Hello, I am a guy, (from the poor ones) that is definitely not a professional... I got a beautiful student bow but it seemed a bit heavy compared to my previous very cheap student bow. So I carefully sanded it and about the feeling and the weight my experiment went very well... I mean its a perfect not varnished bow but I have wasted the part with silver threads and rubber grip. So my big question is.... : Is there any way to replace them? You know with some decent way!! I have to walk the life for several years with it... meaning playing with it!! PS: I have a lovely friend witch is a traditional instrument luthier(Huge support) but I really cannot bother him being uninformed... he barely have the time and patient to speak with me... :-D And I am miles away from "dedicated bass luthiers" not just miles but many basses in money value... I am trying to do an other thread about this stuff. But for now... Can anybody help/inform me???? Thank you!!!
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Double Bass Bow audacity
- Thread starter PaulKos
- Start date
By "silver threads and rubber grip" I am assuming that you are referring to the winding/lapping/garniture at the frog end of the bow. That repair is a fairly common one preformed by bow makers, and has a large impact on the weight and balance of the bow. If you took the time to remove some weight to balance the bow the way you like it without a winding, then adding one, especially something heavy like silver, will change how the bow feels in your hands. Many shops will replace them on student bows with a winding length leather and then a traditionally sized thumb leather on top, and that is likely easier to do without training/experience than a silver, whalebone, silk, or other winding.
Essentially you pick the length you would like the winding to be (typically 75-80mm on a bass bow) and cut a strip of leather to that length, and then determine the width by wrapping it around the stick. All four edges are feathered/tapered so there are no gaps/ridges on the overlap or at either end of the winding. When you are happy with the dry fit, it is glued in place with the seam on the bottom. The same process is repeated for the thumb leather, but it is shorter (20-25mm) and could be in a contrasting colour if you so desire. If your friend has preformed that type of repair before and is willing to offer some guidance or a more in depth explanation there is very little risk to the bow as all of the cutting/shaping happens to the leather, and with the correct glue choice the leather can be removed without any residue.
Essentially you pick the length you would like the winding to be (typically 75-80mm on a bass bow) and cut a strip of leather to that length, and then determine the width by wrapping it around the stick. All four edges are feathered/tapered so there are no gaps/ridges on the overlap or at either end of the winding. When you are happy with the dry fit, it is glued in place with the seam on the bottom. The same process is repeated for the thumb leather, but it is shorter (20-25mm) and could be in a contrasting colour if you so desire. If your friend has preformed that type of repair before and is willing to offer some guidance or a more in depth explanation there is very little risk to the bow as all of the cutting/shaping happens to the leather, and with the correct glue choice the leather can be removed without any residue.
