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Fiddlershop.com
Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 Topic Rating: 5 (2 votes) 
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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 16, 2012 - 1:09 pm
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Yes you can DragonLady. However, most left-handed people play right handed violins. It is rare that anyone plays a left-handed violin. I've known super many violinists that are left handed and not a one who plays a left hand violin. You need both hands to play violin and no one can say for sure that it is better to bow with your right hand.
Also looks better if you ever play in an ensemble plus there are so many more violins to choose from if you use a regular violin.
Just a few things to think about. smile

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

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DragonLady
Buckhannon,WV

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February 17, 2012 - 11:07 am
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Today my husband and I are going to go to Showtime Music and see how a left-handed violin feels to him. Then we will go from there on our decision. Thanks,FM.

16 years of experience and relearning.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 17, 2012 - 1:32 pm
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Anytime Dragon. Good luck with that.

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

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DragonLady
Buckhannon,WV

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February 18, 2012 - 12:53 am
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I tried to order the Cecilio Ebony Fitted German Type Left-Handed Violin CVN-320L but it says my card is declined. I've checked to see if I put all the numbers right it  is says the same thing. Is it because its a Vista First Community Bank card or what? frown I never had any problems online using this card before. 

 

Edit: Well I just tried my Chase bank card and it worked. So now its ordered. Let me know how long it takes to get to West Virginia. 

16 years of experience and relearning.

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Kevin M.
Nicholson, Pa
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February 18, 2012 - 8:52 am
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My wife has the same problem with her bank debit card.  Some stores accept it and others decline it.  When I got my card I told the bank I wanted a Visa check card and mine works everywhere.  She has to give hers back and get the visa check card.  It just depends on the system processing the card.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
February 18, 2012 - 1:54 pm
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Usually one week or less Dragon Lady :-)

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

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
March 19, 2012 - 11:58 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16430

I have two bows that I refuse to sell at the normal price. The bow to the far right is a normal bow with the correct arch and hair length.

The one to the far left has less arch and the hair is way too tight when loosened completely. I'll sell this bow for minus $30 off the regular price to the first person who buys it. Just enter FMbow1 as a coupon to get this bow at this price.

The middle bow has slightly too short hair but still has a decent arch. Not quite as much as it should have though. Enter FMbow2 for $18 dollars off.

First come first serve for these bows and the coupon should only work once.

In the pictures the bows are loosened as much as possible. They will not loosen more unless you somehow fix them. I am not sure if CF can be reformed with heat.

 

FMbow1 for $30 dollars off

Discounted.jpgImage EnlargerDiscounted2.jpgImage Enlarger

 

 

FMbow2 for $18 dollars off

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

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Moris

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March 20, 2012 - 11:35 am
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Hmmm...very tempting FM, well, would these affect playing? I mean, it's like they are already tight, and no need to tighten these a whole lot...

"No one can do everything, but everyone can do something."

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
March 20, 2012 - 5:01 pm
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The one that is more tight actually has too little arch and that will affect the action. The other one has a decent arch and in certain weather might not be affected at all and might not matter either.

I don't know if these bows can be reformed but sooner or later the shape might change if you never rehair it and it stays tight. Had it been wood I would have said that you could just rehair and reshape provided it was a decent bow.

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

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Fiddlestix
Michigan, USA

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March 20, 2012 - 5:32 pm
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Sorry for butting in, but two months ago, I had one of my bow's rehaired, I thought it was ok, but about three weeks later I couldn't get the hair's loose on the bow stick, they were really tight.

I took the bow back to the luthier who rehaired it, he asked me what the humidity was in my house, I said I didn't know. I was only there about ten minutes, I checked the bow hair again, low and behold it had loosened to where is should be, very limp. When I got the bow back home, the hair went tight, just like in your photo's. Now the weather has changed and the bow hairs are completely limp and loose again, now the frog falls out of the slot.

I know that horse hair is that sensitive to humidity because you can make a Hygrometer using a strand of horse hair or even human hair.

So FM, you may want to check the humidity in your home. Look at the violin cases you have, they have built-in Hygrometer's in them. The material the stick is made from should have no bearing on the hair itself.

Just food for thought.  wink

 

And that is my Permunbuco bow.

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Kevin M.
Nicholson, Pa
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March 20, 2012 - 6:00 pm
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Is the hair tight or loose?

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Moris

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March 20, 2012 - 6:12 pm
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Hmmm, I'll pass then, I'll just order a "normal" one, you still got plenty in stock right? I won't be placing my order until next month, plus, I'll get a set of Pro-Arte strings, and two oak violin hangers.

"No one can do everything, but everyone can do something."

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Fiddlestix
Michigan, USA

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March 20, 2012 - 6:28 pm
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The hair is loose now, Kevin. Unbelievable how humidity affects the horse hair.

THe hair is now where it should be, touching the bow stick when loose.  Before, I could take the screw completely out of the end and the hair was tight.

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cdennyb
King for a Day, Peasant for many
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March 21, 2012 - 1:01 am
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Si853737humidifier.jpgImage EnlargerI was going to post this in a topic all it's own but it fits here way better.

I made a small humidifier for my violin case to address this exact issue of expanding and contracting hair on the bow as well as keeping the violin from drying out so much and causing issues.

Take a piece of plastic tubing, stuff in 3 cotton balls you have rolled between the palms of your hands like bread dough and then after you take a small wire or something to poke them in, cap the tube with a couple of plastic caps you have cut small holes in (to let out the humidity). Run a little water in either end to soak up the cotton balls...not too much, just enough to show up on the cotton, that's why I use the colored ones, they turn darker when wet and lighter when they dry out.

I had my case closed for almost two days and the livingroom has a fireplace and it dries out the air really bad in the winter but inside my case, everything was at 60%-65% humidity according to the little gauge inside (don't know how accurate it is but it was wetter inside than it was outside that case.) My bow hair seems to stay loose when I loosen it and tight when I tighten it, nothing abnormal.

I think I spent maybe $.50 total on this, or you could buy an aftermarket one for $15.00, the choice is yours.

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"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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Mad_Wed
Russia, Tatarstan rep. Kazan city
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March 21, 2012 - 7:13 am
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I use a wet piece of cloth as a humidifier. I just put it in a holey plastik packet duncecap Works nice. Since i've been using it - no new cracks on my violin =)

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Fiddlestix
Michigan, USA

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March 21, 2012 - 7:43 am
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Here is a link on "proper bow maintenance", care and humidity.

 

http://www.zaretandsonsviolins.....orbow.html

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Fiddlestix
Michigan, USA

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March 21, 2012 - 8:08 am
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My oh my..... there seems to be much controversy on bow maintenance and cleaning bow hair.

One article states that no type of cleaning should be performed on bow hair, the other article says you can use, surgical spirit, which is nothing more than, "Isopropyl / rubbing alcohol", without damaging the hair. That statement is made by the, bow hair suppliers.

Who do you believe. Judge for yourself.dunno

 

Here's that link.

http://www.violinist.com/discu.....m?ID=19077

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
March 21, 2012 - 11:18 am
Member Since: September 26, 2010
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Thanks for the tip Fiddlestix. I actually know about this, I've been having my bows rehaired for well over 30 years. In Sweden I was rehairing my bow every 6 weeks. I've dealt with similar situations of having too short hair or humidity problems before.

These are the two bows from about 100 bows. No big deal. But maybe it's a good deal for someone....

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

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Mad_Wed
Russia, Tatarstan rep. Kazan city
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March 21, 2012 - 12:49 pm
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Good article, thanks, Fiddlestix! coffee

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Kevin M.
Nicholson, Pa
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March 22, 2012 - 4:15 pm
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You snooze you lose. I tried to buy the bad bow but it was sold.  I waited too long.

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