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Jan 20, 2025 - 7:58:25 AM
17 posts since 1/14/2025

Good Morning. I've got one more question, if you don't mind, regarding tightening and loosening the hair tension on the bow. Currently I've been loosening the hairs on the bow when I'm finished practicing/playing. I might then come back to playing an hour or two later, having to tighten up the hairs again, and then loosening them when finished. This tightening and loosening routine can go on 4, 5 or more times a day, depending on how many times I come back to practice. My question is, how long can the hairs stay tightened, and not do any "bad things" to the bow? The bow I have currently is a carbon fiber model. Thanks!
John

Jan 20, 2025 - 9:01:20 AM
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3637 posts since 10/22/2007

Sounds about right. I loosen the bow for lunch. It's loose most of the time, unless I'm playing. Pencil graphite on the bow screw. A tiny bit.

Jan 20, 2025 - 10:12:44 AM

417 posts since 6/24/2007

I wouldnt be afraid to let it stay taunt for 4-5 hours anyway. The hair seems to have a lifespan of only a year or so if it is played a lot or sitting in a case unless you really play hard every day. If you buy cheap bows most people just buy another bow when the hair gets thin, but the screw will wear out even in a good bow eventually.

Jan 20, 2025 - 10:21:22 AM
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1706 posts since 3/1/2020
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I don’t think anyone has a scientific answer to the question of the amount of time before a tightened bow is likely to deform. It is clear that leaving it attended under tension for a significant amount of time (at least days) can cause a bow to warp or lose camber, so for that reason it’s economical and practical to train yourself to always loosen the bow when it’s not in use. That way you reduce the chances of accidentally leaving it tight in the case long enough to do harm (if you own more than one violin, it could be some time before you open the case next).

Carbon fiber bows are highly unlikely to warp even under constant tension, but I would still treat them with the same care, because in addition to the harm to the stick, the hair will stretch out. Just like a rubber band, keeping it stretched out for a long time will cause it to lose elasticity—it’ll stay stretched out but won’t snap back to its original shape. When bow hair loses its natural elasticity it doesn’t give the tone and response it should; you can often tell when you pick up a bow with old stretched out hair immediately after playing it a bit.

Wood bows are carefully cambered to have just the right amount of resistance to bending and flexibility for tonal control. Even under ideal conditions the camber can change over time, but proper care alleviates the wear on the bow. I should add that maintaining an even ribbon of hair is equally important—when hair breaks out on one side, it pulls the head of the bow out of line when you tighten it and eventually warps it so the stick isn’t straight. The head can also develop a twist. These problems can be corrected, but it requires a skilled archetier to avoid disastrous or ineffective results.

Feb 9, 2025 - 4:28:03 PM

4396 posts since 6/23/2007

One thing to do is unscrew tension screw and remove it. Rub the threads in the tension screw in a bar of soap. Don't coat it, just a little amount. Replace the tension screw.

I played for years before I learned this useful requirement. There are Youtube videos about replacing bow hair. That shows how "wedges" are inserted to hold bowhair in place. That might be part of the problem. I don't think the problem is with the bowhair or the bow itself. I use braided carbon fibre because it is more problem free.
And, I don't think I can make a pernumbuco bow sound any better.

Good Luck

Feb 10, 2025 - 8:06:06 AM

2686 posts since 8/27/2008

I'm pretty casual about loosening tension on my bows, which are carbon fiber. Sometimes when the air gets hot and dry it freaks me out that the hair gets really tight, and I loosen them then. Otherwise I leave them under tension most of the time and my bows last years, including the hair. Over-rosining hurts bow hair much more than leaving them under tension, in my experience. I would be much more careful to loosen tension with wooden bows, however.

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