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@Strabo -
That's interesting... appreciate you sharing your experience with this.
Hope the S&P continues to bring you more enjoyment. Does it entice you to practice more?
Can't remember if I asked you this already... are you using the same rosin on all your bows?
Asking because I switched to a less-sticky rosin for the black hair, may be why I don't have an issue with the sound. LOVE that I can actually 'see' (besides feel in playing) that I need to apply rosin.
I've been playing more on my higher strings for a while, so I've appreciated the lighter weight of my Arcus (still w/black hair), but the last couple nights I've dug into my lower strings more (not literally). For this playing the Noir's balance has worked in my favor, but I really notice it has a stiffer stick than my Arcus - great for when I want to put some weight into a stronger bow stroke & affords quicker response on my lower strings. ...my Arcus is still the most enjoyable if I'm lifting off string much.
Being focused on so many other things, I don't usually pay attention to the nature of the pieces I'm playing - until it's too late!
More & more I'm thinking there just isn't 1 bow that's perfect for everything.
🤔... pretty cool to consider pairing the qualities of different types of hair with the unique properties each bow stick offers - taking advantage of both, for whatever playing style, could be an art unto itself.
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I’m allergic to violin rosin so I am limited to the supposedly nonallergenic rosins. Geipel works best for me so I use it exclusively.
Not surprisingly, the dark hair requires very little rosin. A “normal” amount of rosin makes it scratchy and grabby, at least in my hands, haha.
I’m enjoying the learning experience of playing with the dark hair, and I like to believe that it’s improving my bow control.
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Thanks, forgot you were limited in rosin choices.
I can't be sure how or why I noticed the sound got better for me... maybe when the hair wasn't new anymore, maybe I started using my bow differently - jeez, hope it isn't just because I've gotten used to a 'harsher' sound! 🥴
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I've gone back to using the Fiddlerman 'Noir' bow this past few days.
Can remember I originally heard some 'string noise' when I 1st bought my 'Noir', but it's definitely gone - I've obviously worked it out & don't have to think about it.
Been reminded how AMAZING this bow works for Scottish & Cape Breton tunes! It just seems to make cleaner articulation possible, much easier. 🤗
It's not often I run across things that have such a positive impact on my playing. 🥰 Yep, if I could only have one bow for lively Folk music on the fiddle, or viola - I choose this black-haired 'Noir' bow!
btw... my fiddles & viola are NOT what I would consider 'bright' instruments, so I'm sure this factors into my bow choices, along with the type of music I play.
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Kennon said
Hi everyone, in one of my early morning searches, I came across a thread on dying your bow hair with hair dye, but now I can't find the thread.
I was just curious if anyone actually tried it? I am thinking about purchasing a FM Carbon Fiber bow just so I can dye the hair blue. (My own hair is cobalt blue, so I have professional hair dye I can use). Was curious if it worked, and what tips you might have?
@Kennon -
Here's the thread.
Hope you try dying your bow hair BLUE!
I hadn't thought of that - and my current violin IS BLUE!
Glasser does have a series of 'Fiberglass' bows with hair colors, and another series of Carbon 'Graphite' bows with colored sticks (not hair).
A few years ago I would've jumped on trying a dye, but I'm not physically mobile enough to do much of anything anymore. ...still like the idea of having fun maybe with fabric markers.
Brush-on, or semi-permanent hair coloring products only 'coat' the hair. I'd be curious to see if the color rubs off on the rosin & strings.
Permanent hair color permeates, but it not only has to set quite a while - it also has to be rinsed off well. I'd reject hair products that contain oils, or wax.
I'm sure I'll get told I'm 'overthinking' again 🤨 but ideally I'd want to dye bow hair BEFORE it's installed on a bow.
I wouldn't want anything wicking up inside the head & frog (concerned excess moisture can effect the wood wedges). A paste form of masking (Liquitex brand, or similar, avail at art/craft supply stores) might protect bow parts well enough & if any natural hair color shows thru after it's peeled off - could touch-up with a BLUE felt pen made for fabric.
Leather dye was used by a member at the beginning of this thread, photo is gone but posts said the coverage was uneven.
For EVEN coverage, natural fibers need to be uniformly wet before dye is applied. Alcohol 'alone' may not be the greatest, a small bottle of Clear Blending Solution (or Wetting/Leveling Agent) can be found at art supply stores. A few drops may make a huge difference, allow alcohol-based ink of dye to spred evenly. There are also color fixatives (to keep color vibrant) that can be added.
Dharma Trading Co. - great place to find fiber & leather dyeing/painting supplies, online. Some other art/craft supply stores are good, too.
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Thanks @ELCBK ! I know about the Fiberglass bows with colored hair/sticks but If it works, I'd rather have a bow I would want to play on, which is why I was thinking the Fiddlerman Carbon fiberglass bow. It also makes more sense than using a wood bow because, as you said, I would need to rinse off the dye. I will probably go ahead and order one and try it out. Im headed on vacation next weekend, so I'll order it late in the week so it doesn't arrive while I'm gone. I'll be sure to let y'all know how it turns out!
So tell me about your blue violin!
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@Kennon -
Can't wait to see how your BLUE hair experiment works out! 🤗
My violin is acoustic/electric. I practice acoustically most of the time, but LOVE playing different ways electrically. You can see a photo of my Maezarine in post #174 here in Emily's Journey Down The E/V Road! Thread
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@ELCBK I LOVE your sapphire carbon fiber violin! Very cool!!!
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Well my CF bow arrived, thank you Fiddlershop, and it took the cobalt blue hair dye beautifully. It was fairly easy to do as well!
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@Kennon -
FABULOUS!!!
Can you tell us what brand product you used & exactly how you did it?
Have you applied rosin & played with it yet?
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Hi @ELCBK,
I used Staino brand, cobalt blue professional hair dye that my Stylist sends to me for my own hair. This is a permanent dye, that you don't have to mix or use developer.
I did this on a brand new Fiddlerman CF Bow (that is currently on Sale until September 4th!) this was an unrosined bow.
I used a toothbrush to put the dye on the hair so I would be careful not to stain the bow tip. Then with gloves I used my fingers to help work the die into the hair with the bow at a medium tension.
I let the bow sit for 45 min, then rinsed in cold water in my kitchen sink and then washed with Pantene shampoo for color treated hair.
The bow air dried over night.
So.. it takes a lot to rosin the bow! I only have Bernardel rosin, but perhaps a softer rosin that is more "gummy" would take less time.
I have played it, and I need to rosin more lol.. there are still parts of the bow that slip due to rosin not adhering enough (upper part of the bow just above the middle). Rosin does mute the color slightly, but still looks blue.
I would ONLY try this on a CF bow as the stick does get wet. While I know Glasser sells bows with colored synthetic hair, I hate Fiberglass sticks, and not a fan of synthetic hair. Also, they only come in specific colors.
Was it a fun experiment? YES! Do I love the bow? YES! Would I do it on an expensive bow? Probably not! Would I do this on my main bow? Not sure, but will probably use it for certain occasions, as it does look cool.
I need to research a better rosin (so if you have any suggestions, please share). I have used Bernadel since I was in High School, so Im not well versed on what other rosins may be better.
I would assume dye from chain stores may work (Splat comes to mind) but I have never used them before, so I can't really say. If there is a beauty supply store in your area, or you have a professional stylist, I would go that route.
Ken
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@ELCBK after rosining and trying again, It's very playable. The key is to be patient when rosining! The color didn't have any effect on the playability!
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pretty cool @Kennon! looks good!
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@Kennon -
Thanks so much for all the great info!
Looks like it was well worth the effort & turned out an ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL BLUE!
Really appreciate you put my concerns to rest!
I've used & enjoyed several medium rosins from Fiddlershop - Holstein Premium & Sartory, but been using the 'Original' Lonesome Pine rosin for quite a while now (from Folk & BG Fiddler, Tad Marks) & especially love it for my black-hair bows.
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@ELCBK can you share a link for the Lonesome Pine rosin? and thank you @ABitRusty !
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@ELCBK can you share a link for the Lonesome Pine rosin? and thank you @ABitRusty !
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@Kennon -
I wasn't able to PM you, Fiddlershop doesn't carry it - check out https://www.ebay.com/usr/datskram
I tried the sample pack - like the 'Original' best, but you might prefer the 'Smooth' (samples are smaller, but still last).
Learned about it from this video (Lonesome Pine Rosin: The Best Violin And Viola Rosin? 2023 review).
I've only tried maybe 10 different rosins (light, medium & dark) & feel this rosin has the best qualities I've found so far, but there are many more to try. I play from soft/delicate to very hard/lively.
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