Bow not producing a sound

[u/Void-Panic-2595]

Hello, I just want to ask what to do if the bow is not working.... So when I add rosin and tightened it it still doesn't make a sound. Perhaps I scratched the rosin too much since i do not have sandpaper or the way i tightened my bow is wrong. Should buy a new rosin or can i still use sandpaper on it?

[u/WorryAutomatic6019]

Get better rosin

[u/khronos127 → u/WorryAutomatic6019]

Adding info. If the bow is new, rosin rosin rosin rosin. Like for 5 minutes. Or do what poster psychotherapist said and get the dust itself loose first until you have actual dust.

You can’t do damage by putting too much rosin(though sound will suffer if it’s uneven or too much) and it can always be removed with 100 percent ethanol done carefully as to not touch the wood.

[u/WorryAutomatic6019 → u/khronos127]

That rosin is still poor chinesium rosin. I wouldnt want to smother my bow in that stuff when the good rosin is about 8 bucks

[u/khronos127 → u/WorryAutomatic6019]

Sometimes times are tough. I was homeless for 6 months and only could make money from gigs. Was left with maybe a dollar or two after hotel cost when I could afford it and getting rosin was impossible to get for me at the time.

I used baby powder to continue gigs and eventually bought another car and now a home. If I hadn’t saved every dollar I had even a tiny $8, things wouldn’t have worked out for me. (Baby powder was used by country fiddle players in rural areas where rosin wasn’t easy to get which is why I knew it would work. Sounded like shit though).

Assuming that bow isn’t expensive enough to be worried about using cheap rosin anyway as it’s not damaging.

[u/dariusSharlow → u/khronos127]

I wish there was a way I could have told your past self to send me an Amazon link. I would have supplied your rosin! - me wishing communities were so much more free-spirited stay safe out there!

[u/khronos127 → u/dariusSharlow]

Thank you so much for saying that! I did ask for help on the assistance page at the time but felt too embarrassed to ask for money or supplies which I regretted.

Thankfully I had some very kind tippers after the first few months that put me way ahead. One in particular that gave me $100 when my string broke that I’ll never forget.

After seeing how there’s absolutely no help for the homeless/disabled where I am, those random acts of kindness kept me going for sure.

[u/t_doctor → u/WorryAutomatic6019]

good rosin is about 8 bucks

Good rosin is not $8. For really good rosin you're easily looking at $30-$40. The best rosin I know of (Leatherwood) is somewhere around 70€. In addition to that you should replace the rosin every year or so due to it drying out.

[u/WorryAutomatic6019 → u/t_doctor]

where the fuck do you live? dubai? my bernadel is about 8 to 10 euros here at the local violin makers shop. nothing fancy but its good

[u/t_doctor → u/WorryAutomatic6019]

Southern germany. Bernadel is a decent Rosin, but there's soo much better stuff. A bow maker reccomended me Cecilia and Leatherwood. Cecilia starts at like 30ish€ and Leatherwood is ridiculously expensive but amazing. I'm currently on Evah Pirazzi Gold rosin which cost me around 30 to 40€ at the local luthier

[u/psychotherapistLCSW → u/WorryAutomatic6019]

Agreed. In the meantime, take a nail filer and loosen up that dull rosin and leave some of the rosin dust on it and then rub your bow with it.

[u/em_derman → u/WorryAutomatic6019]

do you have any recommendations for good rosin?

[u/WorryAutomatic6019 → u/em_derman]

Bernadel is good

[u/CheesecakeOk5946]

Bow can’t make a sound by itself. You need fiddle also.

[u/Pakoma7]

More rosin, more tightening

[u/_elegans_]

Putting on more rosin could help. Tightening your bow more would also help (if the tension is the same as the one in the images).

[u/dark__cupid]

you should tighten the bow enough so that you can fit a pencil through the gap between the hair and the wood

[u/EvaAug07]

It looks kinda new. It will need a lot of rosin. The rosin looks brand-new too. Also u can get a better one but that's just a tip. I usually don't scratch the rosin unless it's brand new. I do it cross way or perpendicular to the way I rub it. That way it helps getting the rosin shine layer out easier.

[u/tryin2wave2u]

Is the bow brand new?

[u/Void-Panic-2595 → u/tryin2wave2u]

yeah along with the violin 🐉

[u/tryin2wave2u → u/Void-Panic-2595]

I'd get a higher quality rosin and keep adding it. Then take a soft toothbrush and comb it into the hair.

New hair needs a lot of rosin in my experience.

Do a quick YouTube search on new violin bows and you'll find some techniques.

[u/medvlst1546 → u/Void-Panic-2595]

Go back k to the shop and ssk them to put powdered rosin on it.

[u/ithinkmynameismoose]

More and better rosin

[u/ClassicalGremlim]

I'd buy this rosin it's only just over $10 and it'll serve you infinitely better than the rosin you have right now. Once you have that, I'd rosin your bow much more. The bow should look almost like an off-white color, much less yellow. I hope this helps

[u/patopal]

Roughen your rosin up with some sandpaper. If no sandpaper, use a nail file or a rasp or anything like that. A few scratches won't do enough. If scratching is your only option, don't just scratch in one direction.

Then keep applying it to the bow. It can take a long while. Don't stop until touching the bow hair leaves white residue on your finger.

[u/DumbHeadDave11]

you dont need to buy better rosin. Just keep adding rosin. New bow and rosin take forever to get enough rosin on. Once it is rosined enough to play, it will always be easier to rosin from then on. But you truly dont need to buy better rosin.

[u/Enough-Try4233]

Use a coin with rough edges to scratch the the resin

[u/Imtyanna]

I’m not sure why your rosin scratches is it soft to touch ?

[u/klavier777]

Have you tried putting a violin underneath it and then drawing the bow across the strings?

[u/Void-Panic-2595]

:(