DojoDrums.com

I have been fortunate to have been a Protection Racket user since they came on the market. I still use some of the original cases. I have been an endorser of their products for about 7 years (check the labels on any bag :) and as part of that arrangement I feed information back into PR regarding what users' needs on the ground are and how products can be tailored to meet the needs of specific users and remain relevant to the users of today.

I am a musical instrument designer by trade and part of the endorser/endorsee process for me involved the design of the newly released Protection Racket range of bodhran cases. I am delighted with how they have turned out.

I had been using a snare drum case for my bodhrans but always wanted something a little more featured for the needs of a gigging and travelling musician.

In one of our many email conversations, Dean introduced me to the PR throne case (image left), designed for large drum stools.

It has a flat bottom, backpack style straps and an internal fleece protector.

It took about a half second for my designer-mind to see that with a little tweaking of the basic design, an 'ultimate' bodhran case could be created. And so the process started.

Design research & process

As a gigging musician who travels quite a bit I drew on my own personal experience of what I would need on the road; I also approached two different groups of users to ask what they felt would be important in the design of a practical and necessary piece of equipment.

I am a member of several bodhran groups and I run the website bodojo.com, the largest bodhran forum on the web. I polled the members of the groups about sizes, features, hates and desires. Thanks especially to the Bodojo Forum members and the Yahoo Bodhran Group members for their participation.

My musical and bodojo activities also place me in contact with many of the 'big name players' in the bodhran world. As opportunities arose, I asked them the same kinds of questions and specifically about features that would be of great practical use to a musician on the road. The removable shoulder strap came from a conversation with Johnjoe Kelly for example.

I collated all the information and started to make recommendations for a product design with Dean. We took the throne case design as our basic model and started tweaking. There were many ideas but of course we need to be practical in terms of feasible manufacturing and thereby minimising the eventual cost of the product.

I received a few prototype cases along the way, each bearing improvements on the previous. I have been using one of the last batch pf prototypes for 12 months now and it bears absolutely no damage from a year of gigging, sessions, airport baggage handlers & road crew. This case is built for the job, performs perfectly every time and is guaranteed for life.

Here are the eventual changes

• Added a 12 stick 'cartridge belt' tipper holder into the lid of the case
• The original flap is part-stitched to the lid to become a large & protective fleece pocket for set lists, mics, transmitters, and provides a safe place for car keys, wallets, watches & such valuables beside a player on stage.
• In seconds the flap and holder combine to become an onstage tipper rack for fast access
• Added a shoulder strap (thanks Johnjoe)
• Available in 4 sizes from 12-20" drums.

Now that the cases are available I am delighted with the final product. The development process from concept through prototyping and onto manufacture took around 2 years but the wait has been worth it. Thanks to Dean & all at PR for working with me to create the ULTIMATE bodhran case.

Construction

From Protection Racket Website

When it comes to construction of our drum cases there is no compromise in material quality. A lot of thought, experience and rigorous testing goes into every case. From concept to design to production can take up to 18months and every case is put through it’s paces by Team Protection Racket. By the time it’s reached the shops we have 100% confidence in it’s performance.

In the highly unlikely event of a fault with your case, simply return it to Protection Racket for inspection and based on it's age & condition, we will repair or replace it for you free of charge.

Racketex

High abrasion resistance 600 denier polyester it won’t fade, crack or shrink. 100% water-proof high stability in extreme climatic conditions. In any colour you like as long as it’s black!! Classic!

Propadd

Superior dual density foam hard on the outside and soft on the inside, giving incredible strength & rigidity whilst keeping the cases very light. The characteristics deflect and dissipate impact forces so that none of the shock passes to the instrument in transit.

Propile

A non abrasive, synthetic fleece that removes surface moisture & preserves tonal stability between gigs. Maintains instrument well being & polishes & cleans your drums in transit!!

Zips & Thread

Heavy duty nylon spiral chain, indestructible, waterproof, rot proof! The Stitching Thread: Bonded nylon that doesn't deteriorate and holds the case together even if an area of stitching is breached. Double Stitching: To first complete the wall and two ends separately and then to join them together giving twice the security at the corners and edges for greater protection and durability.