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Showing results for tags 'bow hair'.
Found 5 results
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Hi, I am new to playing the violin. Years ago I purchased an antique violin and bow and never bothered learning and have finally decided to jump into it. The violin I had restrung and that wasn't an issue but the bow I have, I am unsure if its worth it financially to have it repaired and haired by a luthier or if I should just stick with my cheap Korean bow I am currently learning on? The bow is marked TOURTE. I have searched here for posts about bows like mine and have found 2-3 but not much more information about it. What I am assuming from my own research is the TOURTE stamp on the bow isn't an actual French Tourte bow (as genuine Tourte bows aren't marked apparently) but a German bow based on a Tourte model/form. From the measurements I have found for actual Tourte bows, his bow matches exactly, except for the weight as its slightly lighter (due to lack of hair?) but the length & balance point are exact. I assume that they've matched the camber also but I haven't measured that. It is an octagonal bow, which I would like to hear others opinions on whether anyone here has experience with this style bow? Whether you prefer octagonal or round, is there a difference in play? I have attached the photo as a collage but if you need to see a photo larger let me know. I also know there's a rule against having a pattern background but I couldn't capture the wood grain or color properly or bright enough when done on a white background so I apologize for breaking that rule but I did try. The color is quite reddish-lighter brown and a bit darker than the photos but its the closest comparison. I don't know the type of wood, Pernambuco? or Brazilwood (not the Chinese type but the other part of the Pau tree)? or Beeswood/Abeille wood (Manilkara bidentata)? The front plate is ivory - can that be repaired or do I need to get another ivory one? I have read from others on here that its best to get an ivory replacement (instead of a synthetic material). It also needs padding & lapping and the frog (ebony/nickel?) needs to be reattached to the slide. Is it worth the dive to invest in repairing/hairing this bow? If you've been in my situation before, what would be a good price to have a luthier do this? We have an Italian violin luthier who's only a city away, so I want to know if his quote would be a fair price and what to expect. It honestly feels great in my hand, light and well balanced without giving fatigue to my hand, especially compared to my cheap Korean bow. Thank you for all your comments & suggestions for this newb, be gentle on my ignorance! All the best, D
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Hello I am selling my father's collection of luthier supplies - this is just a few items I've photographed thus far. I also have a full size viola - it is in excellent condition - as it was brought in to our studio just before my dad fell ill and remained in our inventory - purchased from either heinl & co or kessler violin co (chelmsford ontario) about 5 years ago - it needs to sing!!! asking $400 obo ivory fingerboards ivory chin rests bow hair - 15 packs - asking $50 asking $20 each or make me an offer for the lot if approved i will post many more new items - bridges, pegs, items for bows, rib wood, hand carving tools and so on- if you have a specific interest or questions please ask away! we are located in Windsor On. thank you!
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Pics can be found here: https://imgur.com/a/6VV2GOB My parents have this kind of awesome habit of remembering that I like antiques and that I like having instruments and things for them regardless of whether I play the instrument they pick up or not. They found this bow for $5 as part of an auction lot and gave it to me. Aesthetics aside, as one can clearly see the finish is a mess and the grip is a bit ugly (but not worn through, only some missing edges; it looks and feels like old leather). I don't care too much about that as I don't need it to look pretty as long as it sounds decent. The stick is stamped Sofian Zapf and, under the frog, it's stamped Germany and weighs, if I'm rounding up, 57g. The exact weight according to the scale I have is 56.7g. The frog doesn't match the bow at all and was probably replaced at some point; it's (the frog) super heavy compared to my other bows but it's not so unbalanced that it's difficult to use. The screw seems a bit too long as well but the frog isn't wobbly and it does tighten and loosen normally it just--sort of sticks out a bit more than the others I have. Despite it missing half of its hair (and the hair that's left was put on badly, twisted in some spots, and at both ends there are bits of it sticking out as it wasn't trimmed or put in properly, feel free to roast whoever rehaired the thing probably decades ago, because even I can see it's a...less than ideal job), I did decide to rosin it up and see how it sounded. It sounds pretty nice despite missing half the hair. Nice, warm, rich tone to it. As far as I can see, it has no cracks or anything in it that would require repair. Haven't had a luthier look at it yet, though my instructor took a look at it and gave it a spin and thought it'd probably be worth rehairing if it doesn't need any major repair. If I don't manage to catch them in when I'm there for lessons, I'll have them look at it when I pick up the other old bow I currently have in for a rehair and minor repair.
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I'm guessing that most rehairers will use a Herdim gauge (or something similar) so I'm curious to see where others may have "marked their gauge" for a ballpark average amount of hair. Here's a shot of mine and that particular mark has become the minimum amount I'll use for an average 4/4 stick, and usually a little more. Of course, viola or bass sticks would get more and I'll just try to 'eyeball' that, but perhaps you've arrived-at a set of markings on the Herdim that have worked well for you? I'd also be curious to know what the heck those little lines are actually supposed-to represent... like, maybe 10 hairs per-line or something?Thanks for reading
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Hi All, I'm thinking of learning how to re-hair some bows. I have a number of warped cheap wooden bows to experiment on, and I've been able to gather a fair bit of data on the process. However, does anyone have any recommendations for a good horse hair vendor? Or can anyone endorse a particular type of hair? I've heard that white hair from a stallion is the best for a violin bow (though I wouldn't mind experimenting with some cheaper hair first, just to have a test run so I don't ruin something really good). Thanks so much for any and all advice! - Sarah
