Frog Question

[Richard Prowse]

Any thoughts on this frog? A luthier made the frog about five years ago to replace a French frog. He said that this style would balance the bow better than a regular German shape.

[Eric Rene Roy]

I think the popularity of the double bass coupled with the demands of double bassists for instruments and bows that offer a higher degree of tonal and playability are pushing luthiers to elevate the art. Smaller basses that equal or rival larger ones, ergonomic models, detachable necks, etc. There is a lot of very cool stuff going on today from all corners of the globe.

Bow makers are doing the same, both individually and commercially. For instance Coda has a model with a "different" frog design:

http://www.codabow.com/features/details_bass_fr_inf/bass_fr_inf_frog2.jpg

And although very different from yours, when I saw your picture the Coda bow was the first thing I thought of.

[Anselm Hauke]

hi eric

i am a german-bow player. can you please explain me, what is special about the coda frog?
thank you

anselm

[Eric Rene Roy]

The hight of the frog off the stick is higher and the depth of the throat is a lot deeper. It gives the player a sense of "more hair" and getting into the string more, as well as shifting the balance point.

[Eric Rene Roy]

a good side by side shot here for you:

http://www.codabow.com/bass_french.html

[Richard Prowse]

I asked the guy to make a German frog. It's almost as wide as an average German, but not quite. The angle at which the string leaves the frog is different too - straight like a French. I've played it next to some good German bows and there really isn't a lot of difference - it has always been a good bow. Bassist David Walter once played it when he was in NZ and it was a French bow - my brother owned it then. He told my brother he thought it was a very good bow.

[Anselm Hauke]

a good side by side shot here for you:

http://www.codabow.com/bass_french.html


thanks, this picture helps me to see the difference

[Richard Prowse]

Any thoughts on this frog? A luthier made the frog about five years ago to replace a French frog. He said that this style would balance the bow better than a regular German shape.
So, any thoughts about my bow then?

[Nathan Parker]

It certainly seems to have lessened the camber. Don't know if that makes a big difference or not, but I would guess so. It's hard to say without playing it.