Identifying French Bow

[gypsyjazzer]

[attachment=233014:French Bow.JPG][attachment=233016:French Bow (6).JPG]Can anybody tell me if my french bow is a good / average or a poor quality bow? It is 26" in length. My expertise of bows is[attachment=233011:French Bow (4).JPG][attachment=233012:French Bow (2).JPG] nil.

Who is knowledgeable about the bow in the UK?--Specialist shop? The colour of the wood appears to be mahogany--could be stained?

Is there a publication about the bow?

[hubrad]

Well, it's 'fully mounted', I. e. metal up the back of the frog. Usually at least a small step up from most basic at least.
Can't see any name stamped on the stick near the frog. This possibly suggests nothing particularly flash.
Did you buy it, or get it in an outfit, yourself ?

[gypsyjazzer]

Hi Hubrad

Thanks for the reply. No name stamped anywhere, Bought S/H. Will quality bows have a name stamp?

[SubsonicSimpleton]

That wear groove on the side of the frog implies that this bow has been played a lot for many years, so I wouldn't worry about it's provenance or net financial worth as long as you enjoy using it.

[hubrad]

This ^^
GJ.. if you're in Northumberland , have you come across Mark Mawby of Small Strings? He may be able to offer eyes-on advice. Plays fiddle , so he does have experience of bows.

[stingrayPete1977]

I love looking at bows, I've no idea what it is but it's nice

[NickA]

Impossible to say without having a play with it!

Really good bows DO generally have a makers name stamp; tho often it's faded beyond legibility; plus decent bow makers often make slightly lower quality bows (cheaper wood) that are not name stamped, but are still well made. The best bows (using the highest quality of wood - which is what matters) are usually fitted with the most expensive bindings and mountings. Ie gold or silver metal and mother of pearl slide and frog eye. A dark colour is supposed to be good, but it's often faked up by treating the wood with nitric acid, so all bets are off on that.

The bows are made of very dense tropical hard wood (sort of mahogany super plus). The best sort is called pernambuco - but as that is now endangered, bow makers are using snake wood and other dense woods. Cheap wooden bows are made of something called "brazil wood" which is "not quite pernambuco" but there are plenty of old bows around that are the real deal. The result is that new bows made of pernambuco are seriously expensive and for the price you can get carbon ones - and old ones - that are better.

Weight should be 120g to 160g. Weirdly the most expensive bows are usually light but so also are the cheapest (because they are made of generic "brazil wood" rather than super dense and springy pernambuco) - to get more spring tension out of the cheaper wood means using thicker wood - so more weight.

Yours has a decently mounted frog which looks like proper ebony but a cheap plastic binding (I have a similar 'cello bow .. though that one has a name stamp .... which cost my dad around £200 back in 1976, and which has been variously valued at between £250 and £500 over the years). 26" is a bit short. My bows are 27.5" and 28". Yours is probably a "student" model or a 3/4 size (most people these days play 3/4 basses but use 4/4 bows). It has a good curve to it, which is always a good sign (some old bows have gone saggy!)

In the end what matters is: Is it a nice weight to hold? Is it "springy" ie the tension goes up when you wind up the screw (aka the "button" ) and it then bounces nicely on the strings. Does it draw a good sound out of the bass without you having to press too hard (hard to tell without trying some different bows, I know). Is the balance point in the right place (my best bow is 28" and balances 10" in from the screw)

My original bass bow is a wooden one, unstamped but reportedly made by a german company called Dorfler. Weighs 125g. Cost me £80 in 1990. They told me it was pernambuco, but at that weight I REALLY doubt it is. When I bought a much fancier carbon bow (an Arcus A3) last year, it pulled SO MUCH more sound out of the bass that I decided my old "dorfler" was pretty crap. But now re-haired and wiped with good rosin it's actually OK - bit quiet and not so bouncy but fine for most stuff. I only don't use it because I have the nice loud bright and bouncy carbon one!

If you get a chance, go into a bass shoppe and try some other bows out - they make a surprising difference to the sound. Once you find something that feels and plays as well as yours you know how much you need to save up to buy a better one! El cheapo brazil wood starts around £80, decent brazil wood £150 +, good carbon from £200, really nice carbon £700 to £2500. Pernambuco .... £1000 to £10,000! You will have to state a budget before they start showing you stuff (!!) but if you start with "I have this bow and would like to buy one a bit better" you will soon find out how good your own is.

[gypsyjazzer]

Many thanks NickA for your reply--great info. on the bow.