanced Lessons:- Accompanying Yourself Singing plus Hops, Inverted Beats and Dropping a Beat. (15:31)- Advanced Beats (10:50)- More Advanced Beats - Rónán plays along to three iconic Kíla tunes. (24:25)- Rónán plays along to ‘Turlough’s’ from Kíla Album ‘Lemonade and Buns’ (4:10) SPECIAL EXTRAS/Play Along:- Paraic on Flute and Rónán on Bodhrán - Session 1 (2:38)- Paraic and Rónán on Bodhrán - Session 2 (4:24) These online lessons cover everything from basics, to traditional Irish music session performance and alternative beats. Rónán will show you how to get the most out of your bodhrán, how to tune your bodhrán and everything else you need to get started on your musical journey. These free online bodhrán lessons are exclusive to McNeela Instruments and will have you accompanying your first traditional Irish music session in no time! Need advice? Check out our expert guide: The Bodhrán Maker's Guide to Buying a Bodhrán
Bodhrán Size The smaller the drum, the more flexible the head. This means our 16″ model will be more responsive to your hand pressure than a larger drum.
For this reason, if you currently have an 18″ model and are looking to upgrade, I would recommend making the change to a 16” bodhrán. It will give you a wider tonal range and a far greater variety of sounds to work with. The 6.5 inch rim depth produces a rich, deep bass tone. The deeper the rim, the more resonant the bass sound will be. The 6.5" rim is perfect for creating our signature McNeela lush, booming bass and great volume.
Hand Tuning System Our 8 point hand-tuning system makes it easy to adjust your bodhrán tuning, without interrupting your performance.
The tuners are easy to grip and fast to tune. The McNeela tuning system will allow you to get the best sound from your bodhrán skin, no matter the playing conditions.
Performance Adjust tuning with lightning speed to respond to performance requirements for when you need your bodhrán to match pitch, volume and tone. With the wide spread of tonal options available you can offer a subtle accompaniment in quieter session spaces and a full resonating bass in concert settings:
Good to Know:
30 day money back guarantee from the day you receive the bodhrán. See our Shipping & Returns Policy. 1 year warranty Free backup service for one year Free Priority Shipping Worldwide

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Phone:

18322432

Location:

Unit 137 Baldoyle Industrial Estate, Baldoyle,
Unit 137 Baldoyle Industrial Estate, Baldoyle
Dublin
D13 X958

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“This drum is a real joy to play. It is easy to hold, easy to tune, and the lambec head is very responsive.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“I got home at the start of the week and was so excited to start playing this Bodhran! before I get into the depths of a review, I'd first like to say how lovely and helpful the customer service agents were. They gave me peace of mind and allowed me to properly arrange for someone to stop by my place to collect my package whilst I was away, there are plenty of stores that wouldn't be so accomadating and I really am appreciative of the help I was given here! I'm a beginner player, starting a few months ago on a mass produced Bodhran brought from an entry level instrument store. There's nothing wrong with that Bodhran, it's a nice drum, but it was my tester to see if it was an instrument I would actually enjoy, and after a few months of playing I found out that I really love playing Bodhran so decided to upgrade. The first thing that drew me to McNeela music is the transparency and detailed explanations of how their instruments are made and what goes into them, this was super helpful to me as a beginner and something a number of makers just don't do. This meant despite my lack of in depth knowledge I was able to make a decision about the type of Bodhran I actually wanted to play. This was also good from an accesibilty perspective, as a person with a disiability that affects joints and flexibility I felt safe ordering this Bodhran because of all the additional materials related to it that were available (videos, blog posts, etc.) The shape means that my shoulder isn't stretching all the way around a thock frame, and the hand tuners are a life saver when you struggle with the fine motor strength needed for allen keys and other more standard tuning systems. The Bodhran itself is beautiful, to look at and to play, I went for the double vellum skin option and get such pure sounding deep tones and wonderfully rich mids. The pops are also lovely. Whilst playing along to traditional Irish music has been a lot of fun, I've recently also taken to playing to sea shanties and work songs- the tones from thus Bodhran fit into palce so seamlessly, you could probably make it work with just about every music genre there is. The tippers that came with my Bodhran were just as good as the drum itself (although if, like me you are a beginner I shall warn you to keep your posture in check if you get the whipper tipper- it is very accurately named!) I had tried hot rod style tippers with my first drum, but hadn't been so struck on them, however it goes to show the quality of the work here at McNeela when the hot rod tipper I got with my set has now become one of my favourites. The sound quality improvement is very noticeable. In short, I adore this Bodhran, and if you're on the fence about getting one for yourself I absolutely recommend just jumping in and getting one. Words alone can't quite show how good it is, you need to try it for yourself!”

2 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“All the way to Australia without a hitch. A beautiful instrument with great tone. Exactly as described and a delight to play. Thank you Paraic.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“The bodhran came with the taping completely messed up. It must have happened during shipping. Conor sent me a youtube on how to retape, thanks. I retaped it myself, but it did not come out well, lots of air bubbles on tape. Oh well! However, it sounds good, so there is that! You lost a star because of this.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

“Another great instrument from MacNeela. It's a beautiful drum with a wide variety of beaters and a sturdy case.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

We're happy to hear it, Carol. We'll aim for 5 stars next time!

Posted 2 years ago

“My beautiful bodhrán, immaculately made and signed by the man himself, arrived in Australia in perfect condition. The Lambeg skin is crisp and clear, the frame comfortable to hold and the array of beaters offer an endless range of timbres and techniques to play around with. Then there’s the delightful Rónán, whose lessons hold me spellbound. I get so engrossed in watching him that I forget to play along. Thankfully, the unlimited access to tutorials lets me revisit time and time again. Míle buíochas, Paraic and your team, for keeping Irish musical traditions alive with your quality selection of instruments and tutorials.”

2 Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Tá fíor fáilte romhat, Amanda. Delighted to hear that you are enjoying your beautiful new Signature Bodhrán. Rónán's lessons are indeed magical and we can't think of a better bodhrán package. Thank you for your kind words and wishing you many years of happy music-making.

Posted 2 years ago

“This Bodhran set is very high quality and sounds as great as it looks. thanks PARAIC”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

That is great David, thanks for the review!

Posted 2 years ago

“Having no musical background but an intense interest in the Bodhran, I've found the instrument pleasant and well-made. It was shipped in a timely fashion, well-packaged and undamaged. My questions starting the tutorial were answered quickly. Had the set included a holding strap I would have given it 5 stars. I would definitely do business with folks again.”

Helpful Report

Posted 2 years ago

Thank you for the review and feedback Wayne!

Posted 2 years ago