for tbone: bowing a bongo

[GreyDad]

Hi tbone,

So I went out and bought a short basic violin bow and had a go using it on my Bongo today. It was interesting, I could get some cool sounds and in particular on the bongo you can bow the harmonics and they come out really well.

However, to get a bow to work it has to be rubbed in rosin, I understand, which was done in the music shop before I left (standard practice for violins etc). Problem is this leaves a sticky white powder all over the bass strings, especially roundwounds! Is this normal? What's the SOP here? I'd like to experiment more but worry my lovely bass will end up a claggy sticky mess and will refuse to function. Just wondered what you do?

Neil

 

[Ken Baker]

Not tbone, but perhaps I can shed some light...

However, to get a bow to work it has to be rubbed in rosin, I understand, which was done in the music shop before I left (standard practice for violins etc). Problem is this leaves a sticky white powder all over the bass strings, especially roundwounds! Is this normal? What's the SOP here? I'd like to experiment more but worry my lovely bass will end up a claggy sticky mess and will refuse to function. Just wondered what you do?

Neil

Rosin is a way of life with players of bowed instruments. It's needed to help the bow hair "grab" the string and make sound. The downside is all the dust, which should be cleaned off the instrument regularly - like after every session.

You don't want to use this with round-wound strings, as a lot of this sticky leftover rosin will get between the windings and deaden the sound for normal electric bass playing. Soaking the strings in naptha (read the label for warnings!) may get the rosin out, but string replacement is probably going to be necessary. There are cleaners designed to remove rosin from viol bodies, which are usually finished with non-poly coatings, but YMMV on the Bongo.

You would likely have better luck with flat-wound strings, which is what upright basses use. You'll still have a mess to clean up, but the strings may live to tell the story.

Finally, there is a lot of difference between a violin bow and a bass bow, and it isn't just the size. The hair of a proper bass bow is coarser, so as to better grab the big strings. The rosin is different as well, with bass rosin being stickier and less dusty.

Hope this helps.

Ken...

 

[GreyDad]

Cheers Ken, that's really helpful - I tried it on a set of old strings so no harm done. I understood the difference between a violin bow and a double bass but didn't want to shell out the extra before I'd had a go playing around (I only bought a cheap kids violin bow to try it 'cos I'm a cheapskate). I didn't realise the rosin was different though, good tip.

I asked tbone about flats vs rounds and we couldn't see that it would make any difference soundwise but the rosin messing up the windings is something to bear in mind!

Maybe this is the point at which I give in to the forum pressure and finally try flats on my bongo...

 

[Manfloozy]

Cheers Ken, that's really helpful - I tried it on a set of old strings so no harm done. I understood the difference between a violin bow and a double bass but didn't want to shell out the extra before I'd had a go playing around (I only bought a cheap kids violin bow to try it 'cos I'm a cheapskate). I didn't realise the rosin was different though, good tip.

I asked tbone about flats vs rounds and we couldn't see that it would make any difference soundwise but the rosin messing up the windings is something to bear in mind!

Maybe this is the point at which I give in to the forum pressure and finally try flats on my bongo...

Do the flats, you'll love them. I can only imagine the type of sound you would get from bowing. What type of position did you use to do it comfortably?

 

[GreyDad]

Well, you can get lots of sustain You can make all sorts of creepy Adams Family sounds that have to be played in minor keys but I only had a go for about half an hour so I'm hardly an expert. Wonder Wipes seemed to do a nice job of cleaning the rosin up afterwards.

I actually found it easier to bow at the neck rather than just in front of the pick up, but the placement affects the tone, of course.

Flats, flats, I suppose I'll have to get flats - I haven't played flats since I was a teenager and that was eons ago.

"And you realise I'll have to buy another bongo for this?" - sorry, just practising the line I'll use on my wife

 

[five7]

Practice makes perfect!

 

[GreyDad]

That applies to everything in life EXCEPT dealing with wives

 

[RocketRalf]

Ken said it all. Try flats and try a bass rosin, it should make less of a mess. A bass bow should be heavier and have more hair, that will help too. And DEFINITELY, UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES clean up the bass after each session. Rosin can be hell!

 

[strummer]

"And you realise I'll have to buy another bongo for this?" - sorry, just practising the line I'll use on my wife

Well, I think piezos might be good for bowing, don't you?

 

[fly]

i use a bow often too and just dial in the wonder wipes as soon as i'm done.......no worries.........

and you do get some great sounds with a bow.......everyone should try it at least once

 

[GreyDad]

Well, I think piezos might be good for bowing, don't you?

Does it have flats on?

 

[GreyDad]

Ken said it all. Try flats and try a bass rosin, it should make less of a mess. A bass bow should be heavier and have more hair, that will help too. And DEFINITELY, UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES clean up the bass after each session. Rosin can be hell!

Will do - thanks for the feedback. I think it has potential and I'd like to see where it can go.

 

[GreyDad]

i use a bow often too and just dial in the wonder wipes as soon as i'm done.......no worries.........

and you do get some great sounds with a bow.......everyone should try it at least once

Yeah, my 10 yr old son was fascinated by it, stole the bow and went off trying it out on his electric, his acoustic, his brother, the cat...

 

[T-bone]

Hey GreyDad,

Sorry, we've been up on Whidbey Island this weekend and are just now returning home.

I think Ken nailed it with his comments. The "dust" bothers me, too, which is why I primarily use the bow on my 30th. I keep rounds on her because that's how B.P. intended that bass to sound, and, as it has been pointed out many times before, real men prefer rounds. The friction of the rounds requires considerably less rosin, so, I really don't experience the "claggy sticky mess."

My buttercream, however, has flats on her. For some reason, the gooey, phat, warm, mwah from flats seems appropriate for a buttercream bass. I find the bow requires considerably more rosin for flats, so, I tend not to use this bass for those songs.

A few other things I've found, and I'm no expert here, is a taught (not sure if this is the correct word) bow makes a big difference. The tighter the better. And of couse, a high quality bow makes a huge difference.

Hope that helps, GreyDad. I'd love to hear samples in the future.

Best......tbone

 

[strummer]

Does it have flats on?

Heh, no, those didn't last long I'm afraid...
The usual Slinkys all the way

 

[GreyDad]

Hey GreyDad,

Sorry, we've been up on Whidbey Island this weekend and are just now returning home.

I think Ken nailed it with his comments. The "dust" bothers me, too, which is why I primarily use the bow on my 30th. I keep rounds on her because that's how B.P. intended that bass to sound, and, as it has been pointed out many times before, real men prefer rounds. The friction of the rounds requires considerably less rosin, so, I really don't experience the "claggy sticky mess."

My buttercream, however, has flats on her. For some reason, the gooey, phat, warm, mwah from flats seems appropriate for a buttercream bass. I find the bow requires considerably more rosin for flats, so, I tend not to use this bass for those songs.

A few other things I've found, and I'm no expert here, is a taught (not sure if this is the correct word) bow makes a big difference. The tighter the better. And of couse, a high quality bow makes a huge difference.

Hope that helps, GreyDad. I'd love to hear samples in the future.

Best......tbone

Hi tbone, thanks for replying. An interesting viewpoint there - use roundwounds because they need *less* rosin than flats. Cool, this panders to my natural roundwound prejudices

I did go out and buy some double bass rosin at lunch today and talked to the guy in the shop about it (a different shop, and he happened to be a double bass player ) The rosin is very different to that for violins, so I hope this will reduce the radioactive fallout all over my precious Bongo.

I discovered double bass bows are *very* expensive, looks like $100+ at least to start whereas I paid about sub-$25 for the starter violin bow. Ah well...

Thanks for the comments, tbone, Ken and everyone, I shall persevere

Neil

 

[GreyDad]

Heh, no, those didn't last long I'm afraid...
The usual Slinkys all the way

whereisitwhereisitwhereisit?

 

[Ken Baker]

The rosin is very different to that for violins, so I hope this will reduce the radioactive fallout all over my precious Bongo.

It'll change it more than anything else. The "dust" will be stickier.

I discovered double bass bows are *very* expensive, looks like $100+ at least to start whereas I paid about sub-$25 for the starter violin bow. Ah well...

For the cost of some bass bows, you could buy a Bongo. Or two.

Ken...

 

[Jazzbassman23]

Have you tried an EBow? I just was given one, and while I can't make any usable sounds with it, I understand there are those who can. It's not really designed to use with a bass, but somebody needs to inform Michael Manring of that fact.

 

[strummer]

whereisitwhereisitwhereisit?

Actually, earlier today I called the post office where I left the package, as it showed no movement at all since I left it there saturday. And a good thing I did too, because they eventually found it, still there, behind some other stuff???
Anyway, that's hopefully sorted, and I think that if you track it it'll show up as leaving Sweden tomorrow. I hope...