a bow makes all the difference in world !

March 20, 2006 at 5:48 PM

Wow....this extra bow I had sitting around really stinks !! I never used it so never took a good look at it before......but it's warped off to the side and .......

you know....I have been amazed at the sounds I have been able to get out of that cheesy ebay special violin I've been using while that nice old violin has been set aside for repairs.....it's that BOW I've been using ! (lol...and all this time I thought it was ME !)

Wow....having never used any other bow in my short 3.5 year career...I had NO idea what a difference a bow can make ! I've had to set the "nice" bow aside.....there are some hairline cracks up at the tip and it was suggested that I not use it until I get it repaired...which I have obediently decided to do. I took a good look at the cracks with the bow tightened and I can certainly see the danger !

But man.....I tried practicing today....and I just can't do it with that lousy bow ! Frustration mounts...I have a whole morning/afternoon till 3 to get some practicing in and I just CAN'T ! I was soooo tempted to get out the "good" bow...till I took a good look at it....man....I hope my teacher has another sitting around that she can spare.....and I do so hope the owner decides to get that nice old bow repaired.....and let me continue using it. I'm afraid she's going to find out it's worth alot and then sell it on me ! :-(

What a spoiled rotten brat I am ! lol

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on March 20, 2006 at 6:04 PM

Just use the screw from the bad bow in the good bow. The head was broken off the screw right? That's gotta be like a $5 repair.

From bill _
Posted on March 20, 2006 at 6:47 PM

Not spoiled, just learnin the truth. The bow is your hand--it makes the sound. It is even more fundamental than a guitar pick in that sense, as it is an elastic structure with significant mass and is acoustically coupled to the strings. So *of course* it is more important than at first it may seem.

That being said, you might just go get yourself a glasser bronx classic fiberglass bow. It will not be like your good bow, but it will be much better than your bad one:-) And when you are done with it, you can sell it to me for $15.

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on March 20, 2006 at 7:03 PM

Congrats on your discovery. Think of the bow as an extension of your own arm/wrist/hand. It really does make a world of difference. Sometimes I let my beginning students try one of my bows, and they're amazed at the difference between it and a cheap beginner bow.

From Patty Rutins
Posted on March 20, 2006 at 7:05 PM

Get yourself a better spare -- you can pick up a reasonable bow for under $100 these days, the price of a couple of re-hairings. It sounds like you're ready to try anything to get rid of this old warped one!

From Eileen Geriak
Posted on March 20, 2006 at 7:05 PM

Well.....the nut is off the bow, but it was made in such a way that I can't just screw on another nut. The original was "set" onto the tip..or rather, the tip was set "into" the nut. There are no threads.
There are also some hairline cracks up at the tip of the bow. Which really don't look like much and are almost invisible....until you tighten the bow...and that is where it will let go if I continue to use it.
Lol Bill...yeah,I should go out and pick up a cheap bow as a spare....and at some point I will....but I'd like to wait until I get the better violin back so I can find something that will sound decent on that one...well, best I can for a cheap bow anyway...I don't know, I'm such a novice !

From Jim W. Miller
Posted on March 20, 2006 at 8:19 PM

If you keep loosening the hair on the bad bow the screw will come all the way out. Use it on the other bow. Except the other bow is cracked too. So whatever:)

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a bow makes all the difference in world !

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