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Anybody here have experience with Hybrid Bows? I'm talking about the carbon fiber core ones with the wood veneer like the Fiddlerman Hybrid or the JonPaul Fusion.
I can't decide between carbon fiber or wood for an upgrade to my fiberglass bow, and a hybrid bow might be a good solution.
I like the idea of a bow that has the playability and the durability of carbon fiber, but the warm sound of wood.
I've settled on a budget of $200 and those were the two I was looking at for hybrids.
I'm having the worst time trying to decide on bow. Send Help!
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Hi @FortyNothing and others. I have been trying many bows recently to get a better feel for them, and recently acquired a Jonpaul Fusion. I have only practiced with it on a electronic violin, so I cannot attest to any warmth in the sound. It is a more responsive stick than any fully cf bow I have yet tried, it is well made, and has good hair.
The wood grain pattern is, of course, impossible. But it makes for a pretty stick.
Success is the progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. —Earl Nightingale.
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What kind of violin do you have maybe that will help others help you choose?
Also, I was choosing this same exact thing last week and looked on youtube for carbon fiber vs wood bow. The wood bow seemed to sound better to me but I would check those videos out.
I also asked Fiddlershop a couple weeks ago if a pernambuco bow or a hybrid John Paul or Hybrid Fiddlerman bow would be better and they were very sure a Pernambuco would be better for the violin I have which is an MJZ 909 but not sure what kind of violin you have or what your playing conditions are.
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When I bought my current bow, I tried out a braided carbon fiber and REALLY liked it. It was more than what I wanted to spend at the time. Think it was just over 500.00 and I hadnt planned on spending that. So yes Ive tried them and liked the ones I played with. Even the ones around 200 although those probably were carbon fiber. I ended up with a low end permabucco the shop had since it seemed to sound slightly better than the lower priced carbon fiber bows and felt closer to that braided carbon fiber. I dont think youll be disappointed. Especially if you're comparing it to a fiberglass bow. Id guess you have a glasser fiberglass bow now? Thats what I had. Nothing wrong with them..I mean I didnt have this miraculous improvemnet in playing but I noticed a tone and playability difference. I think youll be happy with one.
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BobbyFlay said
What kind of violin do you have maybe that will help others help you choose?Also, I was choosing this same exact thing last week and looked on youtube for carbon fiber vs wood bow. The wood bow seemed to sound better to me but I would check those videos out.
I also asked Fiddlershop a couple weeks ago if a pernambuco bow or a hybrid John Paul or Hybrid Fiddlerman bow would be better and they were very sure a Pernambuco would be better for the violin I have which is an MJZ 909 but not sure what kind of violin you have or what your playing conditions are.
I have a $400 LaChambre 600 violin which I bought at a local music shop. (Can't really find any other information on it)
I play mostly for fun and play alone in an air conditioned room I keep at 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
I've only been playing for 3 weeks, but I'm catching on fast.
I live in a hot, dry, desert climate, but like I said, I mostly play indoors.
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My primary viola bow for the last 8 years has been a C.F. Iesta hybrid bow which is the same bow now sold under license in the US as the JonPaul Fusion Silver. It cost me $520, but the equivalent violin bow sells for about $380. I'm a big proponent of hybrid bows. I bought mine in person at a local shop, where I went with a $2,000 budget, and tested wood bows worth up to $2,500. At least for me, the much less expensive hybrid bow played about as well as the $2,500 wood bows, and was the hands-down winner among the bows $2,000 and under. Similar to Irv's experience, it's a very responsive bow. The sound is much closer to wood than carbon fiber -- though I should mention that I've never owned a carbon fiber bow, only tried them out either in shops or borrowing orchestra colleagues' bows for a few minutes at a time. I did notice an instant improvement in my playing ability, FWIW. My previous bow was a low-end pernambuco, so the better response and lower balance point probably helped; also, I'd been playing for 11 years when I upgraded.
The principal violist in my semi-pro orchestra, who is a full-time pro, tried out my bow out of curiosity, ordered a JonPaul Fusion Silver a few days later, and now uses it as her primary performing bow as well.
I haven't tried the basic JonPaul Fusion, but from what I've been told, it's made with essentially the same process and they just select their best sticks for the silver fittings.
FortyNothing, I also live in a hot, dry climate. I mostly play indoors but have used my hybrid bow for outdoor gigs in temperatures up to 98 degrees F before. My thermostat is set to 75 degrees in the summer and 70 degrees in the winter; I've rehearsed and performed with orchestras in a wider range of temperatures.
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