- Fiddler's
Grove (They will make to order!)
- 2091 SW 30 Terrace
Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33312
USA
phone 954-270-9764 (ask for Marty)
- 2091 SW 30 Terrace
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* Tippers
Tippers come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and materials. Logically, the smaller the drum, the smaller the tipper. Likewise, if you have a small hand, you will probably play with a smaller tipper. I tend not to play with tippers that are much longer than the wide span of my hand from little finger to thumb.
The first tipper I ever played with was the rough unfinished piece of pine that comes with most beginner drums. They are generally too short and clumsy to do more than a limited range of down and up strokes. You'll rarely get any top notes off them.
My next tipper went the opposite extreme. Long and heavy with a huge off-centered knob in the middle, that made it easier to grip and less likely to fly out of my hand. It was also slow and tiring on my arm. Neither of these two tippers is pictured above. I threw away the first one, and traded the second one.
In its place I received the tipper that is sixth from the left pictured above. I still wanted the off-center knob, but not so big, so a friend wrapped some leather around it for me.
That bent piece of wood in the middle of the picture is a piece of a tree branch cut off and sanded fifteen minutes before a gig when I realized I'd left my tippers at home 40 miles away. It was light and difficult to play but it worked in a pinch. I keep it around for humility.
The straight thin tippers are what I call my "speed" tippers. They fairly fly in my hand, and are the tipper of choice for polkas.
The third tipper from the right has soft rubber balls that give a neat bounce along with a muted thump. I think of it as my exercise tipper because I have to work to catch it and push it back towards the head. Very fun to play.
The three tippers on the far left are different types of brushes. I've tried lots of trap set drummer's brushes, but found them too long and stiff, as well as damaging to the drum head. I don't really even like the brush tipper made specially for bodhrán. The plastic bristles sound too scratchy and have no weight to them. My favorite is handmade from two 1" paintbrushes tapes together.
You'll eventually find two or three great tippers that will serve most of your needs, but you'll probably not be able to resist buying more tippers. It's the bodhrán players inexpensive addiction.
(My favorites in this picture are (from left to right) numbers 1 (the paintbrushes), 10, 14, and 18. The rest are just for show.)