Just a question to all of you closet bodhrán players out there! I will soon be aquiring a Fred Halpin 19" bodhrán from a friend back east. This thing ia a true work of art! My greatest fear though, is that I'll manage to wreck it straight away!
So I'm just wondering if any of you know of a place to pick up a 19" case?! 18 is the standard, and due to a slightly deeper rim, the Halpin drum simply won't fit into a standard case.
I'd prefer a hard case, but a padded soft case may have to do. Any of you just happen to have a case just sitting around in a corne3r somewhere?
All the Bodhran cases I have seen are hand made soft cases and very expensive. I recommend to my students that they go to any music store with their bodhran, and find a padded, water resistant cymbal bag to fit. You can get a nice one (with side pocket for tippers/lunch/etc) and a shoulder strap for around $20. Best buy in town. (You can also use a drum stick bag for whistles too if you find an appropriate one with separated compartments for sticks/whistles). Good luck
Sue H
I've a friend who carries his bodhran in the cardboard box it came in. Its a box for 18" but I'm sure you can get a box for 19". It will be cheap and its quite hard too.
On 2001-07-08 23:11, Eldarion wrote:
I've a friend who carries his bodhran in the cardboard box it came in. Its a box for 18" but I'm sure you can get a box for 19". It will be cheap and its quite hard too.
I've got an 18" box from my Walton's bodhrán, but the fit doesn't even come close. This drum's much deeper than the cheapo's and quite a bit heavier too. The ol' cardboard just won't do the trick this time. Realisticly, I need a travel case, that can withstand the worst an airline ramp agent can throw at it!
Or at least an case heavy enough to pummel said agent severely when they ruin my drum! You can't get this make (at least from this maker) anymore as I understand it, so I'm being extra cautious right from the start.
I had the case for my Halpin 19" made by Blue Heron (www.blueheroncases.com). They take their orders over the phone, and ask what the dimensions of your instrument are, so the case is made to fit. The cases are well padded, tough, attractive, and (I believe) worth the money (the 19" case runs $109.00). Depending on how good a deal you got for your drum, that's close to 1/2 the price, but when you're paying that kind of money for a quality instrument, it kind of makes sense to take care of it (at least that's the argument I used to sell myself on forking out the money).
I have a friend named Chad playing for a band in South-Central PA who made a case from cardboard which he fiberglassed and carries 3 bodhrans. It's pretty cool and was very cheap. I made one from some scraps of luan plywood, vinyl roofing fascia left over from adding a room and some vinyl material leftover from my wife making a beanbag chair. I have elastic inside to securely hold about a dozen whistles, 3 tippers and a wooden spoon. It holds an 18" Waltons that I've taken as carry on to sessions around the country while being "forced" to travel for work. Had any of you seen me and this unusual case at Blarney Stone, Tommy Condons, The Nines, Brew Moon Cafe?
Cymbal cases come in lots of sizes, and can expand to fit a drum with a deep rim. Although flat in shape (like a cymbal) if you get one with a large diameter your drum will fit in nicely. It is padded and waterproof and for around $20 is a bargain! Check it out if you get a chance and save your money to buy more whistles.........
