Your advice most welcome on bowing issues:
a) Is there any 'hard and fast' rule regarding using the full width of the bow hair- or using the edge of the bow hair?
b) Should the bow hair be re-haired after a certain period of time--does old bow hair lose it's tone after a period of time? (Like strings).
c) Are there many different types of bow hair?--if so which is considered the best for volume & tone?
d) Regarding Rosin--I have a cake of 'Pops' rosin which has gone brittle, is that good? Is the make Rosin you use a personal preference?
Look forward to your thoughts on the above.
Mike
a. There are many opinions in regards to the amount of hair to use. Some players will never play with completely flat hair, some will almost always play with flat hair. It's a personal choice. The flat hair is great in that it functionally gets the most out of the bow's camber (the stick's curve), in addition to full contact with the hair can make for a very articulate sound.
There are so many ways to handle it, this is something that is very fun to experiment with and find what "positions" work best for you in whatever context.
b. Yes. Hair goes bad, whether its been over-rosined, soaked in hand oil and sweat, snapped off, or simply lost the fibers on the hair itself. If you play everyday, a bow rehair may be necessary every three to six months. If the hair is particularly good, it may last a bit longer; however, I've never had hair that made it past a year.
c. Yes, but it's all a matter of personal preferences. Most commonly you will see white (bleached or natural), black, brown and sometimes red. Try to avoid bleached white hair, or any hair meant for violin bows. Also avoid hair which has been treated with any kind of powder. Bass hair generally needs to be very coarse, and usually comes from Siberian breed horses. You will have to experiment with different hairs to find the tone and feel which works best for you and your bass.
I personally like a blend of white (80%) and black hair (20%). Black hair tends to be very coarse and articulate, while white hair seems to have a sweeter tone. Blending them appears to give the best of both worlds.
d. Yes, rosin choice is a personal preference. They all have different qualities which people will be attracted to for a variety of reasons. I like Pops, but it needs to be fresh. Old Pops will powder up quickly and lose its grip.
