Double Bass BOW HAIR - white? black? salt/pepper?

[brandonwong]

I recently had a bow rehaired with grey. I didn't specify what i want to my luthier and he just chose that for me. I really like how it sounds, kinda right in between black and white, and i mean not just the color.
The tone has a relative coarseness to it but still rather fine. It grips the strings really well too, for a two day old re-hair.

I really like it for orchestral work where there is a lot of "air" and presence to the bass tone. On the contrary, i still like my old Pfretzshner with black hair for solo playing. A little bit more of that Gary Karr near the bridge sound.

 

[Bassic93]

I prefer black hair just as a personal prefrance. I find it sounds more rich and full. Just my two cents.

 

[PsychoScout]

Ok, i'm considering buying a bow @ Uptonbass, as the one I have is too long (and too light for that lenght), so I'm having a hard time keeping the tip well balanced.

now, I get 4 choices for the hair:

- white
- silver
- black
- chestnut (+10$)

Which one is the mixed and which is the unbleached? (I think I'm going for unbleached)
I think silver will be the mixed and chestnut the unbleached. What do you guys think?

 

[Fletcher Lanning]

None of their hair is bleached. If it's white, it's a naturally occuring white. The color you choose just depends on how much grip you want in your hair.

Basically, the darker the hair, the rougher it is, the more grip you get. White hair usually gives a smoother sound, but black hair grabs the strings like a beast and makes you loud. YMMV

 

[Eric Rene Roy]

Sorry, we don't have 4 choices, we have 5!

In order of coarseness they are:

Black
Dark Silver
Chestnut
Light Silver
White

All of our hair is unbleached and not dyed...they are the natural colors.

None of these options are mixed. They are as natural as they grow on the horse.

Mixed options are Salt & Pepper...and that is a hand mixed variety. Salt & Pepper is a mix of BLACK & WHITE hair...and the person mixing it can decide the balance between them, but commonly it is just 50/50. You should expect to pay about double for a TRUE Salt & Pepper re-hair. It's a pain in the butt...and we don't offer that option. If you are that discriminating that you need a hand mix, then I suggest you contact Sue Lipkins or Rodney Mohr as they are the best.

 

[PsychoScout]

Sorry, we don't have 4 choices, we have 5!

In order of coarseness they are:

Black
Dark Silver
Chestnut
Light Silver
White

All of our hair is unbleached and not dyed...they are the natural colors.

None of these options are mixed. They are as natural as they grow on the horse.

Mixed options are Salt & Pepper...and that is a hand mixed variety. Salt & Pepper is a mix of BLACK & WHITE hair...and the person mixing it can decide the balance between them, but commonly it is just 50/50. You should expect to pay about double for a TRUE Salt & Pepper re-hair. It's a pain in the butt...and we don't offer that option. If you are that discriminating that you need a hand mix, then I suggest you contact Sue Lipkins or Rodney Mohr as they are the best.

Ok, no need for mixed ones... but you just made it even more dificult

Thank you for the information!

 

[Eric Rene Roy]

...but you just made it even more dificult

Yeah...some days I feel like we do that with basses too...too many options...it's paralyzing.

Not to hijack the thread...and I dont know if i'm stepping over the cup here...but...what do you all think? Too many options on an inexpensive bow?

 

[PsychoScout]

Perhaps yes, as this is a bow that is mostly bought by beginners (like me).

 

[PsychoScout]

keep the chestnut option pretty please... I have to arrange a creditcard before I can buy on your site, and I'm definitely going for chestnut.

 

[Fletcher Lanning]

I love options and personalization. To be honest, I think thats the biggest reason to buy from Upton. So don't lose it PLEASE.

 

[Don Higdon]

I've also been playing with Chestnut...which is a fun hair as the texture is medium but the hair is very elastic. Its like the Obligatos of hair (descriptive reference for anyone who has brought new Ob's up to pitch!).

Great description.

 

[Don Higdon]

As for black v. white, I sent my Lipkins bow and two others to Sue and asked her for black hair. For the bow she made, she insisted on white, and said that if I didn't like it, she'd replace it with black for free.
I was wrong, she was right.

 

[foilracer]

....i'm just wondering how common "chestnut" is?
...how many shops stock it?
....can more names be listed here?
also, is there a "common" shipping fee for mailing
bows to a repair shop?

Thanks for your answers.....

 

[Cody Sisk]

There are different grades of white hair as well. The cheaper stuff comes off of a mare while the better stuff is from a stallion. Stallion hair is more coarse and due to anatomical differences, they don't urinate on their tails..

 

[Eric Rene Roy]

Stallion hair is more coarse and due to anatomical differences, they don't urinate on their tails..

Actually, flip that Cody. Mare is coarser as the urine etches the barbs. Unbleached Stallion is the finest...and even in that category there are several levels of quality.

 

[Cody Sisk]

Actually, flip that Cody. Mare is coarser as the urine etches the barbs. Unbleached Stallion is the finest...and even in that category there are several levels of quality.

I stand corrected. What I meant was that it was thicker..

 

[IdealWay]

Actually, flip that Cody. Mare is coarser as the urine etches the barbs. Unbleached Stallion is the finest...and even in that category there are several levels of quality.

What type do you all use @ Upton?

 

[Eric Rene Roy]

What type do you all use @ Upton?

I get unbleached stallion as I use it for cello and violin rehairs as well...

 

[IdealWay]

I get unbleached stallion as I use it for cello and violin rehairs as well...

Cool, I think I'm about to order a UB Workshop bow from you guys, just trying to decide what type of hair to get. I'm a beginner to arco and use a Shen SB80 w/ Helicore strings, any suggestions? Thx!

 

[kmanley_29649]

I know that these things are all subjective opinions, but I'm hoping that someone could give me some advice. I'm planning on getting one of the Upton German bows soon, and I'm trying to decide what hair to get. Right now I'm playing a Glasser fiberglass bow, with white hair, but I'm not sure if it's bleached, or how old the hair is (at least two years), so I can't say that I don't know that the problems I'm having are with white hair, or just that the bow and hair I have aren't that good.

I play in a church praise band, and have been getting into arco with it over the last three months or so. I don't play a whole lot of fast passages, mostly long notes to give us a fuller sound, though I'd like to start playing more note-heavy stuff.

The chestnut hair sounds interesting, but I really have no idea what I need. Anyone have any pointers?