thinking of getting a new bow

bfitz · #1 09-08-2005, 10:51 PM

i just bought a new bass and i am thinking of getting a new bow in the next couple of months. this will be the first time i have ever bought a new bow, the one that i play now is a french bow the came with my first bass i got back in highschool. the one i have now doesn't seem that bad to me, but i don't know much. the only other bow i have tried was an old teacher's bow that he let me use. that bass was terrible, way to big for me and just a bad sound, so i really couldn't tell the difference. i am looking to spend around $300, is it worth my time to get a new bow, or should i wait untill i have a little more money? also, what should i look for in a new bow? thank you

olivier · #2 09-30-2005, 06:06 AM

Why don't you try a bow from Bob Gollihur. It is within your budget, and if you are not satisfied with it, (I think, but do check this before) you could return it and get your money back.

greitzer · #3 09-30-2005, 04:23 PM

If the bow came with your bass, and you got 'em back in high school, I'm guessing it's a pretty inexpensive bow -- probably not a $300 bow (although of course I don't know for sure).

From my own experience, which isn't substantial (only a few years playing DB), I can tell you a better bow is a very nice thing to have. So if you can afford one, it's worth thinking about.

However, I'd ask your teacher -- he should be able to advise you on this as well. I haven't tried Bob Gollihur's bows but lots of TB'ers here have given them very good reviews.

I've got an Erich Steiner French bow that I bought three years ago for about $275 that seems good to me, and my teacher also thinks it's a good bow. I'm sure you can find other leads on good bows that are relatively inexpensive by searching the newbie posts. Good luck.