I recently got a Glasser carbon fiber bow rehaired to salt and pepper, and bought the new Wiedoeft rosin. Now I know new bow hair takes a lot of rosin but compared to my normal black-haired Steinman w/pops that I use.. The Steinman is louder while the Glasser is quiet. I don't know if the Glasser is quiet because of the fact it has a carbon fiber frame, or if its the rosin and need to get different hair, but I have been wanting to use this Glasser on my bass - driving me nuts that I can't get it to sound loud.
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Double Bass Bow Mishap-ness
- Thread starter Richtofen
- Start date
Every bow is different. People will discuss how hair, stiffness, rosin, stick material, etc. make a bow sound, but every bow is different. If you have an expert player play your bass with both bows, you'll be able to get a better assessment of what's going on. I have a really expensive bow that sounds mediocre on my best bass, but is fine on others. You have to play a bow on your bass before you buy it. There's no way to predict what it will sound like.
Only occasionally have I come across a Glasser bow with a strong (stiff) enough stick to be effective. How does this compare with your other bow? I test the stiffness by letting down the hair tension then holding the stick at both ends and flexing with my fingers outside my thumbs (fulcrums). Another test is to tension the bow hair to normal use, rest the middle of the hair on the D or A strings and press (weigh) down. Adjust the hair tension up or down until you just touch three strings at once as the hair touches the stick. A weak stick may never satisfactorily achieve this before becoming ridiculously straight. The stronger the stick the more carefully you have to adjust the tension to optimize the "bite" for clean note starts IMO.
But you have also changed hair and brand of rosin. New hair takes a little time to accept and build up rosin. I don't know the characteristics of Weidoerft rosin. You are also comparing with another bow and very sticky Pops rosin. Can you remember how powerful the Glasser bow was before the two changes? This would be a fairer comparison.
Personally I never again considered a Glasser bow after I bought a Finale from String Emporium. It cost 1/8th as much as my best bow and comes very close to it, giving all the power, sensitivity and quality I want.
But you have also changed hair and brand of rosin. New hair takes a little time to accept and build up rosin. I don't know the characteristics of Weidoerft rosin. You are also comparing with another bow and very sticky Pops rosin. Can you remember how powerful the Glasser bow was before the two changes? This would be a fairer comparison.
Personally I never again considered a Glasser bow after I bought a Finale from String Emporium. It cost 1/8th as much as my best bow and comes very close to it, giving all the power, sensitivity and quality I want.
Can I ask which level of Glasser bow? Their braided carbon fiber bow is one of the best cf bows I've tried (including the Finale) but I don't have any experience with any of the other models. The braided bow is in the $5-600 range (about 2x the price of the Finale, but less than Coda etc)
Louis
Louis
