The Maker
A little documentation about me and my work:
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My name is Christian Hedwitschak, I’m in my early forties and I’m actually a master cabinet maker by profession. As a long-standing member of an Irish folk band and a regulary guest musician of John Barden I had been on the lookout for a really good bodhrán for years. Unfortunately (or was it fortunately?), I never found exactly what I was looking for. This led me to start experimenting with building my own bodhráns.
I still feel sorry for the poor old goat that sacrificed its skin for my first attempt. If it had seen what I made out of its skin, it would have turned in its grave...Anyway, I didn’t stop at this first drum (which is still around, by the way). One thing led to another, and I decided to apply the expertise I had gained from carpentry to building instruments.
I developed my own systems for tuning bodhráns, and set out to track down the perfect skin.
Now I’m a professional bodhrán maker since more than nine years, and my drums are rapidly gaining a name for themselves all over the world.
Of course I didn’t reinvent the wheel in bodhrán making and I started from a point that was reached by other makers.
Both building and playing technique for the bodhrán are still in development stage. Many people have been driving these developments in previous years, especially the late Charlie Byrne, who probably was the first famous professional bodhrán maker.
Also let’s not forget Seàn Ò Riada who brought Irish Music and the bodhrán to stage back in the fifties. You can find more about the history of the bodhrán at Rolf Wagels page.
However at this point I would like to take the opportunity to thank one person who was very influential in my work and who also accompanied me on my way like no other colleague: Seamus O´Kane. Especially the development of the RWE bodhrán (Rolf Wagels Edition) would have been impossible without his help. In the last years, Séamus was always open for exchange of ideas and sometimes a „knight in shiny armour“. While other colleagues probably had some difficulties with my surprising success and tried some nasty actions to save the day, Séamus was always supporting and a great rear cover. A drum maker, developer and gentleman second to none! No one is making drums and tippers for a longer period of time. Almost all existing tuning systems can be traced back to him, and also the introduction of tape on the bodhrán skin can be ascribed to him.
Thanks a million for everything, Séamus!
The bodhrán has become the focus and mainstay of my life. So it makes me all the happier that my hard work is paying off, and that so many professional musicians all over the world are playing my instruments and recommending them to others. On the next pages, you can find out more about the high quality and unique design of my products for yourself.
As the saying goes: BBBB ... Better Buy Bavarian Bodhráns ;o) Enjoy !
Christian Hedwitschak
A keen eye for excellent design and natural beauty.
A flair for practical functionality.
The expertise to achieve maximum results and the sound you desire.
The basis for the manufacture of new drums is the constant analysis and review of existing instruments.
