David Gage Metropolitan

[natselection]

Hey guys i was wondering how you think this bow stacks up to *wood* bows around the same price ($800).

i recieved my loaned bow today and the sound is very consistent, smooth, and full. However i must admit that it sounds a tad artificial. spicatto is great with this bow as well

but i havn't had the chance to compare it to bows around the same price. anyone do this? what have you found? is the david gage metropolitan really worth it for $$?

[Johnny L]

I think it is I'm getting one when I get the cash

[natselection]

hey, played some more with the bow today. i must say its fantastic!!! i think it would be very hard for me to find a wood stick for $800 that sounds as conistent/full as this

[Russell Bergum]

I can't comment on the Metropolitan, but I can comment on the CodaBow Revelation, which David Gage based his design on. I love my CodaBow! I've had it for over a year now, and have not gone back and used my 1950's Emil Dupree bow more than once or twice since. Consistent sound, easy to bow, and lightweight, and more volume. I could not find a similar quality pernambucco bow for anywhere near the price.

[BMason]

I've played a Revelation and a Metropolitan (the one Gage designed with CodaBow) and I can honestly say the Metropolitan is a significantly better bow. You can spicatto in your sleep and the sound is bigger than the Revelation. As far as how it stacks up to an $800 pernambuco bow? Definitely go for the Metropoliatan. Sure it's not a Fetique and it won't appreciate in price or sound, but it's a great little bow.

[GriffithLea]

Originally Posted by BMason

I've played a Revelation and a Metropolitan (the one Gage designed with CodaBow) and I can honestly say the Metropolitan is a significantly better bow. You can spicatto in your sleep and the sound is bigger than the Revelation. As far as how it stacks up to an $800 pernambuco bow? Definitely go for the Metropoliatan. Sure it's not a Fetique and it won't appreciate in price or sound, but it's a great little bow.

Thanks for posting this. I've been curious about the two bows. It sounds like you believe that the Metro is worth the extra $240 or so.

I still wonder what the actual physical differences are between the two bows. Higher quality carbon?

[MNbass]

I bought a Metropolitan German bow from Quinn Violins. I like it better than my gold mounted Dolling bow which cost me $3700.00.
The Metro. holds the string better and is really easy to play. Everything seems to just work. Forget the $800.00. I only paid around $600.00. Thats hands down the best bow you are going to find near that price.

[GriffithLea]

Originally Posted by MNbass

I bought a Metropolitan German bow from Quinn Violins. I like it better than my gold mounted Dolling bow which cost me $3700.00.
The Metro. holds the string better and is really easy to play. Everything seems to just work. Forget the $800.00. I only paid around $600.00. Thats hands down the best bow you are going to find near that price.

Note that you're responding to a thread that's almost 2 months old. Did Quinn have the Metro for $600 back in March?

Odd that Quinn lists both the Metro and the Revelation for $600. And yet on David Gage's site the Metro is still listed for $840. Quinn is calling their Metro:

Revelation "The Metropolitan". Designed with input from David Gage.

I wonder if it's exactly the same as the $840 that comes straight from David Gage.

Revelation or Metro, it sounds like they're both good bows for the money.

[MNbass]

Yes, the bow I bought from Quinn is a Metropolitan. It's a German bow and the frog is smaller than the Rvelation frog. This is the Gage model. I bought it about a month ago. His website is still listing it for 598.00.

[SamFinlay]

Hello Y'all,

One of our vendors hipped me to this thread.

Let me first thank all of you for trying The Metropolitan bow. CodaBow and our shop have worked very hard on its design and construction and we are very proud of it. We are humbled by the overwhelmingly possitive response. Thank you, thank you.

Here is some clarification that I think might be helpful. That this information isn't readilly available or known is my fault and I'll do my best to make it more accessible to everyone.

First, The Revelation and The Metropolitan were developed together. We worked with Coda to make a great bass bow. Our plan was to isolate the best aspects of our favorite bows and create a best-of-all-possible-worlds amalgom of those bows. Coda soon discovered that our intended outcome would only be possible if they employed methods not yet used to make Carbon-fiber bows. After the woven carbon fiber technique was developed, CodaBow worked with us to isolate balance characteristics, flexibility points, etc. and together with Tim Cobb, we came up with The Metropolitan. Some of what is needed to make The Metro is expensive, though. Without going into too much detail, it became necessary to separate it from the standard CodaBow bass model (The Revelation) so that we would be able to offer a separate, very affordable, high-performance bow and a professional-quality carbon-fiber bow.

The two bows are unique in their individual qualities, but end up with different prices. If you need an excellent carbon-fiber bow, The Revelation is for you. If you need the highest-quality Carbon-fiber bow on the market, then we offer you The Metropolitan.

Now once the bows leave us, they go to dealers, who then decide their price. We sell the bows for a reasonable price, considering that we offer straight-from-the-manufacturer "freshness." Dealers offer whatever price they think is reasonable. I admit that some dealers, ones who sell many bows, maintain a "fresh" stock continually. If you a buy bow from them, you're getting the same thing you'd get from us for a lower price. We love those guys. They do an excellent job.

We'd recommend that you go to YOUR luthier, the one whose opinion you trust, and ask them about The Metropolitan. If you'd like a list of where you can get it, let me offer you the following:

Gollihur Music
Shank Strings
Guarneri House
Southwest Strings
Pete's Bass Shop
Bas String
Alienor Lutherie
World of Basses
Lisa Gass
Hammond Ashley Violins

I hope that I haven't stepped over any lines. And again, I thank you all for your attention and your comments.

Best,

Sam Finlay
David Gage String Instruments

[Ameripinobass]

I just wanted to check out the prices for each website you listed so here they are:

Gollihur Music-$795
Shank Strings-No Price on Website
Guarneri House-No Price on Website
Southwest Strings-$752.25 (French Bow has been out of stock for
a long time)
Pete's Bass Shop-No Price on Website
Bas String-In another language(Japanese or Chinese) Couldn't find
bows
Alienor Lutherie-In French, Not Listed
World of Basses-No Price on Website
Lisa Gass-Owner of Bassworks(losangelesbassworks.com)
Not Listed
Hammond Ashley Violins-No Bows Listed

Here are some other sites where I did find the Metro Bow:
Quinn Violins-$755
Johnson Strings Instruments-$840

Let me know if anyone finds any other prices or websites. Thanks

[dchan]

Erm, how about David Gage's shop? - $885

http://www.davidgage.com/catalog/pro...21766b69056cb1

[SamFinlay]

I've just contacted the folks over at SW Strings and they should have a stock pretty soon.

Hammond Ashley, etc. should all have stock now and would all be happy to show you the Metro.

Let me know if you run into any problems getting your hands on a bow.

Sam Finlay
Metropolitan Bows
David Gage String Instruments

[Russell Bergum]

Originally Posted by BMason

I've played a Revelation and a Metropolitan (the one Gage designed with CodaBow) and I can honestly say the Metropolitan is a significantly better bow. You can spicatto in your sleep and the sound is bigger than the Revelation. As far as how it stacks up to an $800 pernambuco bow? Definitely go for the Metropoliatan. Sure it's not a Fetique and it won't appreciate in price or sound, but it's a great little bow.

Was that a French or German thay you compared?