I am not a traditionalist. Not really interested in antique instruments for playing out of the house. I love old fiddles and pernambuco bows but they can be cranky.
Played a gig last 4th of July in the Oregon Outback. Was so hot my bows turned into noodles. Couldn’t get enough tension and had to play on the stick…yes, I know the match stick at the bow tip trick.
Anyway, been looking at Carbon Fiber bows for years. Really interested in Arcus and Coda. No shops near me would have to mail-order.
I found and ordered a Fiddlerman Pro Series from Fiddlerman. They have a good return policy.
I’m pretty sure this is a Chinese copy of an Arcus bow. In fact when I called Fiddlerman they said it was an Arcus copy. Anyway, this is an excellent bow! Lightweight, stiff stick well made instrument. The stick is hollow, like Arcus and it has its own resonance.
Cost $600 (Arcus start at $1kplus). Really a nice bow for the money and I knew I could return if unhappy.
This is not a paid endorsement, unfortunately. Only reviews I found were on Fiddlerman site.
Carbon fiber bows can be very useful and offer good value at the low end of the market.
However, I think it’s important to keep in mind that the humidity issues that affect bows are caused by the hair absorbing moisture from the air, not from the sticks themselves becoming soft. A carbon fiber bow will suffer the same issues with its hair outdoors.
Not even to the same degree.
That’s like saying it takes the same tension to break wood or carbon fiber. Not
Clearly, wood is impacted by humidity. The wood floors in my house have a different attitude when I fire up the wood stove in winter.
quote:
Originally posted by GallaherNot even to the same degree.
That’s like saying it takes the same tension to break wood or carbon fiber. Not
Clearly, wood is impacted by humidity. The wood floors in my house have a different attitude when I fire up the wood stove in winter.
I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. Yes, humidity has an effect on wood in general, but that's not what makes your hair feel loose.It's the hair itself, which is even more susceptible to moisture. If you're familiar with the "matchstick trick," you must be aware that that is done to deal with hair that is too long; if the stick were the culprit, the matchstick wouldn't accomplish anything. When a bow is being rehaired, the hair is wetted to keep it in a tidy ribbon. The water makes the hair longer. As it dries, it shrinks. As the humidity in a room changes, the hair will become shorter or longer. You can actually use a bow as a rudimentary hygrometer, assuming that each reading is taken with the frog in the same position.
The amount of tension needed to break a stick is irrelevant, as I certainly hope you're not tightening your bows to that point--playing tension should never even approach the failure of the stick. Carbon fiber is obviously much stiffer as a material; that's not necessarily such a good thing in all cases, as stiffness doesn't correlate with tone quality. Also, not all carbon fiber is equal. As I've said in other threads, a lot depends on the layup process, fiber selection and orientation, tube profile, and use of resin.
Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 03/27/2023 17:11:16
I also took a chance on a Fiddlerman Pro bow plus they had is on sale at 15% off. I figured I could send it back if I hated it. I was playing a custom Codabow (rebalanced Joule) which is very different. Both bows weighed the same but the balance and flexibility were very different. I still like the Coda but the Fiddlerman is my main bow now. Of course, as we always say, especially about bows: YMMV.
Speaking of Fiddlerman, bows, and specifically bow hair:
youtube.com/watch?v=hoXeZsyt7CA
What they didn't talk about is player who are balding......
Play Happy
Swing
quote:
Originally posted by crunchie812Speaking of Fiddlerman, bows, and specifically bow hair:
youtube.com/watch?v=hoXeZsyt7CA
Haha
The funniest part is that people really do ask about having bows rehaired with human hair.
Edited by - The Violin Beautiful on 04/02/2023 06:58:59
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