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So, I've been practicing for a couple hours with my brand new Fiddlerman CF bow and am a bit concerned. Compared to my inexpensive Amazon Pernambuco Nickel/silver Mounted Violin Bow that I've had for about 6 months, the Fiddlerman CF bow sounds a bit rough, like very fine grained sandpaper on the string whereas the wooden bow sounds noticeably smoother.
I am using the same high quality rosin on both bows.
At first it was really quite noticeable. After a while I tried wiping down the hairs on the CF bow with a clean cloth thinking that maybe it was excess rosin causing the sound. It did seem to improve somewhat but still noticeably more grainy than the other bow.
Is there a break in process for a new bow? Is the tone expected to improve after X hours of playing?
Thanks,
joe
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What you are talking about has to do with the rosin. I test all the bows and I have wood bows that cost thousands of dollars. You don't get a sandpaper type sound from the CF bow.
My guess is that you have considerably less rosin on your bow and I put a lot of dark rosin on the CF bow before sending it out, to give everyone a bow with a great grip.
Trust me, don't apply more rosin to the Fiddlerman CF bow and it will get as smooth as your wood bows. Also, if you usually use light rosin you will soon see that when it is time for more rosin you will be getting the smooth sound you got with your wooden bows and that same rosin.
The difference in your wooden bows and CF bow will be in balance, weight, power, and sound but the grip will have to do with the hair and rosin.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Fiddlerman said
What you are talking about has to do with the rosin. I test all the bows and I have wood bows that cost thousands of dollars. You don't get a sandpaper type sound from the CF bow.
My guess is that you have considerably less rosin on your bow and I put a lot of dark rosin on the CF bow before sending it out, to give everyone a bow with a great grip.
Trust me, don't apply more rosin to the Fiddlerman CF bow and it will get as smooth as your wood bows. Also, if you usually use light rosin you will soon see that when it is time for more rosin you will be getting the smooth sound you got with your wooden bows and that same rosin.
The difference in your wooden bows and CF bow will be in balance, weight, power, and sound but the grip will have to do with the hair and rosin.
Ahhhhh.... I had mistakenly assumed that the bows came naked and needed to be thoroughly rosined.
Woot! because the balance of the new CF bow is much nicer!
Thank you,
joe
UPDATE: Never mind how I know, but you were (of course) 100% right fiddlerman. With new application of Liebenzeller Gold II (a gift) on clean hair (don't ask), it plays smooth as silk. Love it!
One of these days I'll have to learn the when and why of different rosins.
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Very glad to hear it Joe 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I wonder - can two (or more) differnt types of rosin cause a problem?
springer said
I wonder - can two (or more) differnt types of rosin cause a problem?
I changed rosins from light to dark without cleaning the bow - no problems were detected 
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No problems that I have ever experienced. Eventually your rosin gets worn off anyway, so mixing isn't a problem. I borrow other peoples rosin all the time without much concern over which type it is.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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