SOLD Yidaki aka Didgeridoo aka Didjeridu Archive
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| See & hear it on YouTube |  artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra & Djul'djul Gurruwiwi F drone / Ab trumpet 53.75" long, 4.75" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece Clear and open with good volume and a balance of warm bass and smooth crispness that I like, horn is bright but still balanced. Versatile instrument. He has used a sawdust and araldite combo to fill an area in the mouthpiece and a small area in the distal end, functions and blends in pretty well. The artwork, in natural ochre and clay pigments, is Burrngupurrngu's Dhalwangu clan fresh water story, painted with a fine hand by Burrngupurrngu's wife Djul'djul Gurruwiwi. |
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 artist: Gapanbulu Yunupingu E drone / F# trumpet Dense and direct sound with good bass frequencies, volume and power. Jeremy Cloake's personal fav from around 12 Gapanbulu brought in that day. Has thequalities of a good Djalu instrument with the tighter upper section and higher back pressure of a younger craftsman. Mouthpiece is well shaped and fairly uniform, almost perfectly round. |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi Eb drone / F trumpet 65" long, 4.1" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece A classic Djalu yidaki. A big beast with a dense, direct, coarse, blunt and aggressive sound. Pretty easy to play. Great balance between drone and horn. The mouthpiece could use wax or a little more shaping as it has flat edges from chisel, but it's perfectly playable as is. Nice simple painting by Djalu's wife Dhopiya Yunupingu, including his signature three bands and a little suggestion of the storm. |
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 artist: Gapanbulu Yunupingu D drone / F trumpet 59" long, 4.25" bell, 1.5" mouthpiece A great instrument by Gapanbulu, player in the latter days of Yothu Yindi. Carefully crafted and well finished. Open, clear and smooth. Good bass and well balanced with all the power you want from a Djalu yidaki but the lighter weight and higher back pressure you'd get from a younger Yolngu crafstman. The mouthpiece is open, round and thin-walled, and perhaps too big for some players although it is perfectly playable as it is. I can provide a little black beeswax if desired. |
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 artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra & Djul'djul Gurruwiwi E drone / G trumpet 52.75" long, 4.5" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece Open, clear, bright and well balanced. A great example of a warm and powerful conical yidaki with good clarity of tone. There is a small amount of filler in the top, making a nice mouthpiece. The artwork, in natural ochre and clay pigments, is the Galpu clan yidaki power story, painted with a fine hand by Burrnupurrngu's wife Djul'djul Gurruwiwi. |
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 artist: Napurrawuy Wunungmurra E drone / F# trumpet 56" long, 4" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece This is a great and powerful yidaki! Smooth and clear with excellent balance of warm bas and clear highs, and a natural bore from top to bottom. Responds well when pushed. The mouthpiece was roughly shaped, so I added a very small amount of black wax just round it out and smooth the edges. The exterior is a little rough in shape, showing tool lines from planer and grinder. It is painted in acrylic with the design of Napurrawuy's Dhalwangu clan's saltwater estate of Garrapara. |
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 artist: Dhapa Ganambarr D drone / E trumpet 63.25" long, 3" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece Smooth, very easy and enjoyable to play with a midrangey but warm tone, excellent balance between drone and horn. Great edgy sound. The wood of the mouthpiece is perfectly round and easy to play on. This is a fine instrument from Dhapa, a fine young man from the Gangan outstation. |
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 artist: Larry Winiwini Gurruwiwi F drone / G# trumpet 53 3/8" long, 4 5/8" bell, 1 1/8" mouthpiece Powerful high-pitched instrument with bright and clear acoustics, soft horn tone despite pitch, good overall balance, well made with nice mouthpiece and good weight. A nice example from Djalu Gurruwiwi's heir. |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi C# drone / F# trumpet 60" long, 4" bell, 1 1/4" mouthpiece A nice typical example of a Djalu yidaki with moderate playing pressure, good bass and clarity, smooth horn tone. An unusually ornate dhatam, or waterlilly, painting by Djalu's wife Dhopiya, against a backdrop of Galpu clan water shimmering with the power of the rainbow. |
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 artist: Wapurrpurr Wunungmurra D# drone / F# trumpet 58" long, 4" bell, 1 3/8" mouthpiece A lovely yidaki with good warmth and bright, clear and lively acoustics. Good balance between drone and trumpet tone. It has an excellent natural bore and was well made by young man and ceremonial player Wapurrpurr who lives on his mother country at Wandawuy. There are two wood glue & sawdust knothole patches towards the top that have been painted over but are visible up close. The painting is in natural ochres, literally showing yam vines, but is symbolic of the story of the ancestor Ganbulapula and the first Yirritja yidaki, a significant story for several clans including Wapurrpurr's own Dhalwangu. |
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| See & hear it on YouTube CLICK FOR MORE PICTURES! |
 artist: Dhapa Ganambarr D drone / F trumpet 61 5/8 " long, 3 3/8" bell, 1 3/8" mouthpiece Well made, with nice woodgrain and ultra-fine Datiwuy clan design in acrylics. Moderate playing pressure, good bass and clarity, bright horn tone. Perfectly crafted round mouthpiece. Dhapa has created an instrument that has the sound and playability that Djalu loves. This is a great, warm and deep Yolngu power player that would also work for the slower meditative styles. |
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 artist: Buwathay Munyarryun F#-G drone / G trumpet 54" long, 3 3/8" bell, 1 1/8" mouthpiece This is a ripper with tight playing pressure, coarse and slightly dirty acoustics and a smooth horn tone. It's an excellent example of the modern, aggressive Wanguri clan preferred sound. The painting in natural pigments by ceremonial leader Buwathay Munyarryun represents gapu Gularri, the life giving waters of the river that runs by their remote homeland of Dhalinybuy - one of the loveliest and most welcoming communities in Arnhem Land. This is an incredibly beautiful instrument! |
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 artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra & Djul'djul Gurruwiwi Eb-E drone / G trumpet 56" long, 3 1/4" bell, 1 1/4" mouthpiece A great player with natural bore from top to bottom, open and clear, with bright horn tone that is still balanced with the drone. Nice comfortable wood mouthpiece. It's a versatile player but really sings for Yolngu-style playing with great grit and power. The artwork, in natural ochre and clay pigments, is the Galpu clan yidaki power story, painted with a fine hand by Burrnupurrngu's wife Djul'djul Gurruwiwi. |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi C# drone / E trumpet 61 1/2" long, 3 5/8" bell, 1 1/2 x 1 5/8" mouthpiece Smooth playing, good volume, clarity and bass, excellent balance between drone and horn. Not very heavy for a Djalu yidaki. Great for either slow, meditative western playing or the powerful rhythms Djalu loves. The mouthpiece was rough so I've added a small amount of black wax to round it out. The crafting is a little rough on the exterior of this one, showing angle grinder marks from top to bottom. The painting by Djalu's wife Dhopiya is his signature three bands and a dhatam, or waterlilly design set against Galpu clan rainbow-powered water. |
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 artist: Balku Wunungmurra D# drone / F# trumpet 55" long, 3 1/4" bell, 1 1/8" mouthpiece Clear and smooth playing with surprising bass from semi large and natural bore. Nice warm trumpeted note. Balku is the son of the late great Dhalwangu clan artist Yanggarriny, by whom he was trained as a maker of ceremonial objects. This is a classic old school yidaki, which you don't see often these days. In fact, I'd wager it had been around the community for a while as it has a used feel and a seemingly old internal mouthpiece patch made of glue and sawdust that has broken away a bit as if it is old. I've added a small amount of black wax to round out the mouthpiece. This is the bargain of the bunch. |
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 artist: Les Huddleston Lipwurrunga E drone / A 1st trumpet / F# 2nd trumpet 47" long, 4" bell, 1.5" mouthpiece This is a warm, powerful didgeridoo with a clear, open bore. It's a bit of a musical cannon! I know it very well as it was mine from 1994 to 2004. It's in fact the first sound you hear on my old band Didginus' first CD and appears on the cover of our second. I bought it at Clarion Music in San Francisco, which was THE source of didgeridoos in the USA at the time. Stephen Kent was at the shop part time back then and winced a little when I told him I bought it as he had been tempted as well. I sold it to Gil when I left the USA for Australia. He's selling it now for health reasons. I honestly wish I could buy it back, but must pass it on to you. It was made by Les Huddleston Lipwurrungu, whose family comes from the Roper River area, but who has lived in Darwin since around 1970. I can't speak about the story of the gorgeous artwork, but it appears to be a goanna at its nest on one side and a snake at its nest on the other side. I see Les now has a facebook page. I'll see if I can get more of a story on this. |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi C drone / F 1st trumpet / Db 2nd trumpet 61" long, 4.5" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece If you want a classic big and deep Djalu yidaki with a clear bore, this is it. I can vouch for this instrument 100% as I bought it from Djalu while working in Yirrkala in 2004 or 2005. It comes with the original certificate of authenticity from Buku-Larrnggay Mulka (assuming the seller can find it in his moving boxes!). The artwork by Djalu's wife Dopiya Yunupingu represents dhatam, the waterlilly and crosshatch illustrating the power of storm - it can be read as rain or the rainbow sheen on the surface of the water where the waterlilies are growing. I don't know if the yellow beeswax mouthpiece is needed, but I am leaving it as Gil has it. If you buy it, take it off and see if there's a good wood mouthpiece underneath! |
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 artist: Yali Mununggurr D drone / F# 1st trumpet / D# 2nd trumpet 58" long, 4" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece This is a KILLER yidaki Yali sold to the Buku-Larrnggay Mulka art centre in Yirrkala in 2004 or 5. I sold it to Gil, who is now selling it due to a health issue. This has a strong, clear tone with a great balance of warmth and crispness. It's a power player suitable to many styles. I wish I could keep it for myself! The artwork refers to Djapana, thunderclouds on the horizon at sunset down river from Dhalinbuy, Yali's mother country where he lives. I've left the yellow beeswax mouthpiece Gil added, but if it were mine, the first thing I would do is remove it and see if there's a playable wood mouthpiece underneath. |
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 artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra F# drone / A 1st trumpet A powerful cannon of a yidaki by one of the masters, painted in his Dhaḻwangu clan miny'tji buy his wife, Djul'djul Gurruwiwi. If you want high pitch, power and warmth, this is the one. |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi C drone / E trumpet 62 " long, 4" bell, 1.5" mouthpiece Deep and warm, good for both slow yidaki style and western meditative didjeridu styles. Djalu's yidaki rarely have ornate paintings over the whole surface, but his daughter Räliny has provided one here, featuring Wititj the olive python. |
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 artist: Ngongu Ganambarr F# drone / G trumpet 51.5" long, 4.5" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece A ripper by Ngongu, painted with his mother's Wangurri clan design. |
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 artist: Balku Wunungmurra E drone / G trumpet 52" long, 3.25" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece This is a nicely balanced yidaki that feels like it's straight from the bush. Balku's painting in natural ochres and pipe clay shows djapana, clouds on the horizon at sunset, and a yidaki player and a dancer. All this together suggests funeral ceremony. |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi E drone / E trumpet 66 " long, 5.5" bell, 1.4" mouthpiece Black is beautiful. If you want big and powerful Djalu tone, this could be the beast for you. It's loud, dirty and direct. This will get the wind blowing. I've been told Djalu used it around the community a bit before selling it, and knowing him, I believe it. He normally like a bit warmer a sound, but he loves power like this. This would also not be the first time I've seen him go with the plain black look for an instrument he played for himself for a while. |
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 artist: Datjirri Wunungmurra F# drone / F# trumpet 58" long, 4" bell, 1.15" mouthpiece This beautifully crafted yidaki is from my personal collection. I'm very reluctantly letting go. It's an absolute ripper by Datjirri Wunungmurra that I bought from Buku-Larrnggay Mulka, the Yirrkala art centre, back in 2001. I love this yidaki, but rarely go for this super high and loud style anymore, so it should go to someone who will rock it out. |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi E drone / A 1st trumpet / F# 2nd trumpet 51" long, 3.5" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece This is a great, powerful ripper. This is not a large instrument as many would expect from Djalu, but I've seen him make many like this as well. The artwork is of clan bands and a detailed section of Wititj, the olive python that is the principal totem of Djalu's Galpu clan, along with the dots and crosshatch representing the power of storm and rainbows. If you want a higher pitched ripper from Djalu, grab it! |
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 artist: Ngongu Ganambarr F drone / Ab trumpet 53" long, 3.25" bell, 1 1/8" mouthpiece A ripper by Ngongu painted with his Datiwuy clan designs. Nice aggressive tone but more warmth and brightness than the other very midrangey yiḏaki I have available from Ŋoŋu at the moment. |
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 artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra D drone / G trumpet 54" long, 3.5" bell, 1.5" mouthpiece A nice, basic instrument by Burrngupurrngu painted by his wife Djul'djul with his Dhalwangu clan art. Light weight with a nice, open bore. Great balance of warm bass and bright harmonics. Versatile for any playing style. Since the video and photos, I have added a small amount of black wax and have used this yiḏaki to perform one song at two gigs. I love this one. Buy it! |
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 artist: Datjirri Wunungmurra & Mikey Guyanya Gurruwiwi Eb drone / G trumpet 55" long, 3 3/8" bell, 1 1/16" mouthpiece This simple instrument would be good for a beginner who needs higher pressure to help with tone and breathing. The tightness at the top gives it that pressure while the flare to the bottom loans the tone good warmth. From the look of it, I didn't expect this yidaki to have the nice balance of tone that it has. |
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 artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra Eb drone / G trumpet 53" long, 3.25" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece A nice, basic instrument by Burrngupurrngu. Painted in natural ochres and pipe clay. |
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 artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra D drone / G trumpet 53" long, 3" bell, 1 3/16" mouthpiece A nice, basic instrument by Burrngupurrngu. Painted in natural ochres and pipe clay. Fairly light, with good warmth. Not too bright. |
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 artist: Ngongu Ganambarr F# drone / G trumpet 53" long, 4" bell, 1 1/16" mouthpiece A ripper by Ngongu painted with his Datiwuy clan designs. It has an interesting and unusual almost rectangular-shaped bell end. The tone is very midrangey and agressive. This is a raunchy yiḏaki to rip on, not a didjeridu to sit around and play meditative tones. |
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 artist: Unknown Ab drone / Eb trumpet 67 " long, 9" bell, 1.25" mouthpiece (wax) If you want a deep and woody tone, you can't do better than this instrument that I dubbed "The Giant Didj with a Boot." I purchased this beast in 1999 from a reputable gallery in Darwin. They sadly could not identify the maker, but it was a playable super deep didj that I couldn't resist. It's fun to have around, but I barely ever play it, so it's time to move it on. Not that I have any idea how I'm going to ship it! |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi Eb drone / Gb trumpet 56-3/8 " long, 3-3/4" bell, 1-3/8" mouthpiece A classic Djalu with great artwork. It's lightweight and well made. Good mouthpiece, although some might want a little wax to close it up a bit. Good clarity and balance. Versatile for many styles from blaring Djalu's west wind to warm, meditative drones. |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi D drone / F trumpet 60-1/2 " long, 4" bell, 1-5/16" mouthpiece Jeremy Cloake says, "best one he has made for ages." It's warm and rich with great balance of high and bass frequencies. Perfect sized mouthpiece cut at a slight angle that's very comfortable with the instrument leaning downwards. This one is a classic Djalu sound without being too big or heavy. Definitely a keeper. |
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 artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra D drone / F# trumpet 55-1/8 " long, 3-1/2" bell, 1-5/16" mouthpiece A nicely balanced, warm yet crisp yidaki with good middle back pressure. Versatile for many styles, but of course sings when played the Yolngu way. Comfortable mouthpiece and natural bore. Burrngupurrngu's wife Djul'djul' painted her own Gälpu clan design of Djaykuŋ, the Javanese file snake, and crosshatch referring to djäri, the rainbow. If none of you buy this, I will be quite happy to keep it for myself! *$100 from the sale of this yiḏaki go back to Burrngupurrngu to support him through leukemia treatment.* |
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 artist: Djalu Gurruwiwi F drone / Ab trumpet 53-1/2 " long, 4-3/8" bell, 1-1/8" mouthpiece This is a really nice, high but warm yiḏaki by Djalu. It has the power you want from the old man despite the high key and relatively humble size. Comfortable wood mouthpiece. Nicely finished. |
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 artist: Dhapa Ganambarr Eb drone / Gb trumpet 55-3/8 " long, 4-1/8" bell, 1-5/8" mouthpiece Dhapa sometimes makes what Yolngu call "bass yiḏaki," more what we'd think of as Djalu's style. This is nice and open, with mid to low back pressure like the old man wants. Nicely crafted, not too heavy despite being a big and warm instrument. The mouthpiece is large. I added a small amount of wax to play it for the video, but you can see the original in the photos. |
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 artist: Dhapa Ganambarr F drone / Ab trumpet 51-1/4 " long, 3-3/4" bell, 1-1/4" mouthpiece A tight and aggressive little yiḏaki by Dhapa. Bright horn tone. As with all his sticks, it is well crafted. If you need a basic ripper, this is the one. |
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 artist: Burrngupurrngu Wunungmurra E drone / G# trumpet 55 " long, 3-1/2" bell, 1-3/8" mouthpiece Well made. Dry and direct acoustics with good texture. Not bright or particular warm, but all about midrange growl. Perfectly round mouthpiece, but might require a little wax for some players. Painted in natural ochres and clay by Djul'djul' Gurruwiwi with ganguri, or Dhuwa yam designs. *This craftsman has sadly passed away. RIP gäthu marrkapmirri.* This instrument is now in the collection of the Nevada Museum of Art. |
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click at the bottom right of the video to expand to full screen |
 artist: Naminapu Maymuru-WhiteF drone / A trumpet 50.75" long This is a tight, aggressive yiḏaki with some wonderful rough edges in crafting and tone. Naminapu has long been a well known, award-winning artist. She is mostly known for her starry milky way design, but in this case gives us classic bands of crosshatch. |
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click at the bottom right of the video to expand to full screen |
 artist: Nonggirrnga MarawiliF drone / Bb trumpet 45" long This one plays more like a Western Arnhem Land mago than a yiḏaki, with more open bore, less back pressure and bigger leap to the trumpet notes. It has a good powerful sound, high but full. Noŋgirrŋa's art on bark and memorial poles has been exhibited around the world. This is a rare chance to get her work on a yiḏaki. |
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