| Author |
Subject |
FrozenYankee
Registered User
(1/15/01 11:06:38 am)
Reply |
Glasser
graphite bows
Does anyone use a Glasser
graphite-composite bow. I'm referring to the one that sells for
around $250 at Shar or SW Strings.
I'd love to be able to
afford a Coda Classic, but not this year. I'm hoping the Glasser
will be a reasonable compromise. I'd like your opinions
please.
Thanks very much.
Richard
|
lblake
Registered
User
(1/16/01 11:43:50 am)
Reply |
Re:
Glasser graphite bows
I did a lot of carbon-fiber bow
shopping, and in my opinion, that is an excellent compromise. I
think that's a really amazing bow for the price.
When you
are ready, however, to get one in the next price range, I'd suggest
being sure to thoroughly try some of the different kinds... because
there are a few out there now, and they really do have very
significant differences. Andrew Victor has a web page of bow
reviews. I don't know where it is at the moment - I'm not on my own
computer. Anyway... it'll probably show up at some point in this
thread.  My
preference (as anyone who's heard from me knows) is the
Arcus.
Good luck - bow shopping is fun! (not to mention
addictive!!! ahem, Mr. Victor...)
|
ruthann
Registered User
(1/16/01 12:48:57 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Glasser graphite bows
And for some better prices, check
out www.cellos2go.com
cello_suttonr@hotmail.com
|
Andrew
Victor
Registered
User
(1/16/01 1:05:38 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Glasser graphite bows
Yes, indeed, Laura. (It was great to
meet you (for the first time) yesterday.) But give me a break, I've
got three cello cases, and each one holds two bows.
Laura is
the one who led me to the Arcus brand of bows. My bow review
focussed on violin bows and is at members.aol.com/bowedstri...eview.html
. All of the Arcus bows seem easier to use than other bows, they are
lighter in weight, and draw fine clean sound. But the do range in
price from about 4 to 6 times higher than the Glasser
CF.
What it really gets down to is how your cello sound
responds to the lower price bows. They handle quite well, not just
the Glasser Carbon Fiber (graphite) but also the very similar, but
more expensve CF Durro, and the less expensive (brown colored)
"Glasser Composite."
I have found the Coda Classic will sound
more resonantly on some cellos - but it is often a difficulty with
the instrument that the Coda or some other more expensive bow pulls
you through. If you get the response sound you want with a less
expensive bow, that is the way to go at this time.
There is
another factor in "motor response" of a bow in very rapid
articulated passages that one tends to not find below about $4,000 -
$5,000 in a cello bow. certainly, I've not found this in any of the
composite cello bows - and not in that many pernambuco ones
either.
The performance of a bow on your cello will also
depend on whether you get good response from your strings. Your
preferences may change as your technique improves. I've found no
cello strings that are more responsive than the new Thomastik
Belcanto Gold - and this can affect what bow is adequate for
you.
Sometimes it takes some period of playing on a utile
bow, such as the Glassers or Durro to help one gain the technique
that will then make a more costly bow worthwhile. This will not be
wasted money.
Andy
.
|
Dick500
Registered User
(1/16/01 1:09:20 pm)
Reply |
Re:
Glasser graphite bows
In the course of handling and
selling bows, I have found that the Glasser Carbon/Graphite bows
play remarkably well for the money. One important thing to remember,
however, is that every bow (including carbon fiber bows) has its own
personality and will play differently from every other bow
regardless of similarity of source, materials, etc. Plus, the
results can and do vary from instrument to instrument. Factors which
I have not been able to directly correlate with the compatibility of
an instrument and a bow include such variables as weight, balance,
stick shape, and source of the hair. A bow which plays well on cello
#1 may not play well on cello #2. The fact that it happened to be,
for example, heavy/medium balance/octagonal/mongolian hair neither
made it play well on cello #1 nor badly on cello #2. Therefore,
neither purchasing a bow sight unseen on your friend's
recommendation nor borrowing your friend's bow to see how it does on
your cello will accurately predict how another of "same" will play
for you. Where does all this leave one? Well, if you intend to
purchase an expensive bow, try before you buy. If you intend to
purchase a relatively inexpensive bow, the differences between them
are, in practice, usually much less than between more expensive bows
and you can quite often successfully just plunk down your money and
take the next one that comes out of the tube. So what does all this
have to do with the Glassers? As I said above, they are very good
for the money and, if $250 is your current budget, you can't really
go wrong ordering one for the time being. For later, though,
remember the other stuff.
Dick Mattson
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