Michael Vignoles Claddagh drums

My "Claddagh Bodhrans"

by Marie Sullivan ©0407

A BoDojo members review of her drums,
Edited for BoDojo by JoBo 04-2007

I first met Michael Vignoles at the Irish Festival, now the Irish Connections Festival, which is the annual fund raiser for the Irish Cultural Centre of New England. I loved the sound of his bodhrans from that first meeting. Alas, I was not able to buy one until the following year.

Michael comes across as a somewhat shy and reserved gentleman. He is happy to show you his instruments and give you quick tips on how to play them as you come by his booth. He is always happy to answer any questions you might have about his wares.

The year I bought my first bodhran from him, he had started with a new (then) tuning system that was entirely inside the rim of the drum - nothing was visible but a small hole that allowed you access to the top of the tuning screw. I went through every drum on the table and found a couple 18 inch bodhrans I liked, but I wasn't quite sure yet. Michael was moving something under the table, and I spied another drum. I asked to try it, but he was concerned as he hadn't finished it yet. As soon as I hit it, I knew this was the one I wanted. That night, I ran out to the store to get some very fine sand paper, so he could finish sanding off the hair on the head. He also still had to finish putting the strapping around the front. I was thrilled with my new bodhran. The sound was already so close to what I wanted and I knew that its voice would wake up beautifully for me.

Just over a year later, I ran into a problem with my bodhran. I play out doors a lot and I was working at a Renaissance Faire in Maine, USA. I was camping out in a tent, so the bodhran was really getting hit with all sorts of weather variance. I can only suppose that one of the small metal disk that the tuning screws strike slipped and the screw bit into the tuning ring. Between the screws now both pushing and pulling the ring and the humid and hot weather, I completely warped the ring and two of the screws no longer worked. I was also getting a horrible buzz from the skin when I played and could not get the skin tight enough.

Terribly upset at the damage I had caused to my poor bodhran, I wrote Michael and he said to send him the drum immediately and he would see what he could do to fix it.A few weeks later, I got the drum back. He had replaced all of the strike disks and fixed them in place. He had repaired the holes in the tuning ring. He was concerned about replacing the ring, as the skin had 'broken in' to the warp in the ring. What I discovered is that, even though the ring is still warped, I have my lovely sound back again.

Michael and I both learned a lesson from that. He made changes to his tuning system,including some that we had discussed because of the problem I had created. Since then, he has moved to a tuning system on the inside of the rim of the bodhran and has now created a toolless tuning system.

I've always found it very easy to talk with Michael. He has always treated me with respect and has always listened to my ideas. When it was time for me to get a new drum, because I needed a couple of changes for my playing and carrying, Michael was happy to sit down with me to discuss exactly what I wanted. He brought over 4 bodhrans within my specifications for me to try. I had owned my first Vignoles bodhran for 5 years and even with the warp, it was still going strong.

Because I perform outdoors so often, my bodhrans get very dirty very quickly. To try to prevent damage to the skin from the dirt and the dust, I use saddle soap to wash them. Unfortunately, there were several faires where I didn't have a chance to wash the drums the way I wanted, and I have had to get a little creative in the cleaning. Because of this, I was always worried that the skins would get too dry. I found a liquid Mink Oil which I started to use on the face of the drum, along with Mink Oil Paste. The combination of cleaning and conditioning has left my skins very soft and pliable. Michael was astounded at how soft the skin on my first drum had become.

This also allowed me to understand that I prefer a softer, more pliable and supple skin when playing. I like to be able to bend my skin and get a variety of tones. I was often told that I sounded like a bass guitar behind the music. As my playing has progressed, this tonal playing has become more important to me. I was having a problem with the 'spine' of the goat running across the middle of the bodhran head. I would get 6-8 'tones' above the spine but only 3-4 below. Tones on the spine would go 'flat' as well, not ringing out as they do on the rest of the skin.

I took all of these ideas and concepts to Michael. He made several drums for me to choose from, all with the 'spine' off to one side and with nice, uniform skins that were soft to start. I found two that I really liked and got both of them. I ended up keeping one and the other went to my band mate. It's kind of fun to see both of us up on stage beating on identical bodhrans.

I recorded our CD with that drum and it is currently my primary. It has a beautiful voice with a nice full range and handles changes in temperature and humidity much better that other drums I've tried. Both of my Claddagh Bodhrans have been put through hell and then some. Renaissance Faires mean living in a tent for weeks, walking though the woods scraping on branches and bark and rocks, small children randomly hitting your drum as you pass - or worse, pretending it's a shield and whacking at it with their little wooden swords or sticks. Last year, my drum was borrowed for a performance outside and the drum rolled off of the stage, dropping 2 feet to the cement parking lot and bouncing twice before being rescued. It needed a little wood glue and a clamp to be back in shape. I've asked a lot of these drums, not just musically, and they have always come through for me.

In comparing Claddagh Bodhrans to other drums I find them to be a good, sturdy higher end drum for a modest price. Michael's Pro-line drum - The Angler - with the new key less tuning system retails for $295 (US). All of the drums I've tried with voices comparable, in my opinion, have been pricier, sometimes much more. This is, in a way, an entry level price for a pro-line drum. Before I purchased my second Claddagh, I tried a variety of other bodhrans. I found that the ones that were similar to my Claddagh in voice and design were usually at least $100 more. I couldn't find a bodhran that better met my needs in a year of searching. The only bodhran that I felt would be a step up for my playing style, rather than sideways, would be a Seamus O'Kane. I would never consider bringing an O'Kane to a Renn Faire though...... ;-)

Listen to two 'CD' tracks here

The Well below the Valley

Bonnie Susie Clellen

 

 

I just received my O'Kane last month. Seamus was wonderful. He listened to what I wanted in a drum and made one specific to my wants. I've had the O'Kane out to play at sessions around the Boston area. It is a very light drum with a wonderful voice with nearly half again as many tones as the Claddagh. The O'Kane is very susceptible to changes in heat and humidity though and I have found myself tuning constantly on damp nights. The Claddagh is much more forgiving in varying atmospheres. The O'Kane is intended for recording - and it will outperform most drums in the studio, but I will reserve it for that use and keep my trusty Claddagh for my daily use.

©Marie Sullivan 0407

First, I'd like to thank Marie Sullivan (better known in the Bodhrandojo Yahoo Group as M.Starfire) here for sharing these "Full" tracks on Bodojo for everyone to enjoy. (A limited supply (some 50) of the CD are still for sale ($15 plus shipping) , if You like one click the CD picture above).