Double Bass Need help picking out a new bass bow...

[Jmarek]

So I could use lots of advice! I'm needing to upgrade my bass bow desperately. I've been playing on my old student bow for too long now and of course now that I'm way better than when I first started playing its starting to hold me back and I'm hitting a bit of a wall...
I play the upright bass in an acoustic rock band so I need a bow that has good manuverability and is lighter and mostly well balanced, at least better than the entry level bow I have. I also like a warm sound out of it since we write some more ambient style music as well. Not only that, I've started to get to this point where the weight of my bow is hurting my hand because the tip is too heavy. I heard that carbon fibre bows are light but lose the warmth of a wood bow. From personal experience is that true? I looked at some brands and I was maybe thinking a coda bow but I'd like to know for the kind of playing I do if it would be worth it.

Something I hear people say a lot after gigs is that they can't hear me when I play higher on my G or D string and cranking the volume or anything else makes an overall crappy mix....but maybe it is a problem with all basses? So anyways I guess I'm hoping that some bows help project sound better than others considering that my brazilwood bow is louder and warmer than my awful fiber glass bow. What brands from personal experience have some of you found to maybe suit my needs and maybe a little list of pros and cons?
And one last question how does a carbon fiber bow hold up while playing harmonics compared to a wood bow?

I appreciate any help, thanks!

 

[T_Bone_TL]

I need a bow that has good manuverability and is lighter and mostly well balanced, at least better than the entry level bow I have. ... Not only that, I've started to get to this point where the weight of my bow is hurting my hand because the tip is too heavy.

While I can't really help you much (been playing a fiberglass bow, just ordered a cheap, or hopefully "inexpensive" CF bow [supposedly weighing 137-139g]; I regard "warmth" as a trigger warning for audiophoolery and suchlike unquantifiable golden-ear nonsense when describing sound...) I would note that you might want to provide the weight of your current bow (if it's Too Heavy) or that your current bow might need additional weight (frog-end-wards) to correct the balance (if it's Tip Heavy.) You might also want to mention French or German style as regards your current bow.

Likewise, I rarely touch the G string these days, F on the D string is about as high as I go (and mostly when not having time to get between F on the E string and C on the A), no need to go stomping on the territory my bandmate with the guitar is working. If I wanted to be shrill I'd use the mandolin. Seems to be an uncommon trait, but it works for my band.

 

[Neil Pye]

At the risk of prodding a hornet's nest, I would seriously think about consulting a good teacher before spending any money on a bow. Arco tone is very much about technique, and I also worry when people say their hand hurts. This is much more likely to a technique/physical tension issue than a problem with your bow. The word "warmth" bothers me too. Where and how you put the bow on the string has way more influence than the material of the bow. Go to a teacher, get some advice. It'll be well worth it.

 

[Jmarek]

Oh yes I use a french bow, unfortunately I don't know it's weight. Anyways as for some problems I have with my bow and pain (some problems I didn't describe here) I found out my bow has a totally different problem yay...and I already know it has nothing to do with it balance but when a luthier rehaired my bow it came back with a crack on the pearl slide and when I looked closer a little piece was actually cracked off and then glued back on...Then the hair wasn't set properly and popped right out of the tip after I picked up my bow and I had to go back again to get the hair reset properly. Anyways I mentioned it because I'm worried that something worse has happened to it when the piece cracked off. Maybe some one dropped my bow...oh well its probably fine.
Anyways producing a sound of warmth has never been a problem for me technique wise, but when you hear the tone of fiber glass compared to wood, and it of course depends on the wood there is an overall different tone and the same goes for the type of wood for an instrument. I've heard from people that carbon fiber bows have a colder tone, which would be nice to verify.

 

[Mrlen613]

I would say my CF bow has a brighter tone- not necessarily colder or warmer, but not "woody" which I would classify as different than warm/cold. The tone is less complex (with my bow at least) but clear. Your best bet is to go to a store with your bass and try some out...

 

[Jmarek]

Thanks!

 

[LouisF]

Options. What's your budget.

UB Workshop Double Bass Bow, French and German Styles

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http://www.stringemporium.com/pernambuco-upright-bass-bows.htm

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Double Bass Bows

 

[Jmarek]

Well my budget really depends...I would rather say buy a cheaper 300-600 range bow if possible since I know often with many products with a high price won't always mean its better though I don't know that with bows yet. So say for example a bow listed iniis close in price to said range the coda bow revelation, or I might consider a pernambuco bow, but as for say the ones within my price range I don't know how well they perform.

 

[SAlcott]

Find someone who knows about bows to help you. Pay them if you have to. I'm paying the price now for uninformed bow choices I made 30 years ago. Pain is a sign you're doing something wrong.

 

[Neil Pye]

PLEASE don't spend money yet. Get a good teacher to look at your technique - there are always huge gains to be made without laying out lots of money. And it would be a good thing to smooth out any technique problems before you go trying to evaluate bows.