Bodhran
Roosebeck 16" Tunable Bodhran, Red Cedar T-Bar
Roosebeck 16" Tunable Bodhran, Red Cedar T-Bar
Ideal for: Beginners and intermediate players who want a lightweight, tunable bodhran for long sessions
A lighter bodhran with a deep, rich voice and discreet inside tuning.
The 16-inch Red Cedar Bodhran is built for players who want the resonance of a full-size frame drum without the weight. Red cedar is significantly lighter than rosewood or walnut, which makes a real difference during long playing sessions or when standing for performance. The tuning hardware is hidden inside the frame, keeping the exterior clean while still giving you full control over head tension. The T-bar is removable, so you can adjust the internal grip exactly to your hand.
Deep, Rich Celtic Drum Voice
The 16-by-3.5-inch shell delivers the deep, woody voice that makes the bodhran the rhythmic backbone of Celtic and Irish music. The natural goatskin head responds beautifully to both the tipper and back-of-hand pressure, giving you the full vocabulary of pitch bends and tonal shifts the instrument is known for.
Lightweight Frame, Clean Lines
The solid red cedar frame is noticeably lighter than rosewood or walnut bodhrans of the same size, which matters more than you might expect during a two-hour session. The wood has a fine, even texture and straight grain that holds up to years of regular play.
The bolt tuning is mounted on the inside of the frame, hidden from view. From the outside, the bodhran reads as a clean, traditional drum. From the inside, you have full access to a tuning wrench for adjusting head tension to humidity, room temperature, or musical context.
Tuning, Tipper Technique, and Back Pressure
Use the included tuning wrench to adjust the bolts inside the frame. Turn each bolt a small amount, working around the head in a star pattern, until you reach the pitch and feel you want. New goatskin heads stretch in over the first few weeks of playing, so expect to retune as the head settles.
The removable T-bar gives your non-dominant hand a comfortable grip behind the head. Many players prefer to remove it entirely and apply pressure directly to the back of the head, which gives finer pitch control.
Technical Specifications
| Diameter | 16 inches |
| Shell Depth | 3.5 inches |
| Frame Material | Solid red cedar |
| Head | Natural goatskin |
| Tuning System | Inside bolt tuning |
| Internal Bar | Removable T-bar |
| Comfort Cut-Out | Yes, on frame interior |
| Weight | 2.45 lbs |
| Origin | Handcrafted in Pakistan |
What's in the Box
Every Red Cedar Bodhran ships ready to tune and play.
Have questions about this instrument? Contact us or browse all Bodhrans.
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Tradition you can feel, craftsmanship you can hear.