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Double Bass Help Finding a Bow Dealer from 2008/2009

A

AHJ1515

Dec 10, 2022
4
2
#1
Hi Everyone--alright, this is a weird situation. In what feels like another lifetime, I was a classical bass student who got smashed by a series of hand and wrist issues. When I was 21, right before my hands completely fell apart, I purchased a wonderful Bazin-school French bow from a dealer who use to be relatively prominent on Talkbass--I believe his first name was Chris, but for the life of me I cannot remember his last name. Back in 2007/2008, you could reach out and he'd send you 3 or 4 or the best French bows you had ever held...

In 2004, I got lucky when Arnold and Will had a fully carved La Scala built for but never purchased by someone else, and somehow, 16 year old me ended up with this friggin' amazing instrument. Tonight, playing Silent Night for my four-year-old, hands weak but pretty much pain free, I got the itch to find out if I can really play again. I am also curious if I can hunt down Chris and the paper work for my bow, because after performance became no go career-wise, I did the idiot thing and didn't get an appraisal for or documentation of a multi-thousand dollar bow purchase. Yeah--can't believe I just wrote that sentence either, but here we are.

Anyway, this is me asking the internet for some help and guidance. Anyone know what Chris's last name might be and if he still deals in bows?
 
#2
AHJ1515 said:
Hi Everyone--alright, this is a weird situation. In what feels like another lifetime, I was a classical bass student who got smashed by a series of hand and wrist issues. When I was 21, right before my hands completely fell apart, I purchased a wonderful Bazin-school French bow from a dealer who use to be relatively prominent on Talkbass--I believe his first name was Chris, but for the life of me I cannot remember his last name. Back in 2007/2008, you could reach out and he'd send you 3 or 4 or the best French bows you had ever held...

In 2004, I got lucky when Arnold and Will had a fully carved La Scala built for but never purchased by someone else, and somehow, 16 year old me ended up with this friggin' amazing instrument. Tonight, playing Silent Night for my four-year-old, hands weak but pretty much pain free, I got the itch to find out if I can really play again. I am also curious if I can hunt down Chris and the paper work for my bow, because after performance became no go career-wise, I did the idiot thing and didn't get an appraisal for or documentation of a multi-thousand dollar bow purchase. Yeah--can't believe I just wrote that sentence either, but here we are.

Anyway, this is me asking the internet for some help and guidance. Anyone know what Chris's last name might be and if he still deals in bows?
Click to expand...

There's a Chris Brown who plays with the St. Paul Chamber Orch. Maybe yes?
 
#4
I have no bow info for you, but I would like to encourage you to keep playing. I also have been involved in several series of unfortunate events, the end result is a right wrist that’s held together with screws and some arthritis and last year my left 4th finger was broken as a result of other people’s poor choices on the road. Take your time, make sure your technique is great, low tension strings help for me, and have fun!!!
 
#5
BassFalcon said:
I have no bow info for you, but I would like to encourage you to keep playing. I also have been involved in several series of unfortunate events, the end result is a right wrist that’s held together with screws and some arthritis and last year my left 4th finger was broken as a result of other people’s poor choices on the road. Take your time, make sure your technique is great, low tension strings help for me, and have fun!!!
Click to expand...

I appreciate it! Yeah--three surgeries and lots of rehab over the last decade have led to reasonably functional hands and wrists. Its mostly genetic: My mom has RA--I don't, at least it doesn't show on tests I have had--and my brother has had wrist surgeries to alleviate pain. Neither of them were musicians.

So, we'll see.
 
#6
BassFalcon said:
I have no bow info for you, but I would like to encourage you to keep playing. I also have been involved in several series of unfortunate events, the end result is a right wrist that’s held together with screws and some arthritis and last year my left 4th finger was broken as a result of other people’s poor choices on the road. Take your time, make sure your technique is great, low tension strings help for me, and have fun!!!
Click to expand...

A question: What low tension strings to you use? Have strings changed much in the last 12 years? I believe I have original Flexocores on the bass right now...
 
#7
AHJ1515 said:
A question: What low tension strings to you use? Have strings changed much in the last 12 years? I believe I have original Flexocores on the bass right now...
Click to expand...
I’ve used Corelli for a long time and liked them a lot. I recently got an Evah Pirazzi Weich G string, just to test them out and I liked it a lot so I’m gonna try a full set of those on my new bass. I think the Evah had a richer tone, it’s a little higher tension than the corelli but I didn’t really feel it much. There’s really 2 factors at play, tension and flexibility. A higher tension string can possibly be easier to press down than a lower tension if it’s core material is more flexible. There are many far more knowledgable about strings here than I. BelCanto and Obligato are other sets generally considered in that same hand friendly group.
 
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