Upton Bow Rehair

[sibass89]

I was wondering on people's opinions about bow rehairs. I used to take my bow to Nick Caraccio when I lived in NYC but now that I don't live there any more, I've yet to get a rehair that lives up to Nick's.

I was thinking about mailing my bow over to Upton. $65 is pretty cheap if it's a good rehair, and with the shipping it will cost about the same as my old rehair.

I don't want anybody to tell me to go somewhere else or that somebody else is better, which are the type of answers I usually get here. I just want people's opinion on Upton's rehair.

Thanks,
Nick

Edit: My teacher also told me to send my bow out to Robertson's for a rehair, as they are the best rehair he's ever gotten. Anybody have experience with their rehairs too?

[sibass89]

Ken, thanks for the reply.

It's not that I don't want recommendations for where to go I just don't want this to turn into a nasty, rep bashing, thread like another one I started about opinions about some luthiers.

But anyway, I will keep Lipkins in mind.

Best,
Nick

[damonsmith]

I get my rehairs at Ifshin in Berkeley. I know people send out their bows to them since the guy there is so great. The guy there is a fireman who rehairs bows on his off days and his father was a fireman who rehaired bows on his off days.
In some ways the rehair can be as important as the bow. His rehairs are straight and super clean. I get the black hair and they have great, jet-black hair that lasts me well over a year, and that is a long time since all the extended techninques I use can be really rough on bow hair.

[Jake]

My $00.02:
Best rehair I've ever had was by Jim Hamm when he was visiting and doing some bass work in Texas. The guy deserves his genius status both as a builder/repair guy and at rehairing bows. He didn't use a whole lot of hair, but it was in a perfect ribbon and I think he put some kind of wax on it; it played great.

[reedo35]

I sent one of my bows to Upton for a rehair with silver hair. Eric did a great job, and I really like the silver hair.

[Masters2010]

Is Lipkins readily available to rehair bows or is it a wait, just like her bows?

I had mine done recently by Reuning's Violins in Boston because my friends dad works there, and I don't know the name of the man who did it, but he did an excellent job and I didn't know what I was missing out on until I had my bow rehairs there. A perfect ribbon of even thickness and it plays great.

[Don Higdon]

Originally Posted by Masters2010

Is Lipkins readily available to rehair bows or is it a wait, just like her bows?

No wait.
As fast a turnaround as anyone in the business.
Price is right there with everyone who isn't Sue Lipkins.
She uses the same quality hair that goes into her superb bows.

[sibass89]

Thanks for all the reply's. Basically it's down to me deciding whether I'm going to send it out to Robertson's, Lipkins, or Upton.