Trinity College TB-2 Irish Bodhran - 18” Dark Green Rim, Laminated Wood, Natural Goatskin Head, Includes Polished Tipper, Authentic Folk Drum for Beginners & Professionals

The Trinity College Bodhran delivered, is different than the one illustrated with regards to its bracing. It was not X braced, but T braced. I ordered in the morning and received it in the evening (elapsed time order to delivery 10.5 hours.) Wow. Amazon came through with flying colors.This really a nice sounding Bodhran out of the box and the workmanship is quite good. I went for the green one. It's beautiful. The tipper is light and fast. For a $50.00 Bodhran this is a bargain. (I have a tipper that cost me more than this!) I am very pleased with this purchase. For the price range, 5 Stars!Update: I bought this a year ago and still play it all the time. I use a number of different tippers and also play this by hand as I would a frame drum. I have a couple of other bodhrans which are tuneable, but I tend to favor this one. For me, the 18" (actual 17 3/4") is a perfect size. I originally taped it, but removed the tape months ago. I love its range just the way it is. I don't pretend to be anything resembling an expert bodhran player, but as a longtime musician, I have come to really like this bodhran. It's a great instrument.

Given the very low price, I was reluctant to order this instrument. I was hoping for something at least serviceable enough to get me started. I was pleasantly surprised.The instrument I received is very well made. I could not ask for more in an instrument costing two or three times the price. Of particular note is the drum head itself which is practically flawless. I saw other product reviews where the skin used for the head was rough and erratic. Not so here.It is sturdy and has a fantastic sound. I am truly amazed and pleased.

This is for beginners. If you’re an experienced player, you won’t really care much for it I would imagine. However, due to its price, it’s perfect for novices. I love the color. The sound is okay, and you’ll want to upgrade to a better, heavier tipper.

July 2013 Update: The price for this item does not appear to be stable. I purchased mine for $32.99 in December 2011 and it's currently listed for $49.89, so I stand by my reduction in stars for that reason. It's still a great drum and I love playing it, although I don't use it often enough for it to show significant wear; so I don't know how well it would hold up under heavier use. It's still an excellent drum for anyone wanting to explore this instrument without making a large financial investment.-------November 2012 update: The price of this drum has increased $20 since I purchased it. I am happy with my drum, but probably would not have purchased it at this price. For this reason, I have decreased it by one star. Just FYI. ~WG-------Let me preface this review with the caveat that I know next to nothing about drums. (I did read several reviews before ordering, as well as look up a few bodhran-specific terms in Wikipedia so I wouldn't be making a completely uneducated selection.) That said, this seems to be a great drum for my beginner needs.Although a bit "tinny" to my untrained ear, for the price I am inclined to ignore this small concern. Besides, it is possible the tone will soften out if I dampen the head (will update review after trying this) which is, indeed, real animal skin. It appears to be glued on, then tacked down with studs in a zig-zag pattern, as shown in the vendor's photo.There were three or four small scuffs on the high-gloss enameled frame, but again, this is a minor inconvenience for the cost of the item. Besides, it won't matter much since I'm planning to apply some Celtic-style decals over the enamel to spruce it up a bit (since I can't paint worth a crap). (Will consider having someone paint the head at a later date if I run across a qualified artist who charges significantly less than s/he is worth; I'm guessing a decal would unfavorably alter the sound if applied to the head, not to mention making dampening out of the question.)Construction seems sturdy, and it is much easier than expected to maneuver the flat of my hand under the head by pressing the back of my hand against the support struts (please note that I have long arms and large hands for a woman). The drum's weight could become a concern if I ever have to play it while standing longer than 15 minutes (but then, I'm out of shape, fat, and approaching 50); for now that's not an issue.In addition to the two cross bars inside, there is a slender "reinforcing" block attached to one side of the bottom edge of the rim. I'm not sure what it's for, but it doesn't impede my playing and may at some point become useful if I want to wedge my hand inside in a less obvious manner than I ken at this time. Or it could simply be a "stop" by which to hang the drum from a peg/nail with a flared end. Regardless, it does not come into contact with the head.The tipper supplied with the drum is lighter-weight than I at first wanted, but the lighter weight may allow for quicker tempos with less effort; without prior experience I can't say for sure. Regardless, after using it I like it better than I thought I would. The groove is off-center which I like, but I think I would prefer a ridge instead of the groove to keep it from slipping without having to grip as hard (no, I'm not gripping very hard: to allow rebound action I have to hold it fairly loosely). Of course, with practice--and some on-line reading--I expect to be able to accommodate this factor.The inner packing box is designed to be used as a tote, but the plastic handle comes out of the cardboard freely, making it risky to carry as intended. With some modification/reinforcement I suspect it can be made to work. For now it serves its function as a static storage container, protecting the bodhran from the rabid dust bunnies that have savaged my home.All in all I consider this an excellent buy. It is not a perfect instrument, but I paid less than $35 for it (I've not seen one this size at a brick & mortar store for less than $70...and I've been looking several years). It is an excellent choice for someone wanting to investigate this style of percussion without making a commitment-level financial investment.Of course, the jury is still out on how durable the thing is (there are several websites I intend to visit which discuss the care and feeding of bodhrans). Will update as time passes.June 21, 2012 update:It seems the price for this item has increased slightly since I posted my original review. Still, however, even for the $36+ this drum lists for now, it is an excellent price.I did experiment with dampening the drum head which pleasantly flattened out the tinny sound and deepened its voice significantly. Each drummer will need to experiment to discover the amount of water which produces the sound s/he prefers. Of course, the more water applied, the looser the head becomes until it no longer sounds like a drum.Do be careful about storing the drum in an overly dampened condition as the head is organic and will molder if kept damp for extended periods of time. However, I understand as skin it will need to be kept from drying out completely. It may be advantageous to purchase one of those guitar humidifiers to store with it. Also, as others have mentioned, it may also benefit the head to apply some kind of lotion...although I would recommend in-depth research before doing so to avoid using anything that will unpleasantly alter its qualities. Personally, I have not as of yet attempted either of these solutions. Drum still sounds good six months after purchase!

A very nice quality beginner to student bodhran. It looks great and actually sounds quite nice.

I ordered this drum as a holiday gift for my wife. The first drum we received seemed well made and was in good condition; however, there was green paint on the edge of the drum head and it was scraped at that spot as well. For the price, we felt the drum should be replaced, so returned it for a replacement. The replacement just arrived today in absolutely HORRIBLE condition! The drum is obviously used-it has what appears to be water damage, animal fur, muddy dirty smudges and on the back of the drum there is peeling green paint and cracks in the rim. Needless to say, we are returning this drum as well and have decided that the quality control is severely lacking with this company. Order at your own risk.

Gift for my grandson. He absolutely loves it! Sounds great.

I have a love/hate relationship with this drum. I purchased it as a Christmas gift for my husband, who is from north Dublin. He has no previous experience with percussion instruments, but likes trad music and has been curious about the bodhran for some time. "Oh," I thought, "This will be a fun surprise for him." LITTLE DID I KNOW.He loved it. Loved it! And now, he plays it INCESSANTLY. He plays it in the morning, while I get ready. He takes it to work with him and plays. He plays while I cook dinner. He marches with it around our yard. He said to me, AND I QUOTE, "This bodhran was a better gift than the PS4." This drum! Better than a Playstation!In his defense, he has improved in incredible leaps and bounds since Christmas. For someone with no previous experience, he is advancing quickly. But he is also driving me insane. So, the love/hate factor -- this drum makes me nuts, but it also makes him (almost deliriously) happy, which was the whole point. So, I do recommend it without reservation. Just, maybe also get some earplugs or something.