Regina3000 Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 This bow came with a Karl Herrmann Scherl & Roth violin from 1956. Has anyone ever seen a thumb "leather" like this before? I really like it. When I recently had the bow rehaired, I asked them to preserve it. It seems to be rubber, rather than actual leather. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Brown Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Certainly not where I hold a bow. DLB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PhilipKT Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 It may be on the wrong part of the bow. It would make sense for that to be on the top, and a resting place for the first finger. But it is an incorrect locating guide for the thumb, because the thumb is supposed to be on the thumb projection of the frog. Can it be rotated to sit on top of the stick? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jwillis Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 One of the soloists I’ve had the occasion to play with holds forward on her bow like that. I’ll admit it gives you a lot of control in fast stuff with lots of string crossing Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jwillis Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 Going on top of the bow doesn’t make sense for a violin player as far as I can see Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PhilipKT Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 18 minutes ago, Jwillis said: Going on top of the bow doesn’t make sense for a violin player as far as I can see Doesn’t really make sense to me either, but that was the only logical possibility I could think of Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dwight Brown Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 On the other hand you never can tell when a thing like this is an adaptive modification for someone with an injury or other problem. DLB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jwillis Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 Where it sorta makes sense to me is if you want to play in a more forward position and want something to index. Without the frog you are sorta adrift ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Regina3000 Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 (edited) It cannot be rotated. My parents bought this outfit for me sometime in the eighties. Under the frog there is "GERMANY" inscribed. I thought maybe it was something done to student bows back in the fifties. This is a Karl Herrmann violin in a Scherl and Roth outfit set up originally in 1956, according to the label inside the violin. The case is a Scherl and Roth case. While there is no guarantee that this bow was originally sold with this outfit, it may have been. My teacher back in the eighties didn't seem to have an issue with it, and neither did the one I had 15-ish years ago. So I'm hearing that you're supposed to put your thumb partly on the bit of the frog that sits on the stick towards the front? I've also heard that thumb leather is supposed to help protect the bow stick from the oils on your hands. I'm not sure how much the bow stick needs to be protected, either. So confusing. Edited February 28 by Regina3000 typo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
martin swan Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 Trad fiddle players regularly hold the bow well in front of the frog - this gizmo might help achieve some stability. Or it might be a modification to temporarily/cheaply make a 3/4 bow out of a fullsize bow ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Regina3000 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 40 minutes ago, martin swan said: Trad fiddle players regularly hold the bow well in front of the frog - this gizmo might help achieve some stability. Or it might be a modification to temporarily/cheaply make a 3/4 bow out of a fullsize bow ... Interesting idea. I have short arms for my height (which is also short). Holding this bow with my thumb in the divot, I can just about use the whole bow, straight. If I hold closer to the frog, I can't reach the tip. Most people can sit on the floor, put their palms flat on the floor next to them, and lift their butts off the ground. My palms don't even reach the floor... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blank face Posted March 1 Report Share Posted March 1 There's also a (probably more European) school teaching to put the thumb exactly on the leather, not at the frog. Therefore the name "thumb leather". This way is more favoured by bow restorers, because it doesn't motivate buggers to carve away wood from the frog for a "better thumb grip". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Regina3000 Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 3 hours ago, Blank face said: There's also a (probably more European) school teaching to put the thumb exactly on the leather, not at the frog. Therefore the name "thumb leather". This way is more favoured by bow restorers, because it doesn't motivate buggers to carve away wood from the frog for a "better thumb grip". Indeed, . I don't remember being taught to hold the bow touching the frog in any way, after I graduated from thumb-on-ferrule when I was really young. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.