• Roosebeck Tunable Rosewood Bodhran โ€” 16" T-Bar front view
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Bodhran

Roosebeck 16" Tunable Bodhran, T-Bar with Tipper

$119
$119
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16-Inch Tunable T-Bar Natural Goatskin Session-Ready

Ideal for: Session players, performing musicians, and advancing bodhran students

The workhorse bodhran for serious players.

Sixteen inches is the sweet spot for most bodhran players. Big enough for full, powerful tone with deep bass response, yet comfortable to hold for extended playing sessions. This is the size you'll find in the hands of most professional bodhran players at Irish sessions and folk festivals. Choose from four options across three tonewoods: rosewood, red cedar, or mulberry in a black or green finish.

Three Tonewoods, Four Choices

The shell wood shapes the drum's voice, and you choose the one that suits your ear. Rosewood gives a warm, focused tone with controlled overtones and a clear, articulate attack. Red cedar is lighter and softer, with a warm, open voice and a quick response that many players find easy on the hands. Mulberry leans toward warm sustain with a rounder low end, and it comes in two finishes, black or green, that look different but share the same mulberry voice. Every shell carries the same natural goatskin head, which responds dynamically from thundering bass to crisp rim shots.

Which shell suits you: Rosewood for articulation and cut, cedar for a lighter drum with a warm open voice, mulberry for the deepest sustain. Black or green mulberry is a choice of looks, not tone. There is no wrong pick, and many players end up owning more than one.

Hidden Tuning, Removable T-Bar

The 16 by 3.5-inch shell keeps its tuning hardware mounted on the interior of the frame and hidden from view, so the exterior stays clean with no external lugs to catch on clothing. A quarter turn of the wrench brings the head back to your preferred tension, which matters in live playing, where temperature and humidity can shift head tension throughout a session.

The T-bar is removable. Leave it in for a stable grip while you are learning, or take it out once you want your whole hand free behind the head. A comfort cut-out in the shell lets your fretting hand sit deeper against the skin, which matters more than it sounds like it should on a drum you hold for hours.

T-bar vs. cross-bar: A T-bar is short and removable, giving you the option of playing with or without it. A fixed cross-bar runs straight across the frame and cannot be taken out. If you expect your technique to develop toward free-hand back pressure, the removable bar gives you somewhere to go.

Professional-Size, Session-Tested

Sixteen inches is the most versatile bodhran size, great for sessions, performances, and solo playing, with a full range of expression from deep, thundering bass to sharp, cutting rim shots. New goatskin stretches in over the first few weeks of regular play, so expect to retune often early on, then far less once the head settles.

Sizing for your body: The 16-inch suits most adult players and is the common choice for a first serious bodhran. Step down to a 14 if you want something lighter and more portable, up to an 18 if you want the deepest possible voice.

Technical Specifications

Size 16 inches ร— 3.5 inches, with comfort cut-out
Shell Rosewood, Red Cedar, or Mulberry (Black or Green finish)
Head Natural Goatskin
Tuning Inside bolt tuning
Internal Bar Removable T-Bar
Tunable Yes
Weight Approx. 3.5 lbs (varies by shell)

What's in the Box

Every 16-inch bodhran ships ready to tune and play.

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 16" Tunable Bodhran, T-Bar with Tipper

Rosewood

$119
$119
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Barbara A.C.

Nice quality starter drum. Skin is a little rough to start but hopefully it'll break in with time

Thank you for the review. A natural skin head always starts out with some texture, and regular playing is what softens it. Many players also rub the skin gently with the flat of their hand before each session to warm it up. Keeping the drum away from heaters and very dry rooms, and easing the tension a little when you put it away, will help the head settle in nicely.

Warmly,
The Roosebeck Team

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.