Quick Question?

[tooloudalex]

First off id like to apologize if this goes in bows or set up im not sure.

So here goes. Im an electric bass player and a tech at the local shop and the owner comes to me yesterday and asks if i would look into how to rehiar bows. We get asked maybe 4 or 5 times a month and no one knows how to do it. Can one of you fine gentlemen (or ladies) direct me to a good how to list or a book? and would it be the same for violins/cellos/double bass? are the bows all the same just different lengths?

Thank you in advance for any help

[iiipopes]

The best thing to do would be to see if your boss would finance a trip to one of the esteemed luthier shops to learn first hand.

[tooloudalex]

while apprentiship would be ideal, its a mom and pop shop with 2 employee's :/

[1st Bass]

Craig Tucker, over on Maestronet, has made a bow re-hair video, which evidently is pretty helpful. He lives in Roswell NM. I don't know how far that is from you, but it really might be worth a drive over and a day or so in training...

[tstone]

Yes, an apprenticeship sort of situation would be ideal, but maybe hard to come by.

It's a tricky job. Bows are delicate and easily damaged. Some bows are worth thousands of dollars. Every bow is different.

But if you want to look into it further, here are some resources.

This is a good page to start:

http://www.stewmac.com/Shopping?actn...keyword=rehair

Also, just google "violin bow rehair*". You'll find lots of discussion about materials, techniques, and tooling, mostly on various fiddle forums. And search for "bow rehair*" on eBay. There are several sellers who nearly always have a bow rehairing DVD for sale. Prices are under $10 in most cases.

There's also a bow maker back east, Lynn Hannings, who occasionally teaches classes on bow making, bow repair and bow rehairing. She also sells tools and fixtures. Here's her website:

https://www.lahbows.com/

Henry Strobel's book Violin Maker's Notebook has a chapter on rehairing.

If you decide to give it a go, you'll want to acquire some cheap student bows and do a lot of practicing before considering taking on any paying work. eBay is a good source for cheap bows from China . It's not unusual to get Brazilwood bows of all sizes for under $40 each including shipping. And the bows are usually not that bad, especially those from known makers with good feedback like yitamusic or naural-violins-bows.

[PaulCannon]

Short of apprenticeship, could they at least finance one or two lessons? This is the sort of thing you really need hands-on instruction from someone who understands bows, preferably a bow maker.

That said, the single best thing you can do to ensure your bow rehairs are excellent is to stock very high quality hair. It of course must be properly installed, but getting a bow fit with lousy hair is a waste of time for everyone. Also be aware that the kind of hair violin/viola/cello uses is a bit finer than what works best on a double bass.

Finally, don't apply any powder or rosin once you've completed the rehair. That's one of my biggest pet peeves and guarantees I won't be returning to that shop.

[PRUNEFACE]

Originally Posted by PaulCannon

Finally, don't apply any powder or rosin once you've completed the rehair. That's one of my biggest pet peeves and guarantees I won't be returning to that shop.

My understanding is that this is the common practice and that your opinon is in the minority (although I agree with you! I dont like it either)

[tooloudalex]

Ok, thanks for all the great info! ill probably be getting some student bows to rehair for practice