Dominants and Arco?

[stanhamrick]

Hi all,

Finally tried Dominants on my German carved and really like the pizz sound and feel. However, I am less enthusiastic about the arco sound than some other posters I have read here. Is there a "break-in" period? Will they sound less scratchy after some time? Or have I just been spoiled by the way the Evahs sound under the bow?

[kwd]

Originally Posted by stanhamrick

Hi all,

Is there a "break-in" period? Will they sound less scratchy after some time?

I wish I could give you some good news. That doesn't get better -in my experience.

Or have I just been spoiled by the way the Evahs sound under the bow?

That too. Evahs are very tolerant of technique but Dominants are not. Still, I would try to stick with them, if you can endure it. I think you'll be able to improve the sound you're getting out of them now. Dominants require a lot more weight and they require that the player be much more deliberate committing weight to the string. I've noticed that the strident quality is hardly noticeable when playing amplified, so it's probably exaggerated from the player's vantage point.