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Old 03-09-2011, 01:24 PM
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Ken Smith Ken Smith is offline
Bassist, Luthier & Admin
 
Join Date: 01-18-2007
Location: Perkasie, PA
Posts: 4,851
Ken Smith is on a distinguished road
Cool humm..

Not all bows are great. They make bows to make money too, then and now alike.

I have one Sartory and maybe saw one other bow by him. Mine made life easy. If I had the skill to play someting, the bow was part of my hand, period. No effort to play IF I could play the part. I don't remember the weight or length. I never weighed the grams liek I do now with every bow and measure them. back then, I just played and liked or didn't like the bow.

For the other old makers I too have little experience playing one of this or that here and there.

My Lipkins copy was not my favorite bow the first day. It was just MY bow and I have to not only get used to it BUT, the Bow it self needed to break in. As a bow ages, the stick/wood comes alive or rather wakes up like a sleeping beauty. A good bow does. Some bad ones might be your worst nightmare but that will be known in the first few strokes.

This Lipkins of mine has been commented by many as the best Lipkins they have every played and I have turned down quite a sum for it on more than one occasion.

New or old, good is good. new needs to break in and old needs to be cared for. Grips, tips and hair can be changed. The main bow components stay forever. Personally, I prefer less hair and not new hair. maybe I am just used to the old rosined aged hair or, I like using a lot of rosin. I never 'love' a newly re-haired bow. After breaking 10-20 hairs out, the bow seems better to me or perhaps easier play and better sounding in my hands.
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