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What sound are you going for Jim?
Bow 1 seems mellower, better for some relaxing music. Bow 2 seems brighter, for when you want your audience up on their feet jumping around.
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I don't think I know enough to tell which is actually better. There's probably some criteria for that, and I'm too much of a noob to appreciate fine points.
But I liked the tone you were getting with the second one a bit better. To my ears the first one sounded maybe a bit more precise at some points, but there was a feel to what you were doing with the second one that was more of what I would consider fun or interesting.
i doubt that is a good quality evaluation though. Someone who plays as well as you could probably take a broken kite, wrap some of the string around one of the sticks and get a sound that would be enjoyable. LOL
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
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Which one feels the best Jim?
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Thanks for the replies 
Bow #1 is an octagonal lightweiht pernambuco bow, and bow # 2 is an Arcus M4.
I like the Arcus better for everything. Better tone, more responsive.
Mr Jim
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Then that is the one to use
Which one is more expensive? How much does the Arcus weigh?
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I should have said. The pernambuco is worth around £300, and the M4 at £700.
Pernambuco weighs 57 grams, M4 is 53grams.
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Those are really light.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Honorary tenured advisor
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Sence my best bow only cost 60 bucks I will not try to pretend that I can tell a diff. I did get a cheap fiberglass bow 2 days ago and I can say that I do NOT like it.
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Well, if it's light it's easy to make it heavier by pressure. Not so easy to lighten a heavy bow that way.
Mr Jim
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Most everyone on the forum knows about my 'obsession' with analysis and testing on my 90 yr old German violin as well as other members instruments. I've been moving the bridge, shortening and lengthening the tailpiece gut and of course making new bridges as well and have a good baseline for testing other stuff now.
Below is a pic of a sound analysis I did just for this thread on bow comparisons.
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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OK, I know I can't just throw out a graph of my violin without one of his ... so here's an analysis page of Jims' violin and his 2 bows for comparison.
I think the first bow is the best sounding one... and the analysis shows it's the one that makes the most sound with his violin.
I think your violin is pretty expensive as well Jim... if it isn't, it should be.
"If you practice with your hands you must practice all day. Practice with your mind and you can accomplish the same amount in minutes." Nathan Milstein
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Wow I'm impressed, quite a smooth trace!
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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Thanks for the in-depth analysis, Denny! That's a very interesting comparison on the bows and violins.
Yes, sometimes I do have the feeling that the pernambuco bow can produce a better tone, but the Arcus seems to be more responsive and better suited to the odd stuff I play.
My violin is not expensive ($6000) but it's bench-made, to my exact requirements, by KC Strings, Kansas. I tried out the violin when I was teaching workdshops in Groton, MA, and I bought it and had it shipped over. (I live in England).
Mr Jim
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I don't live in the same world then you! 6000$ is expensive for me lol.
"It can sing like a bird, it can cry like a human being, it can be very angry, it can be all that humans are" Maxim Vengerov
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I agree $6000 is super expensive to me. I got a new Old German Violin at the Fiddlers Convention at a great price $300 bucks. Sounds fantastic.
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