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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 08 Oct 09 - 08:42 PM CALI - I am sorry you strung your bow already.
The conditioners you used - are oil based - before stringing a simple dish detergent would have removed them...
Now that it is strung - you dare not clean it for fear of damaging the Frog or the Wood.
The horse-tail hair is marvelous thing - it is full of little notches - which catch the roisin - which catches the cat-gut - which makes the strings squeal.
Sincerely,
I can imagine the joy of saying - this was bowed with MY horse's tail. SORRY. |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Jack Campin Date: 08 Oct 09 - 05:36 AM I see the Google ad for this thread is currently "Women's Hair Loss", which suggests a different approach... Don't a lot of people prefer to have the hair oriented so the arse end of each hair is at the frog? The idea is that the scales covering the hairs overlap, and that gives more friction on tge upstroke. Or maybe it was the other way round. Whichever, you couldn't easily do that by collecting loose hairs from grooming. |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GREEN WELLIES Date: 08 Oct 09 - 03:28 AM A bit grim but, contact your local vet and they will give you the number of the people who collect horses who have been put-down. They will probably let you have as much as you want - but you'll have to collect it. (the tail that is, not the horse). Dont ask anyone who owns a live horse if you can cut a bit out of its tail, they'll not be impressed. |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: open mike Date: 08 Oct 09 - 01:30 AM i have heard of cleaning the bow hair with rubbing alcohol there are a lot of different rosins available and they make a difference in the playing too |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GUEST,Cali Date: 07 Oct 09 - 07:12 PM Dont wash or condition or detangle or put any products into the horse's hair if you intend to cut it to use for a fiddle bow. i made this mistake and my bow is only a show piece and will not play whatsoever because it has absolutely no friction. i have a horse and thought it would be special and beautiful (because his hair is black) to make a bow from his tail hair. i made the mistake of putting detangler in his hair first. . . my instructor thought that shampoo or conditioner would have a similiar effect |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Steve Gardham Date: 27 Jun 08 - 04:14 PM If you want to play some magic forget the horse-hair, find a drowned maiden and use her hair. Oh and by the way her finger bones make good pegs as well. I'll get me hat! |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Sorcha Date: 27 Jun 08 - 04:13 PM Oh yes...there are also bows now with coloured hair! Dyed! And ones that light up.... |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Jane of 'ull Date: 27 Jun 08 - 04:01 PM I'm only a novice player but surely the type of hair must affect the sound? That Stew- Mac website looks good. I've been thinking about getting a horsehair bow and might seriously consider it now. I'm always drawn to natural materials when it comes to instruments. Animal skin on drums and banjo heads, etc.. I'm not bothered about bow hair being one colour though, in fact I think a mix would look more interesting! |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Sorcha Date: 27 Jun 08 - 03:57 PM Yes, Mr Happy. The bow must be properly 'cambered' or arched, and the best bows are the heartwood of the pernambuco tree. Some of the new carbon fiber bows are OK, I guess, but I prefer a wood bow. Black hair is coarser and thus has more 'bite' on the strings. Super cheap bows use fiberglass 'hair'. Shuddder. |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GUEST,Russ Date: 27 Jun 08 - 01:34 PM I do not play fiddle. But... My many friends who play fiddle seem to be mostly obsessed with the bow itself. They talk a lot about strings and sometimes about rosin. They never talk about the hair. At least when I am around. Russ (Permanent GUEST) |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GUEST,Geoff the Duck Date: 27 Jun 08 - 11:24 AM The most important things would be the length, weight and how it balances, so that it aids rather than obstructs what the player needs it to do. I am not sure how important the hair actually is other than it's tension on the strings, (and of course it's ability to hold the rosin that makes the voilin produce a note. A lot of the price of violin "horse hair" relates to the colour of it. Many players want all white or black hair, to make it look good, whereas horse hair comes in a range of shades, just like that of a person who is going grey. Obviusly ther is extra work to be added to the cost if someone has to select all the dark hairs from a mixed bundle, rather than just the natural mix. Quack! GtD. |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Mr Happy Date: 27 Jun 08 - 09:10 AM Is it solely the quality of hair that makes a good bow, or does the structure of the bow itself make a difference? |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Cruiser Date: 02 Nov 03 - 10:29 AM I learned a lot about horsehair from the Michael T. Sowden & Sons link given above. I agree that a bow with the best horsehair, of correct weight, camber, balance, etc. can make a marked difference in your playing ability. I learned this after purchasing an octagonal permanbuco bow after using "smooth" standard sticks. The cost was $150.00, about a third of the cost of one of my least expensive fiddles. Give a master fiddler/violinist an average bow with synthetic or sub-standard horsehair and I wager his style and the music's timbre will suffer tremendously, even from a sonorous violin. |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Willie-O Date: 01 Nov 03 - 10:28 PM The bowmaker I just dealt with recommends Mongolian stallion hair. I don't know where he gets it--but looking at the Stew-Mac catalog, the stallion hair costs twice as much as "standard". For an extra ten bucks, it's worth it--man I am immediately playing way better now that I have a good bow! |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Cruiser Date: 01 Nov 03 - 11:24 AM I just visited the Stewart-MacDonald website (search for violin) for the first time. What an excellent resource. I recommend it to anyone one who owns a guitar or fiddle and does at least some basic maintenance. I plan on purchasing the violin bridge fitting jig and some of the informative books. Has anyone purchased the violin set-up DVD or video and would recommend it? Now, I know that you can't learn to be even a "shade tree" luthier (or an accomplished player, for that matter) by books and videos alone, but the more I learn about the violin/fiddle the more appreciation I have for this marvelous instrument. When I first started playing, I got every book from the library I could and purchased other books and videos on playing and maintaining the fiddle. I don't ever plan on rehairing any of my bows or to make a fiddle, but knowing what is involved fosters that deeper appreciation. Stewart-MacDonald Violin Setup |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GUEST,Rab Date: 20 Oct 02 - 02:20 PM Slainte to all who responded to my request, especially Malcolm who has put me on to M Sowden who have exactly what I need. Also Murray who has definitely put me on to Stewart-Macdonalds catalogue! Rab frae Inverbervie |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Murray MacLeod Date: 20 Oct 02 - 12:31 PM Keith, why is it a downside to be "bombarded" by Stewart-MacDonald's catalog? To anyone with the remotest interest in musical instrument construction or repair it is one of the most interesting publications out there and I always look forward to each new issue with great anticipation. Murray |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 19 Oct 02 - 11:22 PM I am NOT a fiddle nor violin player....but I do "fiddle around" with a bow, rosin, and vio on occasion.
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GUEST,sorefingers Date: 19 Oct 02 - 11:17 PM We get it from ILS of Tulsa Ok USA and they sell it by the cart load! Do a search for International Luther's Supply. |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 19 Oct 02 - 10:33 PM I bought a hank from a regular local music store (albeit one that caters to classical instead of folk or rock musicians) when I needed to rehair a couple of bowed psaltrey bows. I was not aware that selling it by the single hank is not common practice. Bruce |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 19 Oct 02 - 01:24 PM You can buy a wide range, including black (cheaper); hanks for 20-25 jobs; and single hanks from Michael T. Sowden & Sons; they're in West Yorkshire, and do mail-order. It used to be that many suppliers of violin-making tools and wood would sell small quantities, but I'm rather out-of-date on who's still in business. They tend to be quite conservative and disinclined to run websites! |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: selby Date: 19 Oct 02 - 12:39 PM stewart macdonald in america used to sell it in small quantities. I have used them and everything I have asked for arrived here ok (UK)the only downside is you then get bombarded with their catologue.They do have a web site. Keith |
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Subject: RE: Fiddle Bow Hair From: NicoleC Date: 19 Oct 02 - 10:39 AM I've seen small hanks on eBay occassionally. |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Sorcha Date: 19 Oct 02 - 10:17 AM (from a horses tail, Mr. Happy), Rab, I'm in the US, and I don't know of any place to buy a small amount of hair ready to use. If you know someone with a horse, you could try to con them into letting you clip the tail (good luck with that one!). If you do that, just tie the ends in a bundle and wash it with warm water and soap (no bleach) and rinse WELL. Your best bet would be to take it to a shop or person who does a lot of re hairing and buys buy the bundlel; it's not that expensive to have done. |
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Subject: RE: Tech: Fiddle Bow Hair From: Mr Happy Date: 19 Oct 02 - 06:24 AM what kind of hair? |
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Subject: Tech: Fiddle Bow Hair From: GUEST,Rab Date: 19 Oct 02 - 05:40 AM I need to buy good quality hair to re-hair 5 bows but can't find a supplier for such a small quantity. Can anyone help with this in UK or Eire? |
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