Didgeridoos handcrafted by Bruce Rogers

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DIDGERIDOOS BY BRUCE ROGERS are individually handcrafted musical instruments. Each is a durable, clear sounding didgeridoo, tuned to concert pitch and designed to be played.

Bruce's didgeridoos are made from one of four Eucalypt species from Far North Queensland, naturally hollowed by termites.

Bloodwood (Eucalyptus polycarpa)
Messmate-Stringybark (Eucalyptus tetrodonta)
Box (Eucalyptus normantonensis)
Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra)

Each log is worked by hand to a smooth finish. A varnish coating highlights and protects the natural beauty of the timber. Each didgeridoo is also fitted with a special wax-ochre mouthpeice and is hand numbered.

Most of Bruce's didgeridoos are custom made. If you have specific requirements in mind, Bruce is able to craft it from the raw log that best suits your desires.

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*Please note that the didgeridoos shown are samples only and are not for sale.*

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Reflections

"When I started playing didgeridoo, I could only find didges that were made as artefacts. Not a lot of consideration was given to the quality of sound, although if you did a lot of searching there were a few good ones around.

Playing live and doing session work, I wanted something with a rich responsive sound that was easy to play and tuned to a musical key, so I decided to try making my own. This meant using only the best quality 'sticks' I could find, with specific criteria for the shape and size of the log and its termite hole.

Everything I do to the raw stick is to improve the sound and make it pleasurable to play. I work each log to its natural key rather than the key that is convenient.

I also found that not much attention was paid to the mouthpiece. This is your point of contact, and it's important to have a comfortable mouthpiece that's properly sized. It's amazing the difference this can make to a didge's playability.

Most people play didgeridoo for the pleasure and the sublime sound it creates. With this in mind, it makes sense to play one that has absorbed some of the love and energy used to create it, rather than a 'manufactured' one.

It's also important that the didge have 'life'. It has to respond to each subtle sound I make and give me that warm, cocooned-in feeling that only didgereridoo players know."

B.R

A white man and the didgeridoo—a note to the indigenous people of Australia

Bruce has always been aware that his country first belonged to the Aboriginal people. He has the utmost respect for this and for the culture that has arisen from over 60,000 years of occupation and care for the land now known as Australia. Bruce believes there are many lessons Europeans can learn from Aboriginal people relating to our spirituality and role as custodians of the environment.

Bruce's interest in Aboriginal culture began at high school before he picked up the didgeridoo, and culminated in a two year journey around Australia. His first didges were made with the encouragement of the Wirigerie people of Far North Queensland.

Bruce sees the didgeridoo as an important traditional instrument having a diverse role in Aboriginal culture and a separate role in contemporary Australian music and World music.

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