Dirty Cheap Carbon Fiber Bows
Seems carbon fiber popularity might be on the rise!
There are countless discussions on Carbon Fiber vs. Wood, and some people who recommend some really good Carbon Fiber bows out there (and I was really impressed by the performance of our friend here Marco Brancalion http://www.violinist.com/discussion/response.cfm?ID=27189 on a Carbon Fiber bow). But those are all relatively pricey bows.
I don't teach violin, but because I play (and have a known knack for looking for good deals) I do get asked often by students where they can get a good deal on an instrument, and I've been asked lately rather often about affordable Carbon Fiber bows.
We're talking dirty-cheap stuff here, these are often people on a shoestring budget trying to get the most out of every penny so they can't afford a $500 bow (which for many, is the least you pay if you're looking for a quality bow). I know there can be good deals out there on wood bows, but Carbon Fiber has been coming up quite a lot in discussions.
So, is there such a thing as a "reasonably good Carbon Fiber bow for around/under $100"?
Also since Carbon Fiber is unknown territory for me, might as well learn some from people with experience:
-Are they all created equal? What makes some cost $2000 and others $40? With wood I understand the price differences, but Carbon Fiber seems like a much less organic/unique process and a much more automated/laboratory process than the making of wood bows. If you buy two of the same maker, will they be noticeably different/unique in sound or are they exact copies?
-Why do some have the characteristic Carbon Fiber weave pattern clearly visible, and others seem to be completely flat black?
-Has anybody tried one of the Fiddlerman Carbon Fiber Violin Bows? I get asked about these so often, someone might think I work with Fiddlerman. I'm even tempted to try one of the bows myself so I can have hands-on experience with it.
As always, thank you all for your insight and wisdom! :)
Replies (9)
I agree with Kevin and Liz - buying by mail is a crap-shoot - you may get a decent one or you may get a pup.
These days most decent dealers stock some cheap generic bows, and that way you get to try them.
But you might want to make students aware of the limitations. I started with a very cheap Chinese. It was playable, but the tone was a bit harsh, the balance was ho-hum, and the sensitivity so poor that you can't feel the vibration of the string through the stick at all.
If they could save up for a branded bow such as the student Coda, they'd have a much more competent tool. I think a lot of beginners underestimate the importance of the bow - they might be better off to buy a cheaper fiddle and spend more on the bow.
This spring I received a catalog from Shar with the Presto Spark carbon fiber bow featued on the cover for $99 and decided t order it with my string purchase.
For only a little more than the cost of a rehair of my good bows, I think it is well worth the money. It is a decent bow and I think most kids would find it fun to use as it sparkles as it moves. Anything that can motivate kids to practice is a boon.
I own the fiddlerman carbon fiber violin bow, I like it so much I just ordered one for my viola with a custom rosewood frog..great bows for the money
I just got a bow from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TE1OJMQ
It is shockingly good for $42.35. I would recommend it to anyone.
If you have Amazon Prime you can send it right back if you do not like it or get a defective one.
The hair is not excellent. Obviously, it would cost more to rehair than the whole bow costs.
Perhaps the important issue is that cheap bows are not necessarily bad - what they lack is quality control so if you are prepared to spend the time you can find a bargain.
I went through my local shop's cheap carbon fiber bows (a stock of about 20) and found two reasonable ones at $125 each. One I still have as a backup the other I sold to my then teacher. He was so pleased he used it to play in the Toronto Symphony that night - instead of his Tubbs!
To respond to your question about CF bows that do or do not show the weave: in my recent experience, those without the weave pattern were not actually carbon fiber. However, the descriptions were clear about that. I bought an Arcos Brasil CF bow for about $180. Not dirt cheap but I knew what I was getting and the hair is decent.
being a student, I want to try out one of them codabows, but I can't afford one, but I bought a cheap CF bow "Aileen" for $80 past summer. I'll be parting with it along with a cheap violin.
It is a decent bow, very reliable, not too stiff, not too soft. The sound also was excellent. I would say that it's my secondary bow, but it just felt uncomfortable for me. Too light, thin and frog is especially small.
As for weaves, to some degree, non-weave materials isn't really "carbon fibre" unless of the highest, finest grade(you won' be buying that under 5 digits).
The grains are thicker on the cheaper grade CF, and less likely to be uniform(uneven, some knots here, some tangled up there, some folds and etc.), which means the manufacturer wants to cover it up. They can easily do that by putting a carbon coat over it, which might be why some "CF" bows are glossy black. I think codabow shows off by dying the fibres and putting a clear coat over them. Just because they have black glossy outer layer doesn't mean they aren't CF.
The way they make CF materials varies, I made some myself some time ago(for r/c helicopter parts, in 2006, it took weeks to make parts just to have them crack on me during assembly), you start with sheets of CF mostly. Even if they machine-cast and press the sticks, the whole bow won't be the same from one to the other even if the stick is the same. Someone still has to put a tip and frog there. I think their cost differs by better quality control, materials and how much experience the maker has.
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September 26, 2015 at 08:19 AM · You can find cheap carbon fibre bows on eBay. The thing is cheap carbon fibre bows of the same brand can still vary quite a bit.