• Roosebeck 18" Tunable Bodhran, Red Cedar Cross-Bar with Celtic Cross
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Bodhran

Roosebeck 18" Tunable Bodhran, Red Cedar Cross-Bar with Tipper

$109
$109
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Frame & Head Design

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18" Diameter Solid Red Cedar Frame Goatskin Head Inside Tuning Fixed Cross-Bar

Ideal for: Beginners and intermediate players who want the deepest bodhran voice in the lightest full-size frame

The full 18-inch bodhran in red cedar, noticeably lighter than rosewood.

The 18-inch is the largest tunable size we make and the most popular in the line. Built in red cedar, it carries the deep low-end of a full-size drum at a fraction of the weight of the rosewood models, which is what lets players hold it through a long session without their arm giving out first. Inside bolt tuning keeps the exterior clean and the fixed cross-bar gives a stable grip behind the head. Choose the plain goatskin head or the silkscreened Celtic Cross design.

Full-Size Depth Without the Weight

An 18-inch shell moves more air than a 16-inch shell, and that translates directly into a fuller, deeper low-end response. This is the drum for players who want their bodhran sitting firmly in the bass register of an Irish session. Red cedar is a lighter wood than rosewood, so you get that full-size voice in a frame you can hold comfortably for hours.

Red cedar or rosewood: Rosewood is denser and adds more warmth and sustain from the frame itself. Red cedar is significantly lighter and easier on the arm over a long session. Both use the same natural goatskin head and the same inside tuning.

Solid Red Cedar Frame, Clean Inside Tuning

The 18-by-3.5-inch shell is solid red cedar, with a fixed cross-bar inside the frame for grip support. The wood has a fine, even texture and straight grain, and the heartwood runs a reddish to violet-brown that is sometimes accented by pale yellow streaks of sapwood. No two frames look quite the same.

About the wood: The botanical name for red cedar, Cedrus deodara, derives from the Sanskrit devadaaru, meaning "wood of the gods." Several Hindu legends refer to forests of devadaaru.

Bolt tuning is mounted on the interior of the frame, completely hidden from view. From the outside the drum reads as a clean, traditional bodhran with no external tuning lugs to catch on clothing.

The Celtic Cross option carries a silkscreened design applied by hand to the natural goatskin surface. Because the skin is a natural material, the design varies from drum to drum, and it will soften and wear in with playing the way a favorite pair of jeans does. The instrument underneath is identical to the plain head and sounds exactly the same.

Cross-bar vs. T-bar: A cross-bar is fixed and runs straight across the inside of the frame, giving stable two-handed grip. A T-bar is removable and shorter. The cross-bar is the more traditional and beginner-friendly choice.

Tuning the Larger Shell

Use the included tuning wrench to adjust the bolts inside the frame. On an 18-inch head, turn each bolt a small amount and work around the head in a star pattern. Larger heads need slightly more tension overall to reach a comparable playing pitch, so expect to make several passes. New goatskin stretches in over the first few weeks of regular play, so retune often early on.

Hold the drum against your chest, fret the back of the head with your non-dominant hand or rest it on the cross-bar, and strike with the tipper held loosely between thumb and fingers. The 18-inch shell rewards a fuller stroke than a 14 or 16, so don't be afraid to commit to the strike.

Sizing for your body: The 18-inch is the largest size and works best for players of average to larger frame. The red cedar build makes it more manageable than a rosewood 18 if you play seated for long stretches.

Technical Specifications

Diameter 18 inches
Shell Depth 3.5 inches
Frame Material Solid red cedar
Head Natural goatskin, plain or Celtic Cross design
Tuning System Inside bolt tuning
Internal Bar Fixed cross-bar
Weight 2.8 lbs

What's in the Box

Every 18-inch red cedar bodhran ships set up, ready to be tuned and played.

Tipper Tuning Wrench Owner's Guide (PDF)

Have questions about this instrument? Contact us or browse all Bodhrans.

Questions about this instrument?
Talk to our team or browse all bodhrans.
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Roosebeck 18" Tunable Bodhran, Red Cedar Cross-Bar with Tipper

Celtic Cross with Red Cedar

$109
$109
Tradition you can feel, craftsmanship you can hear.
Solid tonewoods
Cured, cut, and chosen for sound.
Voiced by hand
Fretboards dressed, action set, bridges fit by our luthiers.
Made to be played
Built for working musicians, designed to sound better the more you play it.
Since 1973
Five decades of building instruments that last generations.