Anyone try Yin Guohua bows from ebay?

stefaniw80401 · #1 11-12-2006, 10:33 AM

I found these on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silver-Mounted...QQcmdZViewItem

They look beautiful. But the price point ($199.00) looks fishy. Has anyone tried them yet? Go ahead, google around for Yin Guohua. You'll only find the hits for ebay.

- Mark

Bob Branstetter · #2 11-12-2006, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stefaniw80401

I found these on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silver-Mounted...QQcmdZViewItem

They look beautiful. But the price point ($199.00) looks fishy. Has anyone tried them yet? Go ahead, google around for Yin Guohua. You'll only find the hits for ebay.

- Mark

I've noticed other bows that appear to be identical to this one on eBay for some time. Some have names stamped on them. Look for ads that say bass bow "Stamped" with the names of famous bow makers rather than "made by". The common thing I notice is the wire wrapping. The all have the same distrinctive pattern on them. Some have sold for under $100. There may be a Yin Guohua somewhere, but I suspect all these bows are made in the same factory in China. They do appear to be nicely made, but I have no idea how they play.

KSB - Ken Smith · #3 11-12-2006, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stefaniw80401

I found these on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silver-Mounted...QQcmdZViewItem

They look beautiful. But the price point ($199.00) looks fishy. Has anyone tried them yet? Go ahead, google around for Yin Guohua. You'll only find the hits for ebay.

- Mark

Hable' Shanghi? Yes, like Bob said, these are Chinese and quality can vary like anywhere else. About 80% of the worlds Bows today are made in China regardless of the name, lack of name, the seller, country they come from or what they tell you.

Economics are in play here. Only China can make a decent Pernambuco Bow for these prices. We recently found a shop to make Bows for us and the most important thing I found is Design and materials. I ordered a standard Brazilwood Bow to see what they normally offer and practically gave it away. We will only buy the AAA grade in Brazilwood and the same in Pernambuco with cosmetic variation in wood color and grain allowing it to be graded AA within our range of Bows. I had to totally design the Bow from scratch in order not to be stuck with un-playable and wasted good wood as far as Orchestra grade Bows go. If you can't use the Bow to play in an Orchestra, then it's just a pretty colored tomato stick for the garden!

You can find Bows from under $99-$1299 all from China in varying grades and name brands. Do Not buy the Cheaper Bows or those offered by general trading companies. Anyone charging over $300 for the best grade Brazilwood or $800 for the best grade Pernambuco Bow is trying to make a huge and greedy profit. If the Bow is gold mounted with some rare decorative materials I can understand the price going up some but the stick quality only goes so high!

You never know what they will send you and then if you don't like it, who can you call to complain?

Shop hard before buying a Bow. It is worth it to get the best for your money. Too much junk on the market today to jump on the first deal you see.

dreamer69 · #4 11-12-2006, 04:29 PM

I have got a bow of this ebay shop, but my bow is the french model in carbon fiber. Im dont a professional, Im a student but I am very happy with the bow, and my teacher tell me that for the price is a beatiful bow. I change the hair of the bow because isnt good, but with a new rehair (I use black hair) the bow is excelent.

PD: the seller of the shop is very good person, very good comunication and service.

roach · #5 11-14-2006, 06:14 AM

I bought the same bow, and it is very good for the price, infact I've played bows that cost 5 times as much and are not as good.
The post and packing is fantastic so no worries there, and they do a refund service if you are not happy.
You will probably need a rehair as the quality is not great.
Having said all that Ken has a point, you dont know what they will send, but I'm more than happy (and a little suprised) with mine.

16fuss · #6 01-05-2007, 04:04 AM

I bought a wooden bow from this shop. It is kind of red and goldmounted, and a little tipheavy.
But the sound is very good, especialy for the 250 Euro! Like a real bow (I am used to an very good old Kurt Dölling)!
I will let a bowmaker make the tip lighter or the frog heavier.

komuso · #7 05-09-2007, 10:24 PM

I have noticed that some of these carbon bows from Yita are available for different prices, beteen $140 AU and $240 AU. There seem to be differences in the detailing. Might there be a significant difference in the quality or functionality?

Ben Rolston · #8 05-09-2007, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Branstetter

There may be a Yin Guohua somewhere, but I suspect all these bows are made in the same factory in China.

Maybe.... Yin guohua is dangerously close to Ying Guo Hua meaning English (the language).

robobass · #9 05-10-2007, 08:49 AM

Check out my "Chinese Snakewood" thread. This is the same maker/shop/brand, whatever... I'm pretty happy with them myself.
Robobass

bassbaterie · #10 05-22-2010, 01:21 AM

I've bought 4 different Yin Guohua German bows to check out. Good-playing German bows in any price range aren't easy to find. I only went for the '5-star' silver-mounted version as they seemed inexpensive enough to make the cheaper version seem not worth it. Each was outstanding for the price. One was amazing, better than the American handmade bows I'd tried out. However the next one I ordered of the same model was not quite as good, so it can be said they are not 100% consistent but still a good value. On ebay they do put pics of each individual bow and the best bows I received really did look the best in the pics. They are high-res pics and you can get a good look at the grain and the fit of the frog, etc. before you buy. These were far superior to any Brazilian or carbon-fiber ones I've found, better than a Carbow. I've seen bows being sold by US and European dealers, some stamped, that appear to be Chinese pernambuco bows and they are priced at up to $1500. Yin Guohua 5-star bows are mass-produced, mid/high-level bows, and the ivory (or whatever) tips tend to be a little skimpy, and they are shipped with pretty cheap hair, and the fit of the button to the stick was not perfect on all of them, and the leather grip was plain, though genuine. Probably the ones that are sold off at this price are the work of apprentices. On ebay they occasionally put up a 'master model' for $600 - $800 which I'd be willing to try once I find a home for the bows I already bought to check out

I also bought a Chinese-made pernambuco gamba bow for around $70 which was outstanding.

Recently I needed just-a-playable violin bow and ordered a used one on ebay for less than $100, and wanted to pay a US supplier instead of ordering overseas. What I received was a Chinese pernambuco bow flagrantly stamped with an English name and with a really bad rehair, worse than you get with the new Chinese bows. So I got to pay markup to a US reseller when I could have ordered it from yitamusic for $40. >sigh<

Square Bear · #11 05-22-2010, 12:34 PM

you should try a bow before you buy it and compare it with as many bows as you can find.

Eric Hochberg · #12 05-23-2010, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Square Bear

you should try a bow before you buy it and compare it with as many bows as you can find.

Yes, if you aren't near a shop, have a reputable shop send you some bows to try. Don't buy over the internet soley based on saving a few dollars... Every bow sounds and plays differently and is bass dependent, too.