• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass What is this?

trkkazulu

trkkazulu

Apr 18, 2007
62
19
67
jairrohm.wordpress.com
#1
High,

I have this bow that i bought in Sweden. It's a German bow and i've never seen anything like it before. I'm attaching photos for anyone who may be able to tell me something about it. As you can see in the pics, it is remarkably different from the usual German bow. Any ideas where and when such bows were made and by whom?

Thanks,

JPW
 

Attachments

  • Photo_061108_003.jpg
    Photo_061108_003.jpg
    37.8 KB · Views: 132
  • Photo_061108_004.jpg
    Photo_061108_004.jpg
    40.6 KB · Views: 157
#3
My stand partner in the LA Doctors' Orchestra (who happens to be a real doctor; I'm not!) has one that she got in Czechoslovakia years ago and a) won't let anyone near it; and b) swears by it - and she's a very fine player.
 
#7
David Potts said:
It looks like the forerunner of the modern"German" bow. I've seen several before and have heard them called "shark'shead" bows. I believe the deep head and almost straight (or even bent-the-other-wa stick were the style championed by Dragonetti.

DP
Click to expand...

In the efforts of dispelling misinformation, I believe David is correct. This jives with what I know about the historical development of bows. It looks like something out of England before the modern German-grip bow became popular. Of course, it could be from anywhere, but the English (partly because of Dragonetti) held fast to the archaic styles much longer than any other country.

-Trevor
 
#8
Felessan said:
In the efforts of dispelling misinformation, I believe David is correct. This jives with what I know about the historical development of bows. It looks like something out of England before the modern German-grip bow became popular. Of course, it could be from anywhere, but the English (partly because of Dragonetti) held fast to the archaic styles much longer than any other country.

-Trevor
Click to expand...

This is really interesting. Could this bow be really old? It's my favorite bow. I've had it for about two years now and i love it. It's stiffer than other bows. In fact, it isn't possible to get the hair as loose as on other bows.

JPW
 
#9
trkkazulu said:
This is really interesting. Could this bow be really old? It's my favorite bow. I've had it for about two years now and i love it. It's stiffer than other bows. In fact, it isn't possible to get the hair as loose as on other bows. JPW
Click to expand...
Could be old, but my guess is that it was made by a folk instrument maker. Someone not obsessed with copying the Italian/continental masters, and just interested in serving his clients. Still, if it plays well and is stiff, you have done well. Just don't be crushed if you find out it isn't worth Sartory money!
Note: How much you can loosen the hair has little to do with the stiffness of the stick!
Robobass
 
#10
I've seen quite a few of these bows. It's an older model that is somewhere between the old Dragonetti bow and the modern German bow. The German bow is actually a hybrid between the Dragonetti bow (which had a tip shaped like the one on this bow) and French bow (hence the French style screw). This bow is probably from the period when the features of the German bow were not yet standardized. It might be made from wood other than Brazilwood or Pernambuco as well. It's probably not valuable, but it's interesting from a historical perspective and would be nice for period performances. I had one like this exect that it also had an outcurved camber which is even more like the original Dragonetti bow. I sold it to someone who wanted to restore his bass to original 19th century specifications.

- Steve
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back