There are many different types and price ranges of didgeridoos to compare out there in the world. You will find that one or two might suit your taste or needs more than another. Granted, unless they are a molded PVC plastic didgeridoo they are not all alike. In the rest of this article, we will discuss nine classifications:Traditional Aboriginal Didgeridoos, Modern Hardwood Didgeridoos, Agave, Bamboo, Ceramic, Fiberglass, Teak, Leather, and last but not least, Plastic Didgeridoos. Also, we will give you a rough idea of what you may expect the price to be for each of these types of didgeridoos.

Traditional Aboriginal Didgeridoos: This classification of didgeridoo encompasses all termite hollowed eucalyptus didgeridoos, both painted and unpainted that come from Australia and were made by certified Australian Aboriginals. Traditionaly the didgeridoo originates from the northern parts of Australia, such as Arnhem land, and is made by the Yolngu people who call it by its original name -- yidaki. The yidaki is essentially a termite hollowed tree from the land down under and belongs to a class of instruments know as aerophones. An aerophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes. Depending on where you are looking to buy from, the “traditional didgeridoo” you choose may in fact be an imposter. Contrary to popular belief, Australia is the largest importer of teak didgeridoos from Indonesia. While often looking Aboriginal in design and origin these inexpensive didges are NOT. Unfortunately due to the demand tourists have to bring home an authentic "Yidaki" who visit Australia, Australian business owners will sometimes pay minimal costs to supply this demand with traditional looking didgeridoos that are non-traditional. This comprises sound quality and ethical buying routines that other didge shops may or may not follow. Good portions of the traditional didgeridoos that are made by Australian Aboriginals now have certificates of authenticity hung on the instrument. That certificate is an easy way to tell where it is made, who it is made by and where it comes from. Not all traditional eucalyptus didgeridoos are made by aboriginal people therefore, not all Australian eucalyptus didgeridoos will have certificates of authenticity. These instruments range between hundreds to thousands of dollars and can even be found weighing in over 10 lbs. Note: if you decide to buy one on-line make sure to ask for the certificate of authenticity.

Modern Hard Wood Didgeridoos: This classification encompasses all non-termite hollowed didgeridoos, that are typically cut in half and reassembled. Dragon Fly Rhythms is just one of many non-traditional didgeridoo makers, who specialize in these types of didgeridoos. Like all didgeridoo choices, there are many options with this classification. You can choose from almost any type of tree and sound shape. Typically speaking, crafters of these didgeridoos are aiming for their instruments to sound a certain way using various techniques. Typically speaking, these didgeridoos are all keyed to a note on the chromatic scale. CLICK HERE to view our hands on pictorial demonstration of how we craft our didgeridoos with what we call the "split log" technique. Like all didgeridoos, a modern hardwood didgeridoo is a choice. What wood, what note and what sound shape to choose from. We spend a great deal of time sanding and smoothing out the inside surface of each of our didgeridoos in order to give them less restrictions with more versatility in terms of response, acoustic resonance and vocal abilities providing each of them with excellent sound qualities. Cost can be a factor with this classification which can range from beginner to concert quality. we have seen hardwood didgeridoos range from the hundreds to the thousands and like traditional didges can be found weighing up to 10 lbs or more. You can typically find these instruments for about $250 to $500. CLICK HERE to view some of our Hard wood didges for sale.

Agave Didgeridoos – This classification of didgeridoos is limited to the instruments made from the dried flower spike of all species of succulent plants in the agave genus. These didgeridoos range in size from large to small and have a very typical sound shape. Most of the agave didgeridoos we have heard so far sound very full. The volume of sound is large and typically has big low end (lots of bass). These didgeridoos are typically made by splitting them in half and reassembling them or by burning them from the inside out. As with the hardwood didgeridoos, they are typically keyed to a note on the chromatic scale and could be a wise buy if the sound shape and appearance of the instrument are pleasing. Once again, these instruments range in price from around a hundred to thousands. The average range for these instruments is around $150 to $300 and as a general rule weighs less than 5 lbs. CLICK HERE to view some of our hand made agave didges for sale.

Bamboo Didgeridoos – This classification will encompass all didgeridoos made from hearty bamboo stalks. You can find many of these instruments out there, from the home made versions that Jeremy used to make to the commercial versions often found tucked away in the corners of most major music store chains. These didgeridoos are usually not pitched to a specific note unless an experienced crafter made it. The sound scape of this type of didge is often rather bassey due to thier wide bore and thin walls. Depending on the player they can be quite responsive in terms of their vocal range. For most people bamboo makes a good beginer didge and tends to be fairly easy to play due to its moderate to high backpressure. These instruments are generally not that expensive and can be found for around $100 or less and mostly weigh between 1 and 2 lbs. More expensive hand made versions can also be found decorated and would be keyed to a note on the chromatic scale. If you are on a limited budget and you really want a didgeridoo, bamboo may be a good choice.

Regarding sound quality, its also good to note that didgeridoos with thinner walls have more bass resonance. Thicker walls create a laser like sound that can be more audibly penetrating or often louder to the listener. Bamboo didgeridoos are good examples of didges with thin walls that naturally produce volumious bass but often lack in amplitude. Depending on the player, the mid and high frequecy ranges of a bamboo didge might be less or seem quieter, when compared to many hard wood didgeridoos that have thicker walls.

Ceramic Didgeridoos - This classification of didgeridoos are produced from earthen clay using "donut" forms on a potters wheel and then pieced back together. These didges are great examples of functional art. Mazamar Creations make some exceptional pieces that play quite nicely. These have a very unique crisp "ringing" sound that is quite resonate in vocals and often contain high fundamental frequencies in its drone that have one or more natural overtones you can audibly pick up by ear. These instruments are usually keyed to a specific note and range in price from $150 to $500 and may weigh a 2 or 5 lbs on average. A great choice for the didge enthusiast that likes to travel on account of how small they are. However these didges should be considered stoneware and like the expesive plates you keep in your kictchen cabinet these instruments can sustain structural strains if accidentally dropped or misuesd in any way. Lindsey owns a Mazadu^TM didge called "heart chakra" and loves it!

Fiberglass Didgeridoos – This classification of didgeridoo encompasses all didgeridoos made from a fiber reinforced plastic a.k.a. Fiberglass. Jeremy is in the process of developing a line of perfectly pitched concert quality, low cost fiberglass didgeridoos for sale. In an ongoing effort to provide the public with a good sounding durable instrument Jeremy began making fiberglass didgeridoos tuned to the the keys of E, F, & G. With a specific type of sound shape in mind, he has spent three months and countless hours working on different molds, which now he can use to replicate great sounding, fun playing, and extremely durable instruments at a very reasonable price. With these instruments the inside bore tends to be free of cavities and ridges producing a very solid & smooth surface. The sound is very clear and bright, giving it trumpet like responsiveness. As for the material Jeremy uses marine grade epoxy resins while other fiberglass didge makers could use anything from cheaper polyester resins to a hemp based resin. As the material is not earth friendly, it is best to not toss these instruments in a landfill if you are done with them or if they have structural issues. One advantage of a fiberglass didgeridoo over a bamboo or wood didgeridoo is that it can be fixed very easily with materials acquired from any Big Box Store or Auto Parts Store. These instruments tend to range from about $75 to $250 and only weigh a few pounds each. CLICK HERE to view some of Jeremy's fiberglass didges for sale.

Teak Didgeridoos – Indonesia is the largest exporter of didgeridoos to Australia and this has beome their major product line due to the tousist trade in Australia. Teak, though somtimes expensive in the U. S. and the better part of Europe is rather inexpensive in Indonesia. This wood prized by mariners everywhere is rather hastily harvested and turned into cheap commercial grade decorative instruments with sound qualitys that may be compromised for quantity or quota. We like to think of these types as wall art and may or may not make a decent beginner didge to practice with. You can find these “instruments” everywhere from import shops to music stores and may be labeled everything from Authentic Didgeridoos to Decorative Art. Most of these didgeridoos sound quality range from bloody awful to incredibly good. We do not recommend these because they DO NOT support any indigenous Australian or Aboriginal cause and yet many times appear to replicate aboriginal dot style artwork on the outside. These decorations are usually made by Indonesian crafters using a Forstner drill bit welded to a steel rod and literally drilling a hole straight through a small log. The bell area is then widened using chisels and then quickly decorated. They are typically not cleaned on the inside leaving many shavings and off hanging pieces, which restrict air flow and make for an extreamly poor sound quality. Many of the people that I know that purchase these usually want us to “fix” them so they play better. Teak didges range from about $50 to $200 and could weigh between 3 and 5 lbs.

Leather Didgeridoos – This classification will encompass all didgeridoos made from any animal hide. Marko Johnson out of Salt Lake City, Utah is either the first or one of the first leather didgeridoo makers out there. After playing a leather didgeridoo JT DidgeFest in 2002 Jeremy was hooked and added two to his very own pesonal collection. Jeremy quotes "these didgeridoos are some of the most unique concert quality didges out there". The inside bore of these didgeridoos are smooth - not as smooth as the fiberglass didgeridoos but smooth none the less. The leather seems to have a unique effect on the sound. These types of didgeridoos tend to have clear vocalizations and have a nice solid low end but, the clarity of the higher frequencies is prominent. Jeremy loves these didgeridoos as they are light weight, sound great travel very well and have become his preferred concert didges. Jeremy quotes the following ~ "Anytime I have to go on an airline I only bring these with me. The leather is flexible even when in cold temperatures and can take the abuse of the airlines with a smile. Trust me, the first time you are in a 3 rd world country looking for epoxy to fix your traditional eucalyptus didgeridoo that did not fair well on the ride over, you will want one of these". A simple google search yielded a few other leather didgeridoos out there on the market but, stick with the original at www.rounddoor.com. If the sound shape of these didgeridoos are to your liking, we highly recommend these for any players skill level. The prices of these didgeridoos range from about $150 and up.

 

Plastic Didgeridoos – This classification will encompass all manor, shape size and type of didgeridoo made from plastic. Ok, if there is a more diverse subject as to the types of didgeridoos, we would like to see it.

Lets start on a good note, The Didjbox^TM and Didjflute^TM which is another masterpiece from Marko Johnson. We love these these little beauties and even resell them when we are at festivals as we love the principal behind them. These didgeridoos are compact, easy to play and easy to clean (if needed). These didgeridoos are all over the internet at prices well under $100 and we recommend them for everyone. A pefect beginner didgeridoo and are pitched or keyed to C.

The Didjeribone^TM is another didgeridoo that deserves a mention created originally by Australian bloke Charlie McMahon. This didgeridoo is made of PVC plastic and is straight with a conical bell. The great feature of this didgeridoo is that the mouthpiece portion can be extended to change the key or pitch of the instrument. The mouthpiece is a molded rubber that can be removed. Now the sound shape this instrument makes is rather limited and sounds just one step above a piece PVC piping bought at a hardware store. We have found that the bell on these didgeridoos, are the weak point. Once the bell breaks off,it can prove difficult to reassemble and have stay on there for a long time. If you are a budding didgeridoo player on a budget, this may not be a bad tool for you as it can play many keys. These didges are readily available on the net for under $200.

The Slidedidge^TM is another didgeridoo worth a mention and was invented by Scott Dunbar. This didgeridoo is an interesting tool designed for the beginner to the stage performer. This didgeridoo is pretty much played similar to the trombone, which makes it very vercetile. The sound shape of these instruments is pretty much the same as a plain piece of PVC Pipe but, this didge is vercitile. Once again, you can readily find these on the internet and they sell for under $200.

The next plastic didgeridoo we would like to mention is the bent PVC, which is painted and has a rubber mouthpiece. These didgeridoos are inexpensive, often sold with tutorial material and are lightly decorated. These didges are functional and are purpose built for the beginner in mind. As they are just bent PVC, decorated in a simple fashion, they are rather durable so they can take a bit of abuse. If you’re a beginner looking to practice on a less expensive model to start with you might try plain PVC purchased at your local hardware store. These types of didgeridoos are also found all over the net and typically sell for under $50.

The last didgeridoos we will talk about are the custom made variety of PVC instruments COMING SOON!

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