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Posts posted by Mat Roop
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Thinner hair produces less noisy tone... Probably true to some extent. The question is relative.. how thick vs how thin and where is the sweet spot?
I have had Fiddler's ask for rehair of their violin bow with heavy black hair, normally used for bass bows. Some like it some not so much.
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9 hours ago, Victor Roman said:
...that bow hair was much finer than what is commonly used today...
As I understand it, hair from a colder climate has more body than from a warm climate, and hair from a very warm climate like Florida or Mexico can be rather thin and silky. Perhaps in years gone by, more hair was locally sourced... so the quality was what it was... and that also depended partly on whether it was from a mare or stallion.
Also, it is my understanding that hair that is labelled Siberian or Mongolian hair is not necessarily from those regions but rather it has become a statement of the quality of the hair resembling hair from those regions. After all, how would one prove whether or not a hank of hair comes from a specific region and then there is also the issue that there is good hair and poor hair from any region. So my position is that I rely on premium quality hair from a reputable supplier, and I cull any hairs with defects.
My 2 cents worth! ... Mat
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also... to answer the question of broken hairs...
If you feel each hair, you can feel some that have a coarser feel or have an uneven texture along the length. These lumps/ bumps/ thin spots create weak spots that will break easier. To reduce this probability, I closely check/feel the hairs before tying a knot. It is not unusual to cull out about 5 or 10 hairs out of each hank.
Btw, I prefer the unbleached, Siberian Stallion hair over Mongolian. The hair is expensive, but relative to the full cost of the rehair, it is minimal and the best is the best!...
Cheers!... Mat
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ok... here are pics... note that this is a new bow (does not look like great hair).. I do not have one on hand at the moment that I have rehaired :
stretcher clamp.. ends are removed and reinserted in the reverse to create a stretching clamp. The pads are modified so that they do not touch any part of the bow except just under the hair band.
a few more pics ...Frog flat.pdf
frog side.pdf tip flat.pdf tip side.pdf
Edit...PS... not sure why the pics don't show...because they are pdf? ? but just down load and you can see them
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Keep in mind that I am self-taught and have developed some methods for rehairing that are a bit unorthodox. However, for me they work well and I'll give you the reasons.
I have rehaired bows since the early 1990's
When I rehair I do it dry and tie the knot using a constrictor knot. It is easy to tie and is very tight. The reason I do the rehair dry is that when you tie the knot with the hair wet your knot can be tight but when it dries it will be not so tight. ...And I like a tight knot. I have never had the hair slip out of the knot.
Shrinking hair... First, in the early days I was told by some that you can't stretch hair only shrink it. Turns out that is true for much of the cheap hair but not true for quality hair. Good quality hair that I use, I can stretch probably 15 to 30%. Consequently, I use a method of stretching the hair in the bow and then shrinking the loose hair. When the bow is fully rehaired then I wet the hair and apply a stretcher clamp with the stretching pads modified so that they fit snugly directly under the hair at both the tip and the frog. Then when you expand the clamp there is no stress on the wood of the bow at all... Stretching the hair. Let sit to dry & then remove clamp.
Now, we shrink. I could never understand how you can keep the flame off the hair that does not need stretching. Holding the bow horizontal, tap the end of the bow on your finger so that any loose hairs hang down. Lower these hairs onto an inverted clothes iron set at full temperature. As soon as the hair hits the hot iron, it shrinks and pops up in line with the others... Works like a charm.
... And that is my 2 cents worth!
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To properly rehair a bow is not simple nor easy.
Look at your rehair... with the bow under tension, and with a good light source (ceiling light), look at the length of hair holding it so you can see individual hairs clearly from one end to the other, and see if there are any hairs crossing one another and confirm that all hairs must be perfectly parallel... it is very easy to slightly twist the knot when inserting into the mortice, which will cause hairs to run slightly diagonally across the width of the bow. Crossed hairs significantly reduces the performance.
Next, with the hair tensioned, holding the bow horizontal first hair side up, then hairside down, begin to loosen the hair, and watch closely to see if some hairs are looser than others ( looser hairs will begin to wrinkle before others). All hairs should loosen at the same time. If not, you will need to shrink the long ones without shortening the short ones!
btw, I do not use alcohol flame for shrinking hair... I find that you cannot control the flame to touch only the long hairs and not the short ones.
Also, further to an earlier comment... the dark end of the hair is thinner than the white. Because the width of the hair band is narrower at the bow tip... you will want the whiter, thicker hair at the frog.
The bow hair I use is the best quality that I can find... Siberian, stallion, unbleached, & double select ... be sure it comes from a reputable supplier.... it makes a big difference!
My favourite comment from a new customer in response to my follow up was... " wonderful... the bow almost played by itself!"
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Thanks Sogo...My concern is Canada only!
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good idea!... thanks Brad... Mat
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I was very surprised to learn that Strings Magazine has a circulation of only 100 in Canada... and I am one of them, and I do enjoy reading it!
But, for advertising, that is a pretty meager exposure.
What publications do you and Canadian violinists and fiddlers read? what is your favourite?
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I was very surprised to learn that Strings Magazine has a circulation of only 100 in Canada... and I am one of them, and I do enjoy reading it!
So for advertising, that is a pretty meager exposure.
What publications do you and Canadian violinists and fiddlers read?
,
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Post some pics so we have a better understanding of what you are talking about, but to me personally, perfect new looking is not necessarily pleasing.
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Thanks all for your commentary... helpful!...
The stick seems to be of quite good quality, and I can likely make it work with a bit of internal tip alteration and a new frog... but that is up to the client!...cheers, Mat
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Hi Folks... just received this bow for a rehair.... there appears to be no mortise in the frog... just a plastic spreader bar... and the hair is glued into it??
Any one know anything about these bows? Is it rehairable? suggestions?
Sorry for the quick, less than perfect pictures ... and I think the stamp says " Swiss made "
Thanks!... Mat
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Was just looking at this...
I have been doing this for nut slots on violins using ebony dust and super glue...... just on cheap student instruments thinking it would last long but I must say none have come back.
Question I have ... has anyone tried the concept for bridge slots?
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I do violin repairs and had the pleasure of working on a local violin belonging to a serious player who also composed music.
His bow ( don't recall the name) was a type with synthetic hair that is guaranteed not to require rehair. I had suggested he try a different bow but he was adamant that that was the best bow ever and he had no interest in another.
Well, a year later I had occasion to work on his violin again. when he picked up his violin I asked if he would do me a favour and evaluate a Tourte copy bow that I had restored and rehaired (price tag $1000) with top grade Siberian horse hair, and thought was quite good.... was it really worth $1000?? Was it really better than the average bow of $1-200? I told him there was no rush to return it... just whenever convenient.
A month later he called saying I would not be getting the bow back. He could not believe the difference it made.
I find the same with most things including tools of the trade....not necessarily the price tag but rather the quality.
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What are the best (mid range price) violin strings for AEAE tuning?
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ok... so maybe this is better solution ... for the "concertmaster"
https://www.tomleemusic.ca/acoustagrip-concert-master-violin-shoulder-rest-215015
much easier on the pocketbook..but then what you pay is what you get! ... and for $10 more you can get:
https://www.tomleemusic.ca/kun-collapsible-44-violin-shoulder-rest-25676
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yes!...It can be cleaned easily... by someone who knows what they are doing.
I do such "usual" violins regularly, and cleaning is a matter of the right materials, and lots of gentle patience. Then I polish but not in the usual way... I rub (with my finger) the entire violin ( section at time) with violin varnish of the appropriate color, then immediately wipe it all off. That seals any open wood, and fills cracks and leaves virtually no varnish on the surface... it is like a polish that dries and stays. Use absolutely no abrasives!
The result is surprisingly significant and leaves all of the history visible but more subdued..
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why would anyone sell a $1200 bow for $50?.... something fishy if you ask me!
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The viola rest on Amazon in the us is $478 US which translates to $645CAD... so its cheaper if you order from Canada!
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Is it that when you bend the shoulder rest, it stays like as if it were metal?
If so, what is it about the wood that makes it stay flexed? has it been treated or cooked in some way to make it bendable? They say it is tone wood..., so my guess is it is maple... and for sure I can't flex maple without it springing right back.
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I was just exposed to this shoulder rest on line... in Canada the violin version sells for $499 and the viola for $559.
Besides the price, what caught my eye was that it is made with bendable tone wood.
https://www.pirastro-shoulderrests.com/en/korfker-rest-features/
Does anyone have experience with it?... how would a player bend tone wood without getting into a shop?
Just Curious... Thanks, Mat
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... an old tread on the subject... https://forums.violins.ca/viewtopic.php?t=2290&sid=29eae6a64feb5823bf66e22c96091c17
read this...https://www.fomrhi.org/vanilla/fomrhi/uploads/bulletins/Fomrhi-130/Comm 2024.pdf
and this... https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/oxygen-absorbers-pack-of-100/6000189653085
and you will need the mylar bags.
... or something similar
note... when the mylar bag is sealed, the oxygen absorbers will "shrink wrap" the violin... so leave some space.
Good luck... Mat
Can rehair job having impact on sound?
in The Pegbox
Posted
Btw.. I am always more bothered by hair that is uneven in texture along its length.