Double Bass 'Wasting' a good bow

[JamieParkinson]

Hi,

I have rented a (plywood) Boosey & Hawkes 'Artia Excelsior' bass for the past year which serves me pretty well and whilst by no means a great bass is not a piece of junk - my research suggests it's Czech and from the late 60s to early 70s. I have recently started playing in a small Youth orchestra which is a lot of fun, and whilst I intend to be a jazz player I do enjoy the classical stuff.

My question is this: would buying a better bow (I'm thinking one of the Yitamusic bows) than the fairly crappy one that came with the bass 'waste' the superiority of this bow on the not-so-great bass? Would it genuinely improve sound/ease of playing on the bass or would it only be worthwhile as an investment for future basses?

And on a related note, would it improve the sound/feel/ease of notes (especially tremolos) on the low E? They sound somewhat 'croaky' and don't feel nice at the minute with this cheapo bow.

Thanks!

 

[funkybassinator]

I don't think so. You might not be getting the best out of it, but you can still use it when you upgrade basses. I'm not very experienced with bowing in ensembles, I do a lot of bow practice; a nice bow makes everything easier/cleaner.

 

[chris1125]

A yita musi bow would be a significant improvement over a glasser or bottom line brazilwood and could improve your sound. You could never "waste" a good bow.

 

[Marton]

You can't waste any money on a good bow and a good set of strings, on any basses !

 

[bassics1975]

The bass is only half the equation. A poor bow will do a good bass no justice (and visa-versa). The best advice is to try a number of bows and see what works with your current set-up. Don't think spending a lot of money on a bow will give you the results you are looking for. There are a number of economical options out there that may give you the results. Just be patient and shop around.

 

[Eric Swanson]

Until I got my current bass, I always went with the "great bow on a so-so bass" formula and it worked for me.

I was told, and I have found, that a good bow can help a lesser bass sound better. My experience is that the opposite is less likely.

Your bow is your contact point with the bass. It really can't be too good, IMHO; it can only be not-good-enough...

 

[Jordan M]

In my experience a great bow with a terrible bass sounds better than a terrible bow with a great bass. I wouldn't worry about "wasting" a good bow.

 

[HateyMcAmp]

You could always get a cost effective carbon fiber bow. In the 2 hundred buck range you can get something that is well balanced, nice playing and a big step up from fiberglass/cheap brazilwood. No, it won't be an orchestral masterwork that pulls a huge sound, but in my case it made a huge difference in what I get out of my practice time and lessons, which in turn has helped my (mostly pizz) playing!

 

[JamieParkinson]

Well... That's very conclusive. Thanks!

I think I will buy a Top or maybe Advanced Yita French Carbon Fibre bow, they're only about £100 but reviews on TB have been very positive.

Thanks again!

 

[fdeck]

A nice bow was the best thing that ever happened to my old ply bass.

 

[dbassnut]

A good bow would solve a lot of potential problems, especially with bad bowing habits that would harder to relearn later. Plus, its portable & you can take it wherever you go.