Berri77 Posted June 26, 2019 Report Share Posted June 26, 2019 I’m looking at a few bows on eBay, trying to upgrade from my very basic Chinese brazilwood bow to something a bit better. Do any of these look worth a try? Any tips on what to look for in photos would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin swan Posted June 27, 2019 Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 No ... If you want a good inexpensive bow, go somewhere where you can try a dozen. Ebay is a mug’s game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg F. Posted June 28, 2019 Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 For collectibles, ebay is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But even bread gets moldy. If you're looking for a bow as a "tool" then by all means avoid ebay. Go to your local shop and pay full retail (or near it) for the bow that fits your needs. But if you enjoy the hunt then there's no place like ebay. Bargains are to be had but knowledge is king (or at least prince). As for the bows you've shown, nothing strikes me as special about them (but I'm way way far from an expert) but I suspect that you could get them for less than the price of a rehair. And if they both have decent hair then you come out ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacklinks Posted June 28, 2019 Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 A safer bet to consider would possibly be a used brand name carbon fiber bow on eBay if you want to go the eBay route. You may be able to find a used Codabow or Jonpaul bow in the $200ish range hat originally retailed for $400ish. They are probably going to handle better than an inexpensive wood bow. With the good brands of CF bows, you can at least feel a little safer in what you are getting because CF is so durable. Nothing is guaranteed, but just another option. All of the above assumes you are stepping up to an intermediate level bow. And on any used bow, you should factor in the cost of a rehair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan slobodkin Posted June 28, 2019 Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 On June 27, 2019 at 3:01 PM, martin swan said: No ... If you want a good inexpensive bow, go somewhere where you can try a dozen. Ebay is a mug’s game. Absolutely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berri77 Posted June 28, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2019 Thanks everyone. You’re right, I’m giving up on eBay. I think I’ll buy a carbon fibre one instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudall Posted June 29, 2019 Report Share Posted June 29, 2019 On 6/28/2019 at 2:13 AM, Greg F. said: I suspect that you could get them for less than the price of a rehair. And if they both have decent hair then you come out ahead. How would that work if they are both lousy players? Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emilg Posted June 29, 2019 Report Share Posted June 29, 2019 29 minutes ago, rudall said: How would that work if they are both lousy players? In that case you can always consider a hair transplant to a better stick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg F. Posted June 29, 2019 Report Share Posted June 29, 2019 7 hours ago, rudall said: How would that work if they are both lousy players? Andrew Neither looks like a great bow but they don't look like total trash either. I have about 40 functional bows (out of about 150-200 that I've sampled). Most are older wooden and fully nickel mounted. Few are truly garbage for an intermediate (at best) fiddle player like myself. Several are on loan to local fiddle players who like them better than their carbon fiber Codas and other bows. I have about 6 or 7 silver mounted ones, most of which perform better. So in my experience, an older fully nickel mounted bow made of decent wood and no problems is likely to be a decent intermediate bow if it has good hair. But this is just my experience as a rank amateur. I make no claims to be an expert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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