cheap bow--rehair or new bow?

[PB+J]

I have a brazilwood french bow I got about a year ago. It's fine, I suppose--I'm primarily a jazz guy and use the bow to sharpen my technique, not for public performance.

The bow was around $100 bucks and looks to be the same as the ones sold by Upton and Bob Gollihur, though I can't be sure.

It's more than a year old now and it seems to me the hair is getting less grippy and less elastic--I'm just wondering, should i have it rehaired, or just get a new bow? I assume rehairing would be about $50--maybe that's wrong? I like the bow but truthfully have little experience for comparison. I could just get a new $100 bow and learn a lot from the comparison, I suppose. Or I could aim higher and try some different bows. Then of course there's Edgar Meyer and his $10 stick--it's the playa, not the bow.

Any thoughts?

[Chasarms]

I don't think I would buy another $100 bow. It is most likely going to be pretty much what you have.

Although, I might consider a little nicer stick. Maybe one of Ken Smiths offerings or perhaps another $300-400 bow. If you get a pernambucco bow, you may notice the difference.

Otherwise, I think a rehair may be the best thing. It is almost like getting a new bow anyway. Plus, I would guess that the hair a local luthier uses will be better quality than what came on it.

[Bob Branstetter]

Another option is to stop by your local bass or violin shop and try out what they have in stock. I find that many players have never had a good playing bow in their hands and are amazed how much easier it is to play with a good one. Even if the prices in these shops happen to be a little higher than buying one mail order or over the net, it could turn out to be a much better value. As important as it is to play an instrument before buying, trying a bow before purchase is probably even more so. Even though a particular mail order dealer may receive high marks from other players, that does not mean that the same bow is right for you.

[Silversorcerer]

Cheap bows can be good, but what I've found with my 2 cheap bows is that even if you have two decent ones, they aren't real consistent in weight and stiffness. I doubt even two expensive ones would match. Having the cheap, familiar one rehaired or spending more for a better bow is probably a better idea than going through getting used to a different cheap bow. You probably don't want to do that every time you need a rehair.

I really liked the stick on my first cheap bow so even when I damaged the frog (dropped the bow on a tile floor and shattered the rails) I opted for a new frog and a rehair. My second cheap bow was just bought as a spare, since I tend to be a little careless and butter-fingered, but use a bow often enough that I don't want to be caught without one. A better bow would cost me a whole lot more than what I spent getting the cheap one fixed and the result feels familiar. The new frog is a little nicer and I like the black hair better too, but the bounce and balance are "home" for me. The next bow will definitely cost more and I'll probably sell the spare one then.

[damonsmith]

Good hair will improve your bowing a lot - most cheap bows have cheap or even synthetic hair. Most places that give rehairs use good quality hair.
A good bow is obviously nice if you can afford it, if not just get a rehair and save the $50.