Would I benefit from a new bow?

[Dwight McCartney]

I have been taking lessons for about 6 months and I use an inexpensive ($100.) bow right now. It seems to work for what I am doing, I wonder if I am at a point where this could be holding me back? As a still relative beginner, would I notice the difference if I got a Loveri or other bow in that catagory?
All suggestions or ideas welcome,
thanks,
Dwight

[Michael Holden]

The best way to judge is to use your instructors bow (hopefully it is of better quality than yours.) Play a variety of passages and, be honest, can you pull a better sound from the better bow. Then say "Is this improvement in sound really worth another $400-$1,000?"... if it is, than yes... if it isn't then your bow is working just fine. IMHO.

[Dwight McCartney]

Yes, great idea. I will try that next lesson. Thanks.

[Dwight McCartney]

Yes, my goodness, there was a very noticable difference.
While I don't know the terminology to describe it, my teachers bow was easier to play and get good steady sound with, and felt better...balance?

Time to do some serious shopping I guess.

[Michael Holden]

Yes IMHO that is the one of the hardest part about handmaking a bow, the balance of the bow. An inexpensive, student model bow will fight you everyway, that's what's happening to me now.
Right now I'm getting 5 Horst John bows in the mail to try out, and looking for much better balance, and sound. I just try everything in my power to use every bow that I come in contact with, If you pick up one bow, then pick up an identical bow from the same bowmaker, it will be completely different. Some great bassists use bows that are only about $500-$1,000 just because it is perfect for them. That's why I don't agree with a lot of people (not going to mention names) who brag about their bow made from a very reputable bow maker, and paid thousands and thousands of dollars for it, and they ignore the $400 bows... when those $400 bows they ignore may be the best bow they have (n)ever used.
So be sure you don't say "okay ... I'm getting a nice bow from a decent bowmaker, it has to be good" ... you may get it and it be crap (not saying the bow will... but for your playing style it may not work).
Uptonbass.com has a bow that I want very badly. Unfortunately they don't have the option of trying the bow before purchasing. So I'm not going to purchase it just because of that fact. chances are it's a good bow... but I'm not going to fork out $2,000 for a bow I'm not 100% is going to be perfect for me.
Good luck looking for that perfect bow... I'll tell you from my recent experiance... it's a lot of work , fun work, but work none the less

[Ken Smith]

I don't know what Bows you are trying but in todays world, a $400 Bow is usually Chinese made regardless of where it is shipped from. I have contracted almost 200 Bows made by a top shop in China. These are good playing well balanced Bows of my design. Some are better than others but comparing them in sound, playability or feel they do not make it up to the likes of my Bazin, Bultitude, Lipkins or even the Eibert Bows I have not to mention the Sartory I used to own.

Good is good but great is not easy to come by. Also, not all Bows that cost thousands are great Bows either. This is where you start looking back at your $400 Bow. When you draw a Bow across the strings it vibrates like any other wood part of your Bass. This translates to the feel of the Bow. Does the Bow sit on the String itself of do you have to use hand/wrist pressure to make it work? Can you get the sound with ease or do you have to fight it a bit or more. Does it play evenly from Frog to Tip or does the sound quit after the first half of the Bow? Is the tone thinner sounding than the more expensive Bow or is it just as thick and full?

I have owned many many 'great' Bows in my life and a few expensive ones that were not so great. Unless the Bow is made with god consistent materials by a good maker (in China, Brazil or anywhere else) and with a goos design, it will be hard to find a Bow that comes close to one of the known great makers works.

Also, I find that beginner players have trouble judging a Bow because the may have already developed bad habits compensating with a bad un-balanced Bow with a weak Tip response/performance, their technique is not fully developed and the ear for judging is not yet refined. Also, what kind of Bass are you testing this with? The lower cost Basses can have their own set of problems as well making it harder to judge plus you need to have good orchestral bowing strings on the Bass as well.

The Loveri model Bows we have made for us were first tested and compared to my Lipkins Bow. At about 1/10th the price we here at the shop agreed it was scary close reaching 60-80% the sound and performance of a 5-6k cost/value Bow. I use that term 'cost/value' together because they are made now at that price and sell used around the same selling price when purchased.

At one concert last summer I brought 3 C.Loveri Bows from the first batch made. With 2 other Basses in the section than day, I came home with only one Bow, selling the other two to my section mates. Having another Professional buy your Bow on the spot speaks for itself...