With a decent bass bow in hand, a player can unlock their full potential on the instrument. A poor-quality bow will not only make it harder to execute a player’s preferred bowing technique, but it can also prevent the instrument from sounding its best. So, it’s important to select a bow that feels comfortable and produces a sound that is true to the instrument.
To help you select the best string bass bows for your needs, here are our top picks.
Our Editor’s Best String Bass Bows Reviews
- The bow stick is made from high quality Brazilwood, and the bow is made from genuine Mongolian horse tail hair. It is a very good combination to produce a great tone.
- The bow is a full size 3/4 upright double bass bow, straight and good balance
- The stick is decorated with abalone and pearl inlay, and the frog is made of ebony with built-in genuine horsehair. It is a beautiful and elegant accessory for any double bass player.
- Equipped with AAA grade Mongolian horsehair, it ensures a rich and resonant sound, perfect for achieving professional-quality tones.
- The bow features an ebony frog with fine inlay, adding a touch of sophistication and enhancing the bow's visual appeal.
- German-style upright double bass bow, crafted with a Brazilwood stick for precise control and optimal sound quality.
- The ebony frog and natural horse hair on this 3/4 size bass bow provide a comfortable playing experience and rich, resonant tones.
- The shell inlay detail adds a touch of elegance to this 3/4 upright bass bow, ideal for any serious musician looking to make a statement.
- Well-balanced and responsive, this WUQIMUSC bass bow is perfect for solo performances, orchestral work, or studio recordings.
- With its exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail, this 3/4 upright bass bow is a must-have for any serious bassist or collector.
- FOR ADVANCED PLAYER - The Brazilwood German bass bow is made by experienced bowmaker, delivering you deep and powerful sound. A high cost-performance bow for high level players.
- BRAZILWOOD - The upright double bass bow has well-selected Brazilwood stick in round shape, air dried more than eight years with great wooden bow hand feeling. The full sized bow is approx.145g and 76cm including 6cm screw.
- NATURAL HORSEHAIR - For the advanced wooden bass arch, we use unbleached Mongolian horsehair, making it have great resilience, easier to be rosined. VINGOBOW has no special requirements in rosin brand, just select your own favorite rosin for it.
- GOOD BALANCE POINT - Great balance point enables players easier to control a German bow. Our maker always adjusts it for several times to ensure its point is in the right range.
- HANDMADE - The Vingobow Advanced Level Brazilwood German Bass Bow is totally made with traditional handcraft skills. Straight stick, clean work, ready to play.
- Flexes Thumb: A bent yet flexible thumb is critical for full tone production. Thumb has options, depending on hand size, to curl comfortably into the loop of the elephant's trunk or puffed cheek.
- Relaxes Hand: Softly rounds index and middle fingers over the chubby body of the elephant opens to prevent tension in the hand.
- Positions Index Finger: Making direct contact with the bow stick between the first and second knuckles, the index finger correctly to rest on bow stick.
- Universal Fit: This accessory will help form a relaxed and effective bow hold for beginning cellists and cellists, age 4 thru adult, needing to relax or support a correct bow hold.
- High-grade workmanship: The bass case shell material is made of high-density polyurethane foam, the exterior material is made of rugged 600D nylon raincoat,Very durable and waterproof
- Large space: The upright bass bow case inside can accommodate two bass bows, thus freeing the hands
- Internal protection: The interior is lined with soft material to protect your bow from scratches, while the reinforcement provides additional protection against impact
- Easy to carry: Removable and adjustable shoulder strap for easy carrying and storage of your bow
- The bow case has backstraps and handles, which can be carried by shoulder or carried by hand to find the most suitable way for oneself
- D97 Original Materials-- The Deerseeker Flemish bowstring is made from one of the best D97 fibers. It's well known for its long-lasting performance and durability. It's often used in an archery tournament. It supports quick arrow flight, absorbs vibration, and is perfect for long bow and recurve bow shooting or bow hunting activities.
- Hand-twisted string- The Flemish bowstring is hand-twisted, less stretching, and durable, compatible with the max draw weight from 60 lbs to 80 lbs. Pretty good for the traditional bow 3D target shooting, and outdoor hunting.
- Features-- Made from 16 strands, the thickness of the center serving place is 2.84mm, perfect for the arrow nocking—various colors for your option, Browngrey, and Red lack.
- Consistency Length-- Different string sizes ready for you, AMO length- 54"." 8"0"2"4"6" 8"8". If your bow is a longbow, the actual string should be 3 inches shorter than the AMO size, for a recurve bow, the actual length is 4 inches shorter than the AMO size. Kindly specify it, please. If your bow is 62" long, please order it from the AMO length.
- 100% customer satisfaction service-- Deerseeker team provides Top-quality customer service. For any quality problems, we'll take full responsibility and do a free guarantee when you have any quality issues.
- Ernie Ball Bass Slinkys are played by legendary bands around the world including Tool, Rage Against the Machine, Zac Brown Band, Green Day, and Avenged Sevenfold
- Regular Slinky’s 50-to-105 gauge is one of the most popular 4-string bass gauges
- Rich, balanced tone
- Element Shield Packaging prolongs string life and keeps strings as fresh as the day they were made
- Made in California, USA with the freshest and finest materials
- GREAT FOR ALL PLAYERS - The bass bow is made by experienced bowmaker, delivers you nice sound. A high cost-performance bow for all level players.
- BRAZILWOOD - The Vingobow French bass bow has Brazilwood stick in octagonal shape with great wooden bow hand feeling, air dried more than five years. The 4/4 sized upright double bass bow is approx.150g and 72.5cm including screw.
- NATURAL HORSEHAIR - We use unbleached Mongolian horsehair for the bass arch, making it to have great resilience, easier to be rosined.
- GOOD BALANCE POINT - Great balance point makes a bow easier to control. Our maker always adjusts it for several times to ensure its point is in the right range.
- HANDMADE - The Vingobow Student Brazilwood French bass bow is totally made with traditional handcraft. Straight stick, clean work, ready to play.
- Less dust, made of natural resin as rows material to reduce harm to human health, safe and non-toxic
- Excellent sensitivity, can make the instrument sound sensitive while playing, reduce noise to create a more beautiful movement
- Strong adhesion, rub the bow hair once, lasting playing time is twice as long as ordinary rosin
- Upscale material, Has the advantages of low dust and rich viscosity, make your instrument more sensitive pronunciation and outstanding tone
- Suitable for variety of string music instrument on different occasion, for Violin Cello Viola Bows
Best String Bass Bows Buying Guide
Before choosing the best string bass bow you should consider following options:
1. Quality of the Bow: The quality of the bow is the most important factor to consider when choosing a bass bow.
The quality of the bow is determined by the materials used to produce the bow and the craftsmanship that goes into making it.
The most common materials used to make bass bows are either birch or bamboo. Both materials are strong and have good tonal qualities when used to make a bow.
It is preferable to have a bass bow made with a combination of birch and bamboo. This will give the bow a good attack and tone.
The quality of the materials and craftsmanship of the bow will determine the overall quality and price of the bow.
Low quality bows made with poor materials will be much cheaper than a good quality bow made with premium materials.
2. Balance and Weight of the Bow: Each bass bow has a unique balance and weight that the player must get used to.
The balance and weight of the bow will change from player to player depending on their grip and strength.
The player must find a bow that has a good balance and weight for their body size and playing style.
A bass bow that is either too light or too heavy will cause the player to tire much quicker and not perform at their best.
A bass bow that has too much weight will cause the player to hold the bow in a cocked position which will not allow the strings to be played with the proper sound production.
A bass bow that is too light will cause the player to over exert themselves and tire quickly.
3. Bow Grip: The bow grip is very important when playing the bass. The player must have a good quality, proper fitting bow grip when playing the bass.
A poor fitting or poor quality bow grip will cause the player to over exert themselves, tire quickly, and not produce a quality sound.
The bow grip should fit the player’s hand like a glove. It should not be too loose or too tight.
The leather should be smooth and supple and not too hard or too soft. If the leather is too hard, it will cause the player to tire quickly. If the leather is too soft, it will cause the player to over exert themselves and cause fatigue.
The bow grip should also be in good condition and should be replaced when it deteriorates.
4. The Length of the Bow: The length of the bow is another important factor to consider when buying a bass bow. A bass bow should be from 45 to 60 centimeters in length.
A bass bow that is too short will cause the player to over exert themselves and tire quickly. A bass bow that is too long will cause the player to hold the bow in a cocked position which will not allow the strings to be played with the proper sound production.
When an upright bassist is shopping for a bass bow they will have to take into account their height and arm length. If the bow is too long for the player, their arm will not be in a proper angle and they will over exert themselves.
If the bow is too short for the player, their arm will be in a cocked position which will cause them to over exert themselves and not produce a quality sound when playing the bass.
What else you should know about string bass bows
1) What are the best string bass bows?
There are many different types of string bass bows, so it really depends on what you are looking for. For example, if you are looking for a bow that is lightweight and easy to maneuver, then a carbon fiber bow might be a good option. If you are looking for a bow that has a lot of power and projection, then a brazilwood bow might be a better choice. Ultimately, it is up to the player to decide what type of bow works best for them.
2) What are the differences between string bass bows?
There are several different types of string bass bows, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. The most common types of bows are the French bow, German bow, and English bow.
The French bow is the most popular type of bow for string bass. It is lightweight and well-balanced, making it easy to control. French bows also have a softer, more mellow sound than other types of bows.
The German bow is heavier than the French bow and is often considered more difficult to control. German bows produce a brighter, more powerful sound than French bows.
The English bow is the heaviest type of bow and is very difficult to control. English bows produce a very loud, powerful sound.
3) What are the best materials for string bass bows?
There is no definitive answer to this question as different players have different preferences. Some common materials used for string bass bows include brazilwood, fiberglass, and carbon fiber.
4) How should I care for my string bass bow?
The first thing you should do is rosin your bow. You do this by rubbing the rosin onto the horsehair of the bow. Be sure to do this evenly. You should also check to see if the bow needs to be rehaired. You can do this by looking at the horsehair. If it is fraying or thin, it needs to be replaced.
5) How often should I replace my string bass bow?
The frequency with which you should replace your string bass bow depends on how often you play and how well you take care of it. Generally, you should replace your bow every 1-2 years if you play regularly.
Conclusion
On the market, there are numerous best string bass bows. Hopefully, the list of the top ten best string bass bows will save you time researching and deciding on the best one for you.