Aboriginal Art & Instruments - High Quality Didgeridoos

To give our online customers a better insight into our collection, we have compiled a cross-section of our didgeridoos. For your convenience, we have divided our instruments into several categories.

For purchasing a didgeridoo online select any of these categories and
mail us a price range, along with any other personal preferences you
might have. We will then select a number of instruments, photograph
them and send the images by email, along with a detailed description
and price. Details of payment and transport can be found here.
If the didgeridoo you are looking for is not represented in any of these
categories send us an email explaining your wishes. Bear in mind that
the instruments depicted on this page are examples of the relevant
categories and may not be available for purchase.

We offer discounts on wholesale orders of 5 didgeridoos or more.
For prices, terms and conditions mail us at wholesale@aboriginalart.nl

We are currently constructing a full-featured database with all our didgeridoos shown separately, with
details of appearance and musical quality, along with a picture, a sound sample, the price and an expert’s
opinion of the instrument. Subscribe to our mailing list if you would like to be notified on the launch of
our online webshop.

And now, on to our didgeridoos.

This type of didgeridoo usually has a simple, straight cylindrical shape and may be somewhat
curved or twisted. Some can have mild flares or even a minor bell. They usually have slender
trunks and measure 1.30 to 1.50 metres. They come in a wide range of keys, from B to F and
occasionally G. Mouthpieces on these instruments can be small (2.5 to 3.5 cm) or medium sized
(3.5 to 5.5 cm). The majority of our beginners didges are made from stringy bark eucalypt, while
some are made from bloodwood or other types of eucalypt wood.

Our beginner’s didgeridoos produce a basic, clear sound that, depending on the instrument, varies
from a mild dark bass to a sharp higher tone. The label ‘beginner’ does in no way imply that these
instruments are inferior or useless to serious musicians. It may be difficult to use more complex
playing techniques on these instruments, and experienced didgeridoo players might feel limited in
their playing, but for general music making they are very suitable. A beginner need not necessarily
start on a beginner’s didge.

Top - Beginners - Mid Range - Conicals (low) - Conicals (high) - Ext Conicals (low) - Ext Conicals (high)
Bark Bottoms - Bell Bottoms - Big Bells - Monster Trunks - Painted - Collector's Items - How To Order

Our mid-range didgeridoos have a much wider variety in shape and sound than our beginner
didges. Small bells and flares are more common in this category. Their shape is usually more
conical, and mouthpieces are generally medium-sized (3.5 to 5.5 cm). These didgeridoos measure
about1.40 to 1.60 metres, and can be made from any type of eucalypt, such as stringy bark,
bloodwood, boxwood, woolly butt and iron bark. Keys from our mid-range didgeridoos vary from
B to D#.

This category of instrument represents an extensive range of tones and sounds. Depending on the
type of didgeridoo, a mid-range instrument can produce a much darker, deeper bass or brighter,
clearer high tones than our beginner’s didgeridoos. The medium-sized mouthpieces and slight
conical shape of these instruments allow a larger variety of sounds and playing techniques. They
are just as suitable for beginners, but are often musically much more interesting than the
beginner’s range.

These instruments are conically shaped didgeridoos, which means that the diameter of the
didgeridoo gradually widens. The low tone variant measures 1.45 to 1.60 metres on average,
which is longer than the average cylindrical didgeridoo in the same key. They are often very
straight in shape, although a slight overall curve may occur among those from bloodwood. All low
tone conicals have medium-sized mouthpieces and are usually made of stringy bark, bloodwood
or woolly butt, but can just as well be made of boxwood or ironbark. Keys range from B to D.

Conically shaped didgeridoos can be distinguished from other types of didgeridoo by their
superior sound. Conical instruments have a wider range of sound; a deeper, fuller bass and clearer,
more pronounced high tones. The gradual shape of the inner column amplifies and harmonizes the
sound of the didgeridoo, which has a positive effect on playing techniques using vocal and throat
sounds. Furthermore, conicals produce a larger amount of trumpet tones with less effort. Because
the inner column of conicals give more back pressure, circular breathing becomes easier to uphold.
Therefore, more complex breathing patterns and more advanced playing techniques are easier to
accomplish.

High tone conicals not only differ in key from low tone conicals, they are usually a little shorter
(1.35 to 1.50 metres). Keys vary from D# to F#, with an occasional G, G# or A. As with low tone
conicals, mouth pieces are medium-sized, and the instruments are made of all types of eucalypt
wood, but they usually have a slightly larger flare or bell compared to the low tone range.

In general, high tone conicals are a little smaller in size than the low tone variety. Because of a
shorter column inside the instrument, these didgeridoos give a lot more back pressure than other
types of didgeridoos. This leads to experiencing a larger amount of pressure on the lungs when
playing and may require a more skilful player when performing advanced breathing and playing
techniques. Trumpet tones appear to be higher in tone and can be harder to produce. Nevertheless,
this type of instrument is very popular among our customers for its fast playing style and its
profound and unique sound.

Extended conicals are longer versions of our conical didgeridoos. A didgeridoo from this category
can easily measure between 1.60 and 1.80 metres and appear in all kinds of eucalypt wood,
although boxwood and ironbark is a lot less common. This type of didgeridoo is always very
straight, and compared to the regular low tone conicals the diameter of the bottom end of the
instrument will usually be a little wider. Mouthpieces are small to medium-sized, and keys range
from B-D.

Because of its larger size, extended conicals have a more voluminous inner column. This results in
having a larger sound box, which produces a deeper, warmer sound compared to normal conicals.
Due to the extra length and the gradual increase of diameter of the inner column, extended conicals
will have more trumpet tones than any other type of didgeridoo. These trumpet tones are usually
very easy to produce, are close to the ground tone of the instrument, and the primary trumpet tone
will sometimes even match the key of the instrument.

Our high tone extended conicals are currently the most popular instruments among professional
musicians. On average, they are a little shorter compared to their extended low tone counterparts
(1.50 to 1.75 metres), and usually have small mouthpieces (2.5 – 3.5 cm).They have a slender,
straight shape with hardlyany curves or twists. Most of these didgeridoos are made from stringy
bark, but they can appear in all the other wood types as well. Keys vary from D# to G.

Like the low tone extended conicals, this instrument benefits in several ways from its long conical
inner column. Sounds are warmer, deeper and more pronounced, and trumpet tones are plentiful,
easy to produce and are close to, or will even match the instrument’s ground tone. The small
mouthpiece combinedwith the long but slim inner column allows virtually any kind of playing style
and technique andmakes faster rhythms, tongue movements and complex mouth, jaw and throat
techniques easier toachieve. Its musical capabilities make the high tone extended conical the
instrument of choice formastering traditional playing styles. Inexperienced didgeridoo players may
find the smallmouthpiece and the slightly increased amount of back pressure of the instrument
difficult to copewith, but in time will appreciate its possibilities.

As you can see in the picture below, bark bottoms are didgeridoos with the tree bark still on the
bell. This organic, earthy appearance is purely aesthetic and does not improve the sound of the
didge in any way. Bark bottoms are always made from iron bark eucalypt, a wood type that
usually has cylindrical-shaped inner columns. This makes them less interesting for more advanced
musicians. The density of the wood and the added bark on the bell usually makes these
instruments a little heavier than bark-less didgeridoos.

Most of our bark bottoms can be qualified as mid-range didgeridoos, although other qualities may
appear in our new collections. Keys vary from B to F.

Bell bottoms are didgeridoos where the lower part of the instrument is dramatically wider. It is
basically a didgeridoo with an added sound box. The instruments in this category have medium
bells that are about 15 to 25 cm in diameter and usually between 1.40 to 1.60 metres long. They
can appear in virtually any musical quality, key or wood type, although the majority comes in
bloodwood.

The main advantage of a bell is the amplification it generates, allowing you to produce more
voluminous sound with less effort. Bass notes and lower tones particularly benefit from this, and
playing techniques using voices and roars come out stronger.

Big bells do not just have a larger bell, but are also a little larger overall than the smaller bell
variety, with a wider inner column. These instruments measure 1.50 to 1.80 metres on average,
and bells can be anywhere between 25 to 40 cm in diameter. Like the smaller bells, they appear in
all regular keys, and can be made out of any type of eucalypt wood, although bloodwood is the
most common.

Because of the size of the bell, these particular instruments will resonate even more, allowing very
loud sounds with minimal effort, and highly emphasized bass and low tones.

Monster trunks are enormous didgeridoos, often very long and heavy, with large inner columns
and huge bells that vary from 30 to 45 cm in diameter. Mouthpieces are usually medium to large
and the instruments measure about 1.50 to 1.80 meters. Some of them come with inserts in order to
fine tune the key of the instrument and to reduce the size of the mouthpiece so that less air is
needed when playing.

The main feature of monster trunks is the incredible amount of bass and volume they produce.
Very loud drones can be easily achieved, although fast playing styles and more complex playing
techniques may be difficult to master.

The majority of our current collection of painted instruments can be classified as mid-range
didgeridoos. Before these instruments are painted they are subjected to a thorough inspection in
order to guarantee their durability and musical quality. Once the instrument is approved, it is
treated with protective layers of coating before it is decorated. During our journeys across
Australia we have made contact with several artists who continue to provide us with both
traditional and contemporary aboriginal art designs for our didgeridoos.

Currently we have only a small collection of painted didgeridoos in stock as our policy is to select
didgeridoos for their musical quality rather than their appearance. Also, we have found that many
painted didgeridoos we have come across recently can unfortunately only be classified as
souvenirs rather than instruments. However, we intend to import a larger amount of painted
didgeridoos in the future, depending on our clients’ demands.

Didgeridoos in our collector's range are all exceptionally rare instruments of various sorts and
kinds. In this category you will find extremely long conicals (>1.80 metres), beautifully painted,
carved or burned didgeridoos, extremely large monster trunks or big bells, exceptionally beautiful
bell-bottoms, extreme low key (low G or A) didgeridoos and double or even triple didgeridoos;
instruments that have one shared bell with two or three pipes.

Some of these instruments, like the triple didgeridoos, are visually and aesthetically interesting but
lack certain musical qualities. Others, like the extremely long high tone conicals, have a similarly
striking appearance but they also have musical qualities that will gratify even the most demanding
musician.

Aboriginal Art & Instruments - Paleisstraat 137 - 1012 ZL Amsterdam - Tel +31 (0) 20 4231333 - Fax +31 (0) 20 4941965