Sue Lipkins, Bass Bow Maker (Sold)
 

I just got another Lipkins Bow today. A person no longer playing bought it almost 10 years ago (9/'97) and finally decided to part with it. I compared it with her latest VSA Competition Bow she made just last year and they are so close. I also had a 2004 Bow that I just sold to a friend of mine and one thing I see in all her Bows is this beautifully flamed Abalone slide.

New one;

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/Double...frogdetail.jpg

My other two (the first one below was sold last year);

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/Double...rog_bottom.jpghttp://www.kensmithbasses.com/Double...og_profile.jpg

Her work is so neat it's hard to believe it's made by human hands. Also, her Bows are kind of organic in that you can see the Octagon turning into a round stick just after the grip. She told me she does this on purpose to show the Bow being made. I have owned 3 of them now and have seen at least 2 others, one being Don Higdon's early Lipkins German model Bow.

I don't mean to tease out here as her Bows are expensive and rare as well but credit must be given where credit is due.

I will post pics of the new/old Lipkins as soon as I find the time.

Having the opportunity to buy one of her German bows is the ONLY reason that my Reid Hudson is for sale, because the RH is a GREAT bow as well.

see: http://www.smithbassforums.com/showt...?p=492#post492

Susan is one of the only bow makers of her skill and stature level who chooses to make bass bows exclusively. This is a blessing for current and future bass players.

You probably know there's this long col legno section in the Mars movement of Holst's Planets. With my Lipkins bow? Yeah, right. To express my feelings on the matter, I used a piece of window trim. Of course, for the concert, I used a dowel rod. Classier.

I heard from a conductor I have worked with that a gentleman in one of his orchestras used a wooden coat hanger for col legno. He could just hang it on his stand by the hook and take it down when he needed it.

All was well, until apparently he got a little "aggressive" with the thing and broke a string in a performance! :eek:

I have been tempted to do it in a rehearsal just for laughs.

Brian

German or French?

Sorry..
 

But I couldn't control myself. I just bought two older Lipkins French Bows. One from early 1994 and one from late 1995. They are completely different from my others made recently but the sound is so close.


The '94 and '95..

http://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...n/octagon3.jpghttp://www.kensmithbasses.com/double...lliptical3.jpg

The '95 is a real players Bow and has a great all around feel. The '94 reminds me a bit of my 2 Bultitudes. Huge sound and not the least bit flimsy.

Personally, I think the '94 is a great Bow, just not your average 'dancer'. I like to 'dig in' so it suits me just fine. I just tested the 5 Lipkins Bows I have here and for me, the '94 is my favorite for digging. As far as the others go as well as the '94, I can play them all day and night and the 'better Bow' changes about every 5 minutes depending on what I am playing or what Bass I am playing on.