Graphite Bass Bows

The idea of a graphite bow is it is more stable than wood and it can be manufactured with great consistency from one bow to the next. The disdvantage is it isn't wood

All the scuttlebutt I have heard is that pros with graphite bows use them as backups or in situations where they are worred about damaging a really fine wood bow.

The prices vary a lot, the Glasser carbon fiber bows are about $300 and the cheapest I've seen. They are also the most detested. Carbow starts around $600, I think. There's a French brand whose name I don't recall that is more like a grand...you can get a pretty sweet wood bow for that much!

I've been sniffing around the Glasser since I'm ready to move up from fiberglass and like the low-maintenance aspect of the graphite bow (my first bow 20 years ago actually was wood, but it was also warped; when the local bowmakers told me it wasn't worth fixing I wasn't going to buy a $300 bow to go with my $300 bass ).

 

The third brand that Brian is refering to is ALG, made/designed by bow maker Alain Le Gouic. I got mine here in France for about 600US$ (slightly less than for a Carbow) when I was shopping for a new bow. I did not find any sweet decent pernambouc bow for that price. I found ALG bows better balanced, better sounding (quite dark) and better finished than the Carbows. I have not tried nor seen any Glasser. I still have my "entry level" (and sweet, indeed) Augagneur pernambouc bow which beats all the Ary that I have tried, but the ALG is better, something like more nervous.
Try as many bows as you can, preferably at home rather than at the store.

 

ED:
I didn't get to Paris; there's a story in OFF TOPIC on a thread I titled Drum Roll, Please

I'm not competent to judge synthetic bows. I bought the cheapest available carbon and fiberglass bows so I wouldn't have to worry on jobs in joints full of drunks, waiters and trays full of food and drink. Michael Moore bought his carbon bow for the same reason. His try-out included throwing it at a cinderblock wall.

 

I recently tried one of ALG bows. I was impressed with its balance and feel, but found it to be too bright and not dark sounding. It did provide excellent sound projection though. If someone is interested in trying one I would recommend that you try it and compare it to a good pernambuco bow. The price is now about $750.