Would I benefit from a new bow?

[Nick Hart]

This is an interesting topic, and Ken and Michael are both right. My teacher has a Fetique and a couple of other very high quality bows. But he also has a $400 carbon fiber bow and a couple of mid range bows (800-2000). Are all of these bows equal in quality? Not at all, but he prefers different bows for different things, and I can assure you he sounds the same with every bow, and sounds just as good.

Sound does not come from an instrument or a bow, it comes from the player. Good instruments and good bows make it easier to get that sound. My teacher creates the same sound on my bass that he does on his Ruggieri (granted my bass does sound younger and he has to work a whole lot harder to get that sound on my bass). But his sounds is his sound no matter what instrument he plays on. None of our basses sound as good as the Ruggieri and none of our bows are as good as the Fetique, and when he plays those two together it makes for an amazing sound, but the equipment just enhances the sound, it does not create the sound. I can pretty much guarantee that I will get the same sound out of just about any bow you give me, the difference is cheaper bows work against you, and quality bows such as Fetique and Reid Hudson work for you.