It curves slightly towards me as I hold it to play. I don’t play well yet, so I figure it’s good enough for me at this point. But is it going to be a problem in the future, when I get better? If it gets worse?
I’m not an expert but i’ve heard this is a problem. I don’t know if it’s to do with the sound production but i’m guessing that might be it. …(now I’m thinking i should google ‘bent or crooked bow’ and see what comes up) I had gotten a fairly inexpensive octagonal stick bow from Scott Cao violins in Campbell because i happened to live nearby but it turns out they are quite a well thought of maker…anyway I think it was only about 50 bucks but that was 3 or 4 years ago. Probably the biggest violin shop overall is Shar music so maybe check them out online. …I really am happy with the bow I got from Scott Cao though. (although I imagine the idea of a $50 bow will get a chuckle or two not to mention a couple of scoffs!)
Alot of people will say to spend perhaps at least $600 for a bow…I’m sure there is merit to this but again I’m happy with the one I have until I win The Sweeps so to speak.
This was my sister’s bow until she gave up fiddle and gave the fiddle and bow to me. I’m not sure how much the bow cost, but I think it is (or was!) a pretty decent one. Like maybe $200ish.
I don’t know how or when it got bent, it’s about three years old maybe, and spent at least half of its life sitting in the case under my sister’s bed. I’ve been playing with it for five months now (I also have a cheaper bow that I played with my cheap fiddle for a few months before that), and only noticed the bend recently, but it could very well have been this way since I’ve had it.
I paid $21 for my fiberglass bow at Dusty Strings in Seattle and smuggled it home wrapped in a t-shirt next to the neck of my guitar in the guitar’s case. I had it with me at Kamimoto (haven’t been to Scott Cao yet), when I wanted to look at their bows, and they basically said mine’s good and I shouldn’t bother buying another unless I had some specific requirement it didn’t fill. It’s not as light as my fiancee’s bows, but it’s comfortable and I’m getting the kind of tone I want with it, so I’ll just leave well enough alone 
I was impressed that they talked me out of buying stuff I don’t need. But perhaps they were just hoping to build trust for when I AM ready to spend $600+ on something.
Yea, both Scott Cao (chow) and Kamimoto are cool each in their own way. Come to think of it i had the Scott Cao bow rehaired at kamimoto.
I was in Kamimoto one day and was watching one of their staff, Susan, demonstrate a violin. She played it not only with a miniature bow, sometimes used by teachers, but was playing it upright, like a cello. I commented on that to her after the customer had left and she said that although she started on violin she gravitated to cello which was what she now plays and teaches. So that was natural for her to play it that way. She said that at a recent fiddle contest she actually won playing a fiddle tune, with a fiddle played sitting on her lap upright like a cello. Since the judges didn’t watch but only listened to the performances they were unaware of how she was holding the instrument…not that would have mattered…but it is interesting to see her play that way.
Yeah, I’ve witnessed this. It definitely doesn’t hinder her playing, to my ears
I stopped by Scott Cao today and was really put off by how the guy was trying really hard to sell me stuff the instant I went in, when I just wanted to have a look around. Oh well.
No, it is not good enough for you now because NOW is when you are trying to acquire and maintain good bowing habits.
I’d get a new bow if I were you.
It doesn’t have to be wood either. I love my carbon fiber bows. I bought them from companies on the internet for quite reasonable prices.
Your wood bow can be straightened. Get it in the hands of a good/excellent violin shop. It may be worth it.
Funny story… My wife’s name is Charlene, nickname Char. She comes from Michigan and actually worked at Shar music as a receptionist for a while. She used to answer the phone “Shar music, Char speaking…” People often thought they were speaking to the boss! 
Will it really give me bad bowing habits? It is only a slight curve. It doesn’t seem like it could be that big a problem at this point.
I have thought about a carbon fiber bow. I might go that way.
Or I might do that. I know a guy who does good violin making and repair. But right now I have no money for that sort of thing, I’m spending it all on going to the tionol in East Durham.
Its sort of important to be able to get into the habit of being able to bow straight without having to stop and think about it.
Have you considered barter?
If you have more time than money you’d be amazed how eager people can be to bargain their skills in exchange for your doing somethings they find a tedious annoyance.
But like, the hairs aren’t bent! I can’t figure out how a little curve in the wood could make me not bow straight. I’m all confused now. Can you explain?
If you say the bow being bent doesn’t confuse you and that it makes no difference in the technique you use to play with it,
fine.
Live with it bent if you wish.
If it’s just slightly bent, its no problem when it is in the direction explained, if it had been the other direction it might be a problem since the direction of the force pu on the bow should be aimed towards the feet of the bridge. I think the bowmakers usually make them slightly bent in the “right” direction, just to keep them from bending in the "wrong "direction.
But you should take care to release the tension of it when you don’t play, otherwise it might get worse. The big question is: How much bent can it be before you really should care? A few mm here or there is no problem, but if it comes to cm it should be fixed. Usually it’s fixed just by heating the stick enough to loosen up the fibers in the wood and then bend it to were you want it and let it rest. BUT it should be done by a proffessional!
/Anders
The “correct” curvature (reverse curve from the strings) is called the “camber” of the bow. Lorenzo’s right, if it’s a good bow this can probably be fixed, but you need to go to somebody good, preferably either a bowmaker or someone experienced with bow repairs.
If the bow is bent improperly it can impair the ‘bounce’ and dynamic behavior of the bow - or so they tell me It can make it hard to put the correct amount of tension on the bow too.
Bill
p.s. - I cannot read this topic without thinking of Bo Carter’s blues classic, “My Pencil Don’t Write No More”. Sorry!
I tried to straighten a bow, but, not being an expert, I ended up scorching the wood. However, the way that you develop skills in doing a certain task is to experiment and eliminate all of the wrong ways. Another way to develop skills is to apprentice with someone who has successfully completed the task that you are trying to learn.
As can be seen from the commentaries, there is no one answer as how to proceed when, as a beginner, you have a slightly bent bow. You can have the bow straightened, although unless the bow is a good bow to start with, it wouldn’t be worth the expense of having a qualified person straighten it, I don’t believe. You can replace the bow. As has been said, there are many good beginner bows for under $100. I like the Chinese carbon fiber bows. Or you can keep your current bent bow and live with it. My recommendation is to buy a straight bow so that you don’t have any handicaps to begin with.
If you need even more choices, you have the option of holding the fiddle on your lap instead of under your chin. I play the fiddle this way for slow tunes, as I find it very relaxing to hold, and it is much easier to get a good vibrato. However, I haven’t found this method very good for fast tunes. I suspect that there are many good reasons why the violin is traditionally held under the chin.
Oh, well, by now I’ve gone ahead and gotten an “incredibow.” It’s a lot lighter than my other bent one, and I’ve found I like that.