what things should i be looking for when shopping for a bow?

Vacume · #1 12-26-2008, 01:10 AM

I know this isnt a very specifik question but i had to ask, ive never owned a bow so what are some basic things to be looking at?

Phil Smith · #2 12-26-2008, 10:32 AM

You need to get together with an actual person in person that has experience playing with a bow and have this discussion. If you've never owned a bow which could also mean that you never used one you wouldn't be in a position to make an informed decision about one based on anything anyone here would say. Just my opinion.

Andrew McGregor · #3 12-26-2008, 01:48 PM

In your situation, you need to take an experienced arco player with you, or get them to recommend something... and you need to know how much you can spend, too. There is no way you can describe most of what you need to know until you know what using a bow competently feels like... and by then you'll probably know what you want for yourself.

goodgig · #4 12-28-2008, 01:57 PM

Nothing like an experienced player helping out. But assuming ther isn't one available, don't you think there are some bows that are satisfactory to get this fellow going, that won't break the bank and are somewhat predictable? I'm thinking of one of the mid-priced carbon fiber bows . . .

Andrew McGregor · #5 12-28-2008, 03:41 PM

Yep, mid-priced carbon is the only safe thing to recommend if you can't get someone to check the bows out. There's no sample variation in carbon bows, so every example of each model sounds and feels exactly the same.

Personally, I have a Metropolitan, which is a great bow but not exactly mid-priced. The Coda bows are nice, but again not exactly mid-priced. An acquaintance has what I believe is an Upton carbon bow, and that is really very good for the price.

dchan · #6 12-29-2008, 01:19 PM

^ I'm pretty sure there is variation in CF bows, but it is much smaller than with wood bows.

LowEndSymphonic · #7 01-16-2009, 02:07 PM

Choosing a bow is a very difficult task. You have to consider about 5 things all at once and even then some indecision is still present. Now, I can't say, "You should buy this one because...." I can't say that because I don't know your style and what you're playing.
I can, however, give some guide lines but still: take someone with you and try multiple bows.

Consider the material: pernambuco, brazilwood, snakewood, carbon fiber?
All of these materials factor into price which is normally the deciding factor.
For consistency, carbon fiber. For sound quality, fine pernambuco. But, the better the material, the higher the price.

Style: French or German?
Once again, what are you playing?
I've found that German bows are better for powerful, slow, dramatic pieces. French bows tend to be better for more articulated pieces that require fast moving eighth or sixteenth notes. This really isn't a factor for price, more just personal preference.

Weight: heavier or lighter?
Weight really depends on preference. I prefer a heavier bow because it just feels better.

When you go to buy a bow make sure that the dealer is reputable. You don't want to be fooled when you're buying a neccessity.
Also, ask about trial periods. Most shops will let you take home a few bows and try them out for a week or so. If your shop does offer a trial period take one made of pernambuco, carbon fiber, and brazilwood and switch it up between French and German styles.

If there's anything else I can do for you, let me know.

anonymous12251111 · #8 01-16-2009, 04:42 PM

1. Feel. If it's too heavy or too light then it's just going to cause problems to your hand.

2. Sound.

That's it in my opinion. It's nice if a bow looks nice but it shouldn't be a selling feature. A bow is a tool to get you your desired sound out of your instrument. Speaking of which I have a very nice bow for sale

hehe.

EggyToast · #9 01-16-2009, 06:53 PM

If you've never played before, the Upton Workshop bows are a fine place to start. Since you're just starting out, by the time you've outgrown the bow, you'd probably need new hair on the thing anyway ;D

Seriously, even though my teacher had a much nicer bow, he said that my upton bow was plenty good enough for a beginner.

If you get one and decide that playing arco isn't for you, or if you suddenly become a virtuoso, you're not out that much money.

Dave Irwin · #10 01-17-2009, 06:32 AM

I don't know what there going for these days, but I got a really nice wood bow from Tom Owen. $700 range. Better than anything I could find locally and better than the graphite bows I had shipped for trial.

Tom will send a few bows for you to try. Maybe you could have him send you some and get together with a teacher to evaluate them.

brijonrob · #11 01-17-2009, 12:35 PM

Bang for the buck, sight unseen and a price that won't make you cry if the bowing doesn't work out, go for the Upton workshop bow, hard to beat for the price. I have one for my backup. If you can spend a little bit more ($500-1000), once again sight unseen, hard to beat a carbon fiber bow (that's my current main bow). As stated though, best to take somebody who knows bows to your local reputable string dealer and see the merchandise in person.

gbarchus · #12 01-27-2009, 09:18 PM

I am pretty naive about bows but decided to get serious with arco after buying a carved bass. I have had a $100 bow for about 25 years and was looking at bows in the $500 price range. I just didn't feel comfortable spending that much money only to possibly discover after some time the bow wasn't that good so I decided to get a Carbon Finale at $340.

And, I am so pleased with the decision.

Gale

thewhale · #13 01-27-2009, 09:29 PM

If you can, get 5 to 10 bows in your price range. Play them each going through varied bow strokes, take notes. Choose your bow through process of elimination--whichever one feels best.

Phil Rowan · #14 01-27-2009, 10:06 PM

Hey Vacume, this might help answer some questions: http://www.salchowbows.com/select.htm

kamakiriad7 · #15 02-07-2009, 09:30 AM

As mentioned before, this is a very tricky process. If you don't have much bowing experience, it's still good to try out as many as possible.

As I'm new to DB, I figure I'd post my experience here.

It's very worth your while to find a luthier/repairman/etc in your area and discuss this with them. I was lucky to have a very accommodating one here in St. John's. After asking my price range ($600-$800), he ordered three french ones out from a Toronto shop he usually deals with. He even let me take them home and in orchestra rehearsals. I brought all of them to my teacher and let him try them out as well, to get a second opinion.

I ended up settling on a bow by Alfred Knoll, and it's served me very well ever since.

Quote:

If you can, get 5 to 10 bows in your price range. Play them each going through varied bow strokes, take notes. Choose your bow through process of elimination--whichever one feels best.

Well said. It's all a matter of how it feels in your hand, just like the size of an electric bass neck. Some like very lightweight bows; some like heavier ones for helping to drop the weight of the arm into the string. Some like longer ones for more hair, some like shorter ones for balance.

Good luck!
Chris