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Bow: what do I have?
Question on bow manufacturer, style, and general opinions...
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (2 votes) 
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Peter
West Sussex, England UK
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February 24, 2020 - 10:08 am
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Thank you, @Fiddlerman - I guess I'd have to let in a piece of something of similar characteristics using fairly long scarfs; yes; it could be fun to do.

If this is a quality German pernambuco bow, it adds a little credence to the identity of the violin it came with. It's labelled as a 1788 Johannes Cuypers, but I had doubts due to the workmanship I found at the neck and heel blocks. I'm even less of a luthier than I am a violinist (i.e. an enthusiastic amateur), so I could be very, very wrong. It is a nice-looking fiddle, though.

Peter

"It is vain to do with more that which can be done with less"  - William of Ockham

"A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in" - Frederick the Great

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 24, 2020 - 10:32 am
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Exactly. A 2>mm sliver of good Pernambuco glued in the right direction. After it dries you need to match the original shape varnish and polish.

I agree, could be fun to do.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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Gordon Shumway
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February 24, 2020 - 10:33 am
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Fiddlerman said
To me it looks German and it looks like the Pernambuco was a good quality but has been through a lot of abuse.

It's "battle-scarred". 

Andrew

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Irv
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February 24, 2020 - 11:19 am
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@Peter and others.  It would be beneficial to provide a photo of the current balance point of the bow.  It does not make sense to me that the repairman added weight to the shaft tip and did not avail himself the opportunity to counter balance with a metal wrap toward the frog.  

If the current balance point is nominal, I would tend to leave the repair intact.  

Depending upon the angle of the original splinter, it may be possible to avoid the collar and splint using white silk thread.  Once varnished, the silk disappears from view due to refractive index (a neat trick).

Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.

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Peter
West Sussex, England UK
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February 24, 2020 - 11:42 am
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Thanks @Irv - I'll try to remember to measure the balance point (as a proportion of overall length?), and perhaps someone here knows where that point should be? I know, I should search it. - EDIT - 9.5" from the frog-end of the stick, not including the button. - http://www.rogertreat.net/docu....._a_Bow.pdf

If the brass collar is to come off and the fracture is indeed suitable for a whipping, then I have no issues there. I've built fishing rods, and I'm also a seamanship instructor (emeritus). I'm quite prepared to have to scarf in a piece of pernambuco in the top of the stick though, although a source of that could be a challenge.

Peter

"It is vain to do with more that which can be done with less"  - William of Ockham

"A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in" - Frederick the Great

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Peter
West Sussex, England UK
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February 24, 2020 - 4:07 pm
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The bow has a balance point at 11.875", which means that it's tip-heavy. It now seems most likely that the brass shim has been rolled around a fracture, and glued into place. It will need to be re-worked by removing the brass and a proper joint repair made using a method appropriate to the nature of the damage, once that has been uncovered.

@Irv - What's the usual reaction / solvation rate for pernambuco solutes in water? I have a 2 mm x 5 mm sliver of nut-mortice stick material in 200 ul of water, and there is a faint pink hue after 1 hour.

Peter

"It is vain to do with more that which can be done with less"  - William of Ockham

"A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in" - Frederick the Great

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Irv
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February 24, 2020 - 4:37 pm
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That means you have the good stuff.  Pernambuco wood was originally used as a dye for clothing.  I use tungsten wire for a bow wrap since it has the same density as gold for a lot less expense.  I have some that is gold plated, which makes soldering the ends easy.  Your results may vary.  

Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.

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violacharlie

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February 24, 2020 - 11:19 pm
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I use this one https://www.polycordebow.com/ its new!

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Peter
West Sussex, England UK
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February 25, 2020 - 1:32 am
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violacharlie said
I use this one https://www.polycordebow.com/ its new!

  

It vaguely reminds me of the bow I made to accompany my home-brew solid fiddle, seen here early in development:

solid_1_1-1.jpgImage Enlarger

It's a pre-tensioned bow using 300 um nylon monofilament, some 12 metres of which are wound continuously between two 2 mm roll-pins set through the cherry-plum twig, and supported at the tip by a transverse piece of the same twig and a fulcrum at the fist-end made from FR4 fibre-glass composite. It's rustic, functional, and it served me well for around six weeks before its many faults became evident as my playing advanced.

I don't doubt your bow has been developed by a real archetier, and it certainly looks intriguing. The chord-playing feature looks fun: I find I need to be quite forceful to play a chord with a regular bow, unless I arpeggiate it.

EDIT - I see from a separate post that you are the developer! I'll leave the closing paragraph above as a compliment; your design is insightful.

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Peter

"It is vain to do with more that which can be done with less"  - William of Ockham

"A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in" - Frederick the Great

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violacharlie

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February 25, 2020 - 5:19 am
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Wow, nice home brew fiddle! Yes the Polycorde is great fun to play. I have written an etude you cn download for free from the site here:  https://www.polycordebow.com/s.....cal-manual

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Irv
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February 25, 2020 - 8:07 am
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@Peter and others.  Another idea regarding how to balance your bow.  You could drill in pockets in the underside of the frog to receive cylinders of tungsten (commonly used as tig welding electrodes).  I have a bow with a plastic frog that did that, and it was very effective and cheap.

Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.

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