"Dead" Bow

PRUNEFACE · #1 10-02-2009, 11:13 AM

I really just noticed this while doing a long slurred excercise that part of my bow makes no noise... Is this what is supposed to happen?

(It's the segment right by the slide)

Les Fret · #2 10-02-2009, 03:14 PM

by slide you mean frog?

just yesterday I cleaned my strings with some lem oil type of stuff to wipe all the rosin off. After that I also got a dead spot near the frog. I had to put rosin on that spot several times and now it is working again.

bejoyous · #3 10-02-2009, 03:39 PM

The same thing happened to me when I cleaned off the rosin with Citrasol. The a bit of the solution was still in the hair near the frog so the rosin wouldn't take.

Maybe you have just neglected to put enough rosin there. Or mabye sweat from your fingers dripped down there and now the rosin won't stick.

PRUNEFACE · #4 10-02-2009, 08:37 PM

Well I KNOW it's been rosined well... But not over done. I just don't get it. Could be something with the bow.

MDEbass · #5 10-02-2009, 11:43 PM

probably not the bow...maybe the hair?

PRUNEFACE · #6 10-03-2009, 08:02 AM

That's definitely a possibility. I'll check that out.

wdnewman · #7 10-25-2009, 01:00 PM

Oil from your fingers gets into the hairs near the frog. Common problem with the violin family, where the hair can get actually "greasy" from touching the thumb. The oil keeps the rosin from adhering to the bow hair, thus you get a dead zone. Clean area, dry and repeat rosin application.

SLivinghouse · #8 10-26-2009, 11:05 AM

Ain't broke -don't clean it. Seems like 9 out of 10 times these "my bow doesn't work now" threads starts with a bow that is working fine and then someone "cleans" it. Seems to me if you have an irrepressible urge to clean a bow (or it actually did get some dirt on it - like you left it on a picnic table at the Monster Truck gig you were playing), use a soft cloth with no chemicals, otherwise chances look pretty good you'll be starting the next dead dow thread. I'm not a luthier - just an observation.... Which begs the question. Do luthiers recommend regularly cleaning your bow with chemicals?

Korus Bows · #9 10-26-2009, 12:03 PM

When you said you cleaned your strings, did you mean the strings on your bass or the hair on your bow?

Korus Bows · #10 10-26-2009, 12:18 PM

I am a string bassist, bow maker and string repairman. I only use alcohol to clean by bass strings. You just don’t want to get it on the varnish of the instrument. As for cleaning the bow hair, I don’t believe it is necessary. If the hair gets to the point where you think it needs to be cleaned, it probably just needs a rehair. If you were to clean the hair with any type of solution or chemical, I would defiantly not use anything with oil it in. As mentioned earlier, oil prevents rosin from sticking to the hair.