Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 01:13:41 -0700
Subject: Re: No sound from the Bow

Hi,
Thanks for making yourself available to answer questions.
My son's showing interest in playing the violin, but the bow hairs were
broken so I purchased a new one. Now I can't get any sound out of it.
I've put rosin on it. Didn't I put enough on because I still can't get
it to make a sound?
Again, thank you for your help.

Linda Werner

Greetings Linda,

First and foremost, you'll want to make sure that your rosin cake is properly started...there should be quite a bit of dust on top allowing the bow hair to pick it up...if it needs to be started, try using a knife or sandpaper...follow our instructions on the following page:

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page3.htm

Second, make sure that the bow hair hasn't been cleaned with any kind of cleaner with oils. This would prevent the bow from emitting a tone...in this case, you would have to have the bow hair professionally cleaned...

Third, make sure that you've learned how to prime a new bow...as follows:

http://www.folkofthewood.com/page3.htm

Be sure to let me know if you need further assistance...

Mickey

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Subject: Repairing bow hair that was exposed to moisture
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 16:04:57 -0500

Hello,

I liked your web site and had a question for you. My bow and violin was exposed to moisture when I took the instrument on a trip and some water leaked throught the window of my van. The moisture mixed with the rosin on the bow which is now quite sticky as you can imagine. On one web site, there were instructions that I could use lukewarm, soapy water.  The bow is also a little warped, but this was already present. As the violin belonged to my grandmother, I am trying to restore it vs. replace it, if possible. Do you have any advice about how to fix the bow hair or the warping?
I would like to try to clean the hair vs. rehair the bow.

Thank you for your time,
Jennifer Massoni

Greetings Jennifer,

Yes...you should be able to clean the rosin off as opposed to rehair the bow...this should be easily accomplished with a damp cloth. Do not add any kind of soap...I believe most all soaps can have harsh chemicals...use only water and have patience as you carefully remove the rosin residues. Do not build friction by moving the cloth rapidly.

As far as warpage goes, you'll want to take it in to a qualified repair person...I would not recommend trying to repair the bow yourself. If you're determining the warpage by sighting down the bow, then yes you'll most definitely want to have it straightened for playability purposes. If the bow has a bend in the center, this is desirable since the bend is there to compensate for tightening the hair; after tightening the hair, the bend should disappear slightly.

Hope the above helps...Mickey
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