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How much does it cost to rehair a violin bow? Just $ 22 if you leave it for one week. This allows me to schedule the bows that need rehairing evenly throughout the week and that saves you money. If needed I can rehair bows sooner than a week for an additional fee. Bow rehairing is a skill that takes practice. I usually rehair about three or more bows per day. The first step is removing the old hair. Please do not cut your old hair out of the bow before you take it to the shop. In order to get the ferrule (ring) off of the frog you may need to pull the old hairs out of the frog one by one. If you need to cut the hairs for some reason, please leave about 4" on each end of the bow. Once all of the blocks and wedge have been removed it's time to select the correct amount of hair for the bow. The stiffer the bow the more hair it needs, I usually like to start with about 15 extra hairs and then when the bow is finished I remove hairs one by one until I get the appropriate balance for that bow. I rehair bows frog first because the strongest part of the hair should be at the frog end because that's where most of the force from playing will be. Once the correct knot length is tied the frog block is put in. Then the wedge is fitted. At this point the hair is combed and slightly wetted. The length of the damp hair is measured and the hair is tied off. The reason you measure the hair when it's slightly damp is because then you don't need to take into account the ambient humidity because your measurement is always based on damp hair. The tip block is then replaced and the hair is slightly wetted, but you need to be careful not to get the hair wet near the wedge, otherwise it will wick under the wedge and the wedge will loosen up. Then the hair needs to dry for about an hour so the hair can stretch out and even up a little. Click Here to see a more detailed list of the many steps required to rehair a bow. |
Bow Rehair Prices Need to Rehair
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Violin Bow Rehairs- Violin Bow Rehairing is still $ 22 for one week service.
Viola Bow Rehairs- Viola Bow Rehairing is $ 22 for one week service
Cello Bow Rehairs- Cello Bow Rehairing is $ 25 for one week service
Bass Bow Rehairs- German Bass Bow Rehairing is $ 40 for black horsehair, one week service
- French Bass Bow Rehairing is $ 40 for white horsehair, one week service
- Express service is extra depending on how soon you need the bow back.
- Same day bow reharing is available but by appointment only.
- Salt and pepper hair is $3 extra because it is hand mixed from pure white and pure black hair.
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Bulk Hair | IMG 20171216 165313 | | IMG 20180518 172940 | IMG 20181102 172950 | | IMG 20230726 095001 842 | | |
Horsehair is traditionally used for bow rehairing because it is strong, flexible, and has the right amount of grip to make the string vibrate and sing. - White horsehair is generally considered to be better for violin bows because it is softer and smoother than black horsehair. This makes it easier to draw across the strings, producing a more delicate and nuanced sound.
- Black horsehair is often used for bass bows because it provides a good amount of grip on the strings, which is important for producing a clear, full sound.
- I also have a small percent of violin players that use straight black hair, or mixed hair of a black strip on the playing edge.
- Cello players sometimes like using mixed black and white hair.
Humidity can have a significant effect on horsehair, as it can cause the hair to become longer or shorter, so the general humidity of your area needs to be taken into consideration when doing a bow rehair. Overall, rehairing a violin, viola, cello or bass bow is an important part of maintaing the bow and ensuring that it performs and sounds at it's best. |
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I have 200 students playing violin, viola, cello and bass. Needless to say I need some bows re-haired. I've been reading about synthetic hair - have you ever used that? Supposedly it lasts a long time, plays and sounds wells and doesn't stretch.
I hate the idea of just tossing out bows sticks instead of fixing them. Your prices are reasonable. I'd like to mail you a couple and see what we think.
Best regards,
Jeanette
String Instructor
Live Oak Charter School
Thanks so much I received the bow at the same day you left me a voice message.
Thanks for the great work!
Eric
Thank you,
Lesley M.
I live in Texas and our local here has stopped wanting to do too much work on classic vintage bows.. Thinks new bows better, but I like the wood of the old bows. How do I mail bows to you??
I just bought a nice bow marked Viorin. a Copy of course. It has good camber until you get to the tip . The tip is tuning to the right a little. Would you be able to straighten a tip?
Thanks
Sandy
The bow can be straightened or more camber can be added. From your description it seems like the head of the bow is twisted. If that's the case, it can be heated and straightened so that the flat plane of the tip and the flat plane of the frog are parallel.
Craig
Rob
I like your website's 'layout' design---it is on a par with the best European professional ones! And I like the 'professionalism' and knowledgeable write-ups of your craftsmanship.
I came by three old violin bows---2 are 4/4 full length, one 3/4 length, but the ferrules are working 0kay.
Can you 'quote' me on the cost of rehairing and postage to Ireland?
Much appreciated!
Joe
Judith Aller