Bodhran sticks from Dublin?

Subject: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Michi Dill
Date: 28 Jun 99 - 04:52 PM

I bought some great Bodhran sticks in Miltown from a Bodhran Maker called Paraic McNeela. They´re made from different types of wood (mahagony, beech, jaw wood...)and are all very thin, light and very nice. He doesn´t make them himself but he didn´t tell me who is making them. That´s his secret. Does anybody know the name of the stick maker? Somewhere around Dublin.I broke one and need some new ones. Thanks

Michi

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: alison
Date: 29 Jun 99 - 05:01 AM

Hi,

There is a wonderful man in New Zealand who makes great tippers, (tear drop shape at one the playing end with a finger rest and a small ball at the other) beautifully balanced.. different types of wood... definately the best I have ever played with (triplets just flow out of it with no effort).... and more to the point I do have a name and address......

He is John McInness [e-mail]

he does nice leather ended ones too.....

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Bruce from Bathurst
Date: 29 Jun 99 - 10:12 AM

There's a fine, fierce, bodhran maker and player here in Bathurst who uses all the predictable types of thick and thin tippers. Then when you least expect it, he pulls out a skinny little paint brush and creates a totally new sound for quieter accompaniment. This is how he survives those threatening scowls from session players who want to tune bodhrans with lighter fluid.

He says the secret (well, no secret now!) is to insert a heavy screw in the non-brushy end of the paint brush to create a counterbalance. This lets him get into it, but with a lighter sound.

Personally, I prefer the simplicity of playing the fiddle. Drumming is far too subtle for me!

Bruce

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: alison
Date: 29 Jun 99 - 10:37 AM

You can use all sorts of stuff, pastry brushes, nail brushes..... jazz brushes work well too

slainte

alison

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: peterp
Date: 29 Jun 99 - 02:59 PM

try a piece of old drum stick cut to the length you feel comfortable with, I find it very comforable and cheap As I Know a profesional drummer who goes thtrough sticks at a great rate

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Joanne in Whitby
Date: 29 Jun 99 - 03:48 PM

There's a guy near Brighton whose name I have on file somewhere. He's an irish fellow who makes a beautiful bodhran, especially for the Canadian climate. I've had comments on the tipper, because it's a little heavier than most, but it generates a nice sound and feels great in my hand. I'll see if I can find his name. In the meantime I have found one of the secrets to creating the really soft sound the bodhran is known for is to make sure the skin is moist enough. I always rub it down about twenty minutes before I play so it's absorbed the moisture by the time I need it.

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Jeremiah McCaw
Date: 30 Jun 99 - 07:49 AM

Ask any Scot. You'll be informed that the very best tippers, or beaters, were traditionally made from the rib bone of an Englishman!

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Roger the zimmer
Date: 30 Jun 99 - 08:05 AM

I don't know if they were English (and they didn't look like ribs)but the Corries seemed to use bones (or wood shaped like a bone).

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Bert
Date: 30 Jun 99 - 01:00 PM

If they were "the very best" then of course they were English!

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: GUEST,Rigney
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 10:27 AM

theres a chap in dublin makes and repairs bodhran, been recomended him a few times by different people though ive never used him myself./
http://irishmusicalinstruments.com/shop/index.php?cPath=30&osCsid=e7ff4034358f4b790a6c585e2b623044

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: GUEST,Ray
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 12:12 PM

They sell good ones in B&Q called "Stanley Knives"

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Sean Mc
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 12:22 PM

Though not Dublin, my good mate Phil N makes them for Cormac Byrne (Uiscedwr). I don't think Phil is a Catter but you could reach him through his MySpace site.
www.myspace.com/doublestick

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: GUEST,Micky
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 12:28 PM

The man you were looking for is called Aidan MacRory. And they're not sticks, they're called Tippers. And guest Ray is wrong. Its pen knife not stanley knife and the joke come from Seamus Innis and is older than my Granma's donkey and he's 112.

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Tig
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 01:11 PM

My favourite tipper is going on 40 and was the first one made specially for me. It's a piece of ordinary broom handle. Now looking slightly worse for wear and not as rounded at the ends it still makes a great sound. Have a go at making one yourself to suit.

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Ernest
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 01:21 PM

Some people (especially from other places) would be happy if bodhrans would stick TO Dublin....


















Sorry - couldn`t resist...
;0)
Ernest

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Declan
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 01:30 PM

That's all very well Ernest, but some of us live in Dublin!

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Ernest
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 01:49 PM

Maybe you could stick them all to the pillar, Declan...

;0)
Ernest

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Declan
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 02:46 PM

The Pillar and the Met have gone, The Royal long since pulled down
Since the gray unyielding bodhrans wreck the sessions in our town.

The pillar has been replaced by a 60 foot spike and I can think of some bodhran owners I'd like to see impaled on it.

Only joking (mostly!). The bodhran is a wonderful instrument when played well.

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Ernest
Date: 31 Mar 09 - 03:21 PM

Yes it is, and one of the best players I ever heard is from Dublin...

Best
Ernest

Subject: RE: Bodhran sticks from Dublin?
From: Gweltas
Date: 01 Apr 09 - 04:27 AM

Dear Michi,
Some years ago I accidentally broke my most favourite tipper, which had been specially made for me by a lovely man, Bill Howard, of Perranporth, Cornwall, who had since died. I tried several different types of replacement tipper, but none really "felt right", so I was in a real quandry. I had put in an order for a new Bodhrán from Eoin Leonard, maker of BELGARTH BODHRÁNS, so I 'phoned him and enquired if he could make me a replica tipper, or even two, if I temporiarly glued together the broken tipper, scanned an image of it into my computer and e-mailed the image to him !!
He accepted the challenge and I did as planned, specifying the type of wood to be used and making sure to first print off a copy of the image to ensure that the printed image was the EXACT size of the original tipper. Shortly thereafter my two replacement tippers arrived and, believe me, they WERE perfect replicas !! I was delighted and very impressed at Eoin's ability to produce perfect three dimensional tippers from a two dimensional e-mailed image.
If you still have the pieces of your broken tipper and have a yen to obtain an exact replica, I strongly recommend that you get in touch with Eoin.
Incidentally, he makes really superb bodhráns and I am happy to recommend him to anyone wanting a quality bodhrán that not only looks great, but is an absolute joy to play. I've owned my Belgarth bodhrán for nearly 4 years now and am truly delighted with it.
Contact details :
Eoin Leonard,
Belgarth,
Kirbister,
Stromness,
Orkney Isles KW16 3HU.

Tel/Fax : [phone]
E-mail : [e-mail]
Website : www.belgarth.com

OOOPS.........I've just realised that the original query from Michi is dated June '99, so no doubt he has solved his problem long since but, having typed out the information, I'm going to post it anyway as it may be helpful to someone else who is mourning a lost, or broken, favourite tipper.