If you had $2000....

PRUNEFACE · #1 09-29-2009, 06:03 PM

Or slightly over what would your maker or bow of choice be?

JoeyNaeger · #2 09-29-2009, 06:41 PM

What kind of bow do you have now? If your current bow is functional, I don't know that something in the $2000 range would be worth it. I'd rather save up until I could afford something in the 4,000-6,000 range. To answer your question though, Prochowniks are decent and so are carbows.

Jason Sypher · #3 09-29-2009, 08:03 PM

Love my Reid Hudson and Lynn Hastings makes a killer bow as well.

PRUNEFACE · #4 09-29-2009, 08:30 PM

Well I personally use a french, but this was more out of curiosity. I want to hear about more makers and what you think of them so that when it's time fore me to spend I'll have an idea of where to look.

Jason Sypher · #5 09-29-2009, 08:34 PM

Both make French bows....

Phil Rowan · #6 09-29-2009, 09:43 PM

I'd sign up for a Sue Lipkins and spend the next few years saving up the rest. Or, I'd go w/ a Claude Marchand, which, last I checked, would be within your price range.

MDEbass · #7 09-29-2009, 09:43 PM

Ok, Pruneface, I remember you from a few months ago there was some thread where you started another newbie thread of "what bass should i get?" That being only a few months ago, I can assume that you are not at a playing level to be playing a $2000 bow. There's nothing wrong with you being curious and wanting to learn more about makers, etc. Great. But trust me, a $2000 is a professional quality bow. Not a student bow.

PRUNEFACE · #8 09-29-2009, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDEbass

Ok, Pruneface, I remember you from a few months ago there was some thread where you started another newbie thread of "what bass should i get?" That being only a few months ago, I can assume that you are not at a playing level to be playing a $2000 bow. There's nothing wrong with you being curious and wanting to learn more about makers, etc. Great. But trust me, a $2000 is a professional quality bow. Not a student bow.

lol Im sorry but I tried to word my above post to suggest that it was more out of curiosity than out of necessity. I guess I failed. I know for a fact that a $2000 bow is not worth my playing level... I'm not an ADHD kid like Glenn Beck.

davidAaronCarte · #9 09-29-2009, 09:50 PM

Thread highjack (oops)
For the more bow-knowledgable out there, how much would you expect to pay for a good "moving-up-from-the-really-cheap-student" bow? A little orchestra stuff, but largely for practice with and the last note on ballads (as my teacher puts it - as God intended)

Dave Irwin · #10 09-29-2009, 10:00 PM

Think $700ish. In that range you can get a nice Coda carbon fiber bow or better yet, a Tom Owen wood bow. I've run into 1 or two other wood bows in the same price range that were about as nice.
I have not found any bows at my meager skill level that justifies thousands more than my Tom Owen.

If you want more, search bow threads, there are lots of em.

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidAaronCarte

Thread highjack (oops)
For the more bow-knowledgable out there, how much would you expect to pay for a good "moving-up-from-the-really-cheap-student" bow? A little orchestra stuff, but largely for practice with and the last note on ballads (as my teacher puts it - as God intended)

Phil Rowan · #11 09-29-2009, 10:27 PM

Don't Raposo bows go for just a little over $700? At least the one down at Gage I tried last year did.. I think it was about $800 or $850.. really nice bow. I know I may be way off here.

jallenbass · #12 09-29-2009, 11:27 PM

I've got a Carbow Grunberger. After that purchase I sold my DeLuccia for $5000. The Carbow doesn't have the pedigree that the DeLuccia had but plays and sounds just about as good. If you can't sound good on a Carbow (or comparable) then it's not the bows fault.

davidAaronCarte · #13 09-30-2009, 11:01 AM

Thanks guys, hoping it would be around there

Jason Sypher · #14 09-30-2009, 01:08 PM

Then again, I don't think there is anything wrong with a student investing in a $2000 bow if your are SERIOUS about learning to bow the bass. Once you have gotten to a certain level with a bow you can easily make most bows sound good but while you're trying to figure it out a good, responsive, balanced bow that draws a good sound can save you a lot of grief. It's a little like the amp question for electric players. When I started out, I had a cheap amp and it was "fine". But I struggled trying to figure out why I couldn't get that deep slap funk sound that I was hearing on records...that is, until I bought a proper amp. After that a whole world of sounds opened up to me that I could never get on my cheapy amp.

PRUNEFACE · #15 09-30-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

Then again, I don't think there is anything wrong with a student investing in a $2000 bow if your are SERIOUS about learning to bow the bass. Once you have gotten to a certain level with a bow you can easily make most bows sound good but while you're trying to figure it out a good, responsive, balanced bow that draws a good sound can save you a lot of grief. It's a little like the amp question for electric players. When I started out, I had a cheap amp and it was "fine". But I struggled trying to figure out why I couldn't get that deep slap funk sound that I was hearing on records...that is, until I bought a proper amp. After that a whole world of sounds opened up to me that I could never get on my cheapy amp.

Well I'm not planning on spending anywhere near that until I have all the bowing techniques down... I don't even have that kind of money right now (it was all spent on my shen SB180 and the cheap Ophelia bow that Nick Lloyd sent with it).

Jason Sypher · #16 09-30-2009, 02:50 PM

I had a horrible bow for a few years, then I got a real classical teacher. When I walked into the first lesson she said "you need a real bow" and gave me some names to contact. After I tried about 20 bows I realized that she was absolutely right and I bought the bow I still have now. Nothing about the doublebass is inexpensive, it's just the way it is. Get the best bow you can afford and work towards an upgrade. It is nearly impossible to get a good spiccato, for a beginner, with a lame bow. Get someone qualified to help you in your purchase. Good luck. I think I can say that bowing changed my whole musical perspective.

davidAaronCarte · #17 09-30-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

I had a horrible bow for a few years, then I got a real classical teacher. When I walked into the first lesson she said "you need a real bow" and gave me some names to contact. After I tried about 20 bows I realized that she was absolutely right and I bought the bow I still have now. Nothing about the doublebass is inexpensive, it's just the way it is. Get the best bow you can afford and work towards an upgrade. It is nearly impossible to get a good spiccato, for a beginner, with a lame bow. Get someone qualified to help you in your purchase. Good luck. I think I can say that bowing changed my whole musical perspective.

The university orchestra's conductor is a cellist (and quite a bass player, too) and I keep getting ribbed about my bow
It's all in good fun though - looking forward to an upgrade as the year's students start to come in

Phil Rowan · #18 09-30-2009, 03:43 PM

I agree w/ Jason. Since I bought my Marchand I feel like my bow technique has steadily gotten better and better. Not to say I'm done working on it, not at all... but boy, does it help.

MDEbass · #19 09-30-2009, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PRUNEFACE

lol Im sorry but I tried to word my above post to suggest that it was more out of curiosity than out of necessity. I guess I failed. I know for a fact that a $2000 bow is not worth my playing level... I'm not an ADHD kid like Glenn Beck.

No worries. Nothing wrong with curiosity. I just thought you were planning on spending all that to upgrade, which doesnt really make sense for someone who just started playing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidAaronCarte

Thread highjack (oops)
For the more bow-knowledgable out there, how much would you expect to pay for a good "moving-up-from-the-really-cheap-student" bow? A little orchestra stuff, but largely for practice with and the last note on ballads (as my teacher puts it - as God intended)

I would say anywhere from 450ish to 750ish. $450 is usually where the cheapest pernambuco bows start, which is definately a step up from a cheap student bow. Maybe a carbon fiber, like finale?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Rowan

Don't Raposo bows go for just a little over $700? At least the one down at Gage I tried last year did.. I think it was about $800 or $850.. really nice bow. I know I may be way off here.

My Raposo is $1,400. I've seen them range from around $800ish and up. I've played some Raposo bows that are WAY better than others. So there may be a range in price and quality with these bows, I assume. Great bows. The luthier whose shop I bought my bow from told me that these bows have been increasing in value over the past years.

Phil Rowan · #20 09-30-2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDEbass

My Raposo is $1,400. I've seen them range from around $800ish and up. I've played some Raposo bows that are WAY better than others. So there may be a range in price and quality with these bows, I assume. Great bows. The luthier whose shop I bought my bow from told me that these bows have been increasing in value over the past years.

That makes sense. My range when I was looking was $700 - $900... I remember the Raposo being right around $800. The Marchand I wound up buying was $1K, but I've heard they can now range up to about $1300 - $1500.