Double Bass Upton vs. Gollihur

The only experience I've had is with the URBBOB one that a section mate has. It needed rehairing almost immediately after ariving-I honestly can't say if that's a common or thing not. That being said, once it was rehaired she really likes it alot and it has become her main bow rather than the "second bow" that she had planned.

My only complaint with it is that it's a little short in hair length-maybe 25 1/2"? The balance seems good in the short time that I've had to play with it.

I've only had experience with the Upton. It was a decent bow for the price, but a little too floppy and flexible for my tastes. In my opinion, the bow was too long for the wood it used. A shorter bow design might have improved on this problem, not to mention make it a bit better balanced.

My suggestion is to, if possible, not buy a bow sight unseen and untried. Locate a bass luthier and see what bows he/she has in stock. You'll be able to figure out what you like like in a bow as well as get helpful advice.

flint said:

The only experience I've had is with the URBBOB one that a section mate has. It needed rehairing almost immediately after ariving-I honestly can't say if that's a common or thing not.

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My Gollihur bow needed rehairing pretty quickly, the hair slipped from the fittings just enough so it would not tighten sufficiently. Because it is a backup bow, I am using the opportunity to try black hair which I don't think is broken in, so no further opinions just yet. Except that with the dark finish, black hair, octagonal shaft, and whale bone style wrap, it looks really awesome.

gurzil said:

My Gollihur bow needed rehairing pretty quickly, the hair slipped from the fittings just enough so it would not tighten sufficiently.

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The vast majority of all lower priced bows sold today are made in China. The hair in these bows is not going to be as good in quality as your local luthier will use to rehair them. The white hair appears to be bleached which makes the hair more brittle than non-bleached hair. The black hair, which is not bleached, will probably outlast the white (bleached) hair supplied with these bows.

moopants said:

I have no local luthiers. The closest one is over 100 miles away.

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I think there are reputable bow rehairers who offer mail-order service. You have the whole of the country to choose from by mail. I'm sure there will be those here who could recommend someone specifically.

Shipping a bow in a plastic pipe, or similar, should not be too expensive (certainly cheaper than the gas for a 200 mile round trip).

Andy

moopants said:

Should I just save up to buy a more expensive bow? What are some good bows for about $500? I'm already saving for a DB, a bag, a pickup, a bow case, possibly a quiver, and a bow. Wow, this isn't cheap... =(

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It isn't cheap by any stretch, but it's worth every penny.

As far as the bows go-i have one of the Bob G Brazilwood bows. I like it enough. I'm debating what my next bow purchase will be. I feel like i'm at the point where i should buy a much better bow than what i currently have-yet i don't want to spend the $$$$ on one. I have been happy with the sound of the bow. The main issues i am having are technique related. I recently used the bow on a production of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" as part of the theater conservatory here [i'm in the music conservatory of the same school] and it worked quite nicely.

I don't have any experience with the Upton bows.

take it easy.

Andy Allen said:

I think there are reputable bow rehairers who offer mail-order service. You have the whole of the country to choose from by mail. I'm sure there will be those here who could recommend someone specifically.

Shipping a bow in a plastic pipe, or similar, should not be too expensive (certainly cheaper than the gas for a 200 mile round trip).

Andy

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I know there are, for instance Sue Lipkins rehairs, my
teacher uses her. The problem is going to be the cost.
People that are skimping on a $100 bow are not likely
to be happy with $60 rehair plus shipping

Think long and hard about this before you buy that
cheapie bow, its just like the cheap basses, it may
end up costing you a lot more than its even worth.

I paid 800 for my bow, its hardly world class, but I've
been playing it for over a year and the hair is still good,
plus, being pernambuco it sounds great.

I bought mine from a local luthier, so I could compare
10 different bows in my range and pick the best.

Good luck,

If you use it reguarly, you probably aren't going to be happy with a cheap bow for very long.

As far as the upton bow, I can't recommend it. I bought one for my son to use and while it seemed alright at first it really didn't work out. He wound up switching back to the ancient bow with stripped screw and thinning hair that I had lying around because it played better.

I've been biting my tongue, because I don't want to seem like a shill. I think anyone who is interested in an inexpensive bow that plays much better than it's cost would indicate should check out the ones offered by KSB.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I have written a small review:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=327950

bpclark said:

If you use it reguarly, you probably aren't going to be happy with a cheap bow for very long.

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+1

Definitely true. If you're going to play everyday or for long rehearsals with a cheap bow, you'll definitely notice many of the flaws and limitations over time.

I would definitely save up for a better bow. And always try out the bow before you buy it, as even bows of the same model that are supposed to be the same can have drastic differences between them. It's up to you to decide what you want in a bow. I would recommend a orchestra player or a teacher to test them for you as well.

That said, I would recommend the KSB bows that flint recommended above. Again, not a shill here. Just satisfied with my bow.

moopants said:

Should I just save up to buy a more expensive bow? What are some good bows for about $500? I'm already saving for a DB, a bag, a pickup, a bow case, possibly a quiver, and a bow. Wow, this isn't cheap... =(

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I've had good luck with both the bows I got from Bob G. The hair lasted me about a year and one (the one that I consider the spare) still has the original hair. The consistency is not bad, but at this price you will not get two that are the same weight, stiffness, etc. I rehaired my favorite of the two with black hair and I like that better, but I really think the original blond hair was pretty good stuff. It didn't break up or fall out and I rehearsed a couple of hours a day with it. The black hair seems to need less rosin once it was broken in.

I did have some minor issues with one of them, after about 8 months the frog wedge came out. I just stuck it back in;- no further problems. My teacher said I was overtightening the bow and I think it was not the bow. I get better sound now with the bow a little looser.

Recently I removed the plastic whalebone stuff and I think these play better without it. Also the finish is water soluble. Don't get them wet.

More to your point:

I have been looking for a "much better" bow and have shopped quite a few (more than 50) up to about $600 (all used bows that sold new for closer to $1000 and I've only found one that if I use my imagination plays better than my favorite bow from Gollihur. To me it looks like you have to spend a great deal more money before that will guarantee a better bow than one of these. So I've resorted to a bow maker .... and a lot more $$$. I'll report when I get it.

Ken Smith has some economy priced bows and these might be worth checking out as well. There have been a few reports on these, but he has not been supplying them nearly as long as Bob G., so you won't find as much here about them, but there have been a few positive reviews. [edit: didn't see the above post that beat me to it, but there you go! Ken wasn't selling bows yet when I got mine.]

I have a French bow from Gollihur and a German bow from Upton. The Upton bow plays better for me than the Gollihur bow, and I think the reason is that the Upton has black hair while the Gollihur bow has white. The Gollihur hair is old and brittle and needs to be replaced. Both bows seem to be of fair quality with no glaring appearance problems. They both have fair balance, but the Upton bow is a little better balanced and bit longer than the Gollihur bow. The Gollihur bow seems a bit heavy to me.

Just for kicks, I went to the a440 Violin Shop here in Chicago to check out some 'high class bows'. The shop graciously lent me two bows to try out for a week. I sorted through several bows and finally left with two bows:

Coda Bow - Revelation ($575)
Arcos Brazil - brazilwood round stick made by Muniz ($500)

Being brand spanking new at playing the bass (but a 30 year violinist), I was pretty sure that a better bow would make a differerence -- and it absolutely does! I was blown away by the difference in these two quality bows compared to the Gollihur or Upton bows (that I bought initially and tentatively as I committed to the bass). The Coda bow is a carbon fiber bow with a bright sound that is well balanced and smooth. This bow causes my bass to project a nice focused tone. The Arcos Brazil is a round stick Brazilwoold bow. This bow creates a nice warm sound, very soft, but full of tone. Both the Coda and the Arcos bows have a similar balance point, but the Arcos bow has a lighter tip, so it seems to feel heavier in my hand than does the Coda, although both are almost the same weight. I can't decide which one I like better, but I am leaning towards the Arco Brazil bow -- at least today. I still have a few more days to decide.

One thing for sure -- I will NOT be using either the Gollihur or the Upton bow. In fact, they are both for sale!

I would suggest Ken Smith's "Napoli" brazilwood bow instead of the Upton.

I have played both bows and it is no contest: the "Napoli" bow totally outplayed the Upton bow. I have owned an Upton and was not satisfied with it's playability on more demanding music. I only tried out the "Napoli" bow and was so impressed that I momentarily forgot that I wanted to buy a pernambuco bow. It really was that good.

And the price is not that much more for the Upton or Gollihur bows: $160. I'm sure you will be happy for several years with this bow.

Hey Roonz,

I sent you a PM.

I'm in your area and also just started on DB.
Have a Gollihur bow that I feel is 'pretty nice' but will inevitably spend some money on something nicer.

My teacher was impressed with it when told the price.

Let us know which one you keep.