Violin Forum/Message Board Forum Index Violin Forum/Message Board
Provided by Violin Vision
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Bowhair

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Violin Forum/Message Board Forum Index -> Bow Making Forum
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Jack Rushing
Member


Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 170

PostPosted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:15 pm    Post subject: Bowhair Reply with quote

WasWondering, Is the result really worth the effort, to pick out and examine
each hair for quality, that you are going to use on a bow rehair?
Looks like that would up the price on a rehair job tremendously.
I can see where this might mean something to a world class violinist, but
to a amateur scratcher like me???


Last edited by Jack Rushing on Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jack H.
Super Member


Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 346
Location: Israel

PostPosted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 9:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

when purchased, the bow hair SHOULD already be sorted for quality.
Of course, the hank you use should be given the once over for irregular hairs with kinks adn bends and thin spots.

Not sure if you have to go over the hairs in the hank you use, but shouldn't even the amateur have every advantage that he can get?
the irregular hairs might brak quickly, hairs with kinks might not grip the string right...
the decision is yours in the end though.

J
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Mat Roop
Senior Member


Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 911
Location: Wyoming Ontario

PostPosted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 11:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It does not take long to run a few hairs at a time thru your fingers... you will be surprised how easy it is to go thru a hank of hair and you will likely discard 1 or 2 dozen strands...do it right... its worth the extra 5 minutes! Mat
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
John Cadd
Super Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2009
Posts: 819
Location: Hoylake

PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 6:03 pm    Post subject: bowhair Reply with quote

to MattRoop
Good advice there about sorting hair .I am just an amateur but I found that if you are already using a bow it will by then be covered in rosin and if you shine a bright light on the hair you will notice shiny hairs.These are misshapen hairs .the irregular shape has not touched the rosin.You can all have a good squint at your own bow to see what I mean.Use a good strong magnifier.A common fault "type"will be a hair that is shaped like water as it runs out of a tap,alternate twists.Any hair like that will"use up the bend of the stick without producing any sound.The worst [rarer ]fault is like a sawblade with a nasty barbed shape.These faults are not all along the bowhair but will have a nasty sound.Another fault is a folded -in shape like a groove along the hair.This again will not have rosin on much surface,and will not give a full sound.
I always assumed it would not be economical for a bowmaker to check as they are using clean hair so the light method would not work. You can feel some of them but they do tend to hide and I think the light method is very reliable ,time consuming and for an amateur FREE.
Rest assured if you take out all these faulty hairs you will notice a big improvement in tone.If you have enough hairs left that is .
Lots of bows have too many hairs anyway. TRY IT !
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
John Cadd
Super Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2009
Posts: 819
Location: Hoylake

PostPosted: Sun Jul 26, 2009 6:09 pm    Post subject: bowhair Reply with quote

to MattRoop
Good advice there about sorting hair .I am just an amateur but I found that if you are already using a bow it will by then be covered in rosin and if you shine a bright light on the hair you will notice shiny hairs.These are misshapen hairs .the irregular shape has not touched the rosin.You can all have a good squint at your own bow to see what I mean.Use a good strong magnifier.A common fault "type"will be a hair that is shaped like water as it runs out of a tap,alternate twists.Any hair like that will"use up the bend of the stick without producing any sound.The worst [rarer ]fault is like a sawblade with a nasty barbed shape.These faults are not all along the bowhair but will have a nasty sound.Another fault is a folded -in shape like a groove along the hair.This again will not have rosin on much surface,and will not give a full sound.
I always assumed it would not be economical for a bowmaker to check as they are using clean hair so the light method would not work. You can feel some of them but they do tend to hide and I think the light method is very reliable ,time consuming and for an amateur FREE.
Rest assured if you take out all these faulty hairs you will notice a big improvement in tone.If you have enough hairs left that is .
Lots of bows have too many hairs anyway. TRY IT !
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Mat Roop
Senior Member


Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Posts: 911
Location: Wyoming Ontario

PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An Interseting link... in case you have not seen it... cheers, Mat
http://iwk.mdw.ac.at/Forschung/english/bowhair/bowhair.htm#haircrosssction
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
John Cadd
Super Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2009
Posts: 819
Location: Hoylake

PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2009 5:29 pm    Post subject: bowhair Reply with quote

That was surprising to see.Who would have guessed there were so many variations?But then how many players would know what type of hair they had?I wouldn`t.
That article solves a little mystery for me.I have 4 bows and when I compared them I found some strange differences.The test I did was to tension the bow in the normal way and used a small plastic weighing machine to see which one could apply most pressure to the strings.A simple pressure on the top of the balance till the hair touched the wood at the centre of the stick.The French Pernambuco which I had rehaired myself was almost twice as strong as the other three.Only press with the hair and not the wood.
This one gives rich strong sounds.The carbon French bow sounds "chalky" and is not in the same class.The German bow I`ve had since 1958 is as weak as the carbon one and is a bright sounding bow.Last comes the modern £30 unknown (wood)also weak(pressure-wise).Sounds ordinary.All are better since the light test sort out.(see above).
The inventor of the modern bow ,Francois Tourte ,preferred strong thick hair.So place your orders now for some Canadian horsehair.
That seems the next logical step.If anybody is choosing a bow
read all about Tourte first to absorb everything connected with the "balance point".Very important!
Conclusion ;I may have three weak sticks or three lots of elastic hair.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Violin Forum/Message Board Forum Index -> Bow Making Forum All times are GMT - 4 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group