Brown’s Bones (Wood) Steve Brown

Brown’s bones are currently out of stock. Production is very limited and ETA on our next order is difficult to estimate. Feel free to send us an email and we will notify you when our next shipment is received.

We try to keep online stock as accurate as possible, but some woods may not be available. If the wood you order is out of stock we will contact you to suggest substitutes, or you may add a note in the “special instructions” section if you are flexible on substitutes.

Percussive bones made by Steve Brown, in various domestic and exotic woods. Sold in pairs. Not all woods may be in stock – we will suggest a substitute if needed.

Steve Brown has been making and playing bones since the early 1980s. He has been Executive Director of the Rhythm Bones Society for almost 20 years, and holds two All-Ireland titles. His bones are played by some of the best: Junior Davey, Mel Mercier, Tommy Hayes, James Yoshizawa, and Graham Hargrove.

Which wood should I get? Some thoughts from our manager Brennan Kuhns, maker of M.T. Pockets bones:

When considering the wood of rhythm bones, it’s important to remember the cut and playing style affects the tonal and rhythmic results just as much as the source species. With all other factors being even, the denser woods (rosewood, ebony, padauk, etc.) generally will bring a snappier, brighter strike tone, and less dense woods (maple, poplar, cherry, etc.) will have a slightly lower pitched tone.

In almost all cases, the perception of these differences is subjective, and a preferred tone for one player is not the same as another.   The relative tone also loses significance when a single set is played in one hand, with no other rhythm bones for comparison or context, whereas two-handed players can either play matched sets or contrasting ones.

For beginners, it may be best to use a heavier wood, such as rosewood or oak.  This allows your hand to feel the inertia while playing, reinforcing the motion of playing. In general, lighter woods, like pine and cedar, are more difficult to start playing on, although they can produce an intrinsically quieter and smoother tone.

Some makers, like Steve Brown, use a tapered profile, so that one end of the instrument is thinner than the other.  The two thicker ends struck together yield a more robust tone, and the two thinner ends struck together a sharper click.