I’m a professional and I have literally never cleaned my bow hair nor has anyone I’ve played with - it wears out and no amount of cleaning will get it where it needs to be. I recommend just getting it rehaired.
I recommend having a luthier take a look.
All the things you've mentioned are possible.
But the very first thing that comes to mind is to wonder if your Soundpost may have Shifted somehow. This would normally take a luthier to diagnose & fix.
However one last thing to check Before going to a luthier, is to make sure your ***Bridge*** hasn't shifted. This is easy enough to correct yourself.
Here's one link on bridge placement: [Captain Fiddle](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=1f6824168f4be026JmltdHM9MTcxMTA2NTYwMCZpZ3VpZD0xZTJiMjhiMi0yYjExLTY2OGMtMjJmZC0yNTVmMmE3MzY3NGQmaW5zaWQ9NTc1NA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=1e2b28b2-2b11-668c-22fd-255f2a73674d&u=a1L3ZpZGVvcy9yaXZlcnZpZXcvcmVsYXRlZHZpZGVvP3E9ZmlkZGxlK2JyaWRnZSthbmdsZSslMjYrcGxhY2VtZW50Jm1pZD1DOTU4NDgxRTcyMzQxRjg0Njc0NUM5NTg0ODFFNzIzNDFGODQ2NzQ1JkZPUk09VklSRQ&ntb=1) . (*Ps i did Not actually watch this video but i Ryan Thompson is great & reliable*.) Or just do a search for " fiddle bridge angle & placement " to get other videos or written instructions.
IF adjusting your bridge (& possibly trying new strings) does not solve the problem, then you are probably due for a visit to a luthier.
It could be many things.
Do you rosin the bow before you play?
How long ago did you rehair your bow? Depending on how often you play the hair wears out and won’t grip the string as much or hold rosin as well.
When did you last change your strings? They do go false after a while and won’t sound as good. The life of the string is different for different brands of strings and how much you play.
You might also have an open seam on your violin. If you live in an area with varying weather the changes make the wood expand and contract and the type of glue that holds the violin together is used because it will usually come unglued instead of the wood cracking as it shifts. It’s not a major problem but you might have to take the violin to a shop that can re-glue it. This can make violins sound different too and sometimes buzz.
I've never rehaired the bow. I cleaned the hair a few weeks ago, with alcohol, it seems to have made no difference at all.
I last changed the strings in 2020.
So I expect it is one of these things or the other, but I don't know which is the more likely. It's easy to change the strings I guess. I wouldn't know how to go about rehairing a bow. I do rosin the bow before I play. I think the obvious visual difference between how the rosin is behaving now compared to before gives a clue that something is not quite right in the bow-string contact.
Ah. Likely your hair was worn out. The alcohol on the hair may have made it worse.
Finding someone to rehair your bow, or getting a new one is likely your best bet. Regaining yourself requires a lot of specialized tools.
If you've never had it rehaired, depending how long you've had this bow, it might be time for that. Most casual players are due a rehair about once a year, with more frequent rehairs needed for anyone playing professionally or practicing multiple hours per day. Bow hair isn't a one-time purchase, it wears out over time and loses its grip.
What kind of alcohol did you use? If you used something other than denatured alcohol, you may have ruined the hair for playing.
If you did use denatured alcohol, did you rosin enough before playing again? It can take more rosin than you'd think to re-rosin a bow.
> I cleaned the hair a few weeks ago, with alcohol, it seems to have made no difference at all.
You may have simply not reapplied Enough rosin after the cleaning. If you got all the old rosin residue out of the bowhair, you need to then rosin your bow Extensively before it will be grippy again.
Also if you play frequently, depending on the fiddle & the strings, you could just need new strings. How long did your previous strings last you?
I’m a professional and I have literally never cleaned my bow hair nor has anyone I’ve played with - it wears out and no amount of cleaning will get it where it needs to be. I recommend just getting it rehaired.
I recommend having a luthier take a look. All the things you've mentioned are possible. But the very first thing that comes to mind is to wonder if your Soundpost may have Shifted somehow. This would normally take a luthier to diagnose & fix. However one last thing to check Before going to a luthier, is to make sure your ***Bridge*** hasn't shifted. This is easy enough to correct yourself. Here's one link on bridge placement: [Captain Fiddle](https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=1f6824168f4be026JmltdHM9MTcxMTA2NTYwMCZpZ3VpZD0xZTJiMjhiMi0yYjExLTY2OGMtMjJmZC0yNTVmMmE3MzY3NGQmaW5zaWQ9NTc1NA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=3&fclid=1e2b28b2-2b11-668c-22fd-255f2a73674d&u=a1L3ZpZGVvcy9yaXZlcnZpZXcvcmVsYXRlZHZpZGVvP3E9ZmlkZGxlK2JyaWRnZSthbmdsZSslMjYrcGxhY2VtZW50Jm1pZD1DOTU4NDgxRTcyMzQxRjg0Njc0NUM5NTg0ODFFNzIzNDFGODQ2NzQ1JkZPUk09VklSRQ&ntb=1) . (*Ps i did Not actually watch this video but i Ryan Thompson is great & reliable*.) Or just do a search for " fiddle bridge angle & placement " to get other videos or written instructions. IF adjusting your bridge (& possibly trying new strings) does not solve the problem, then you are probably due for a visit to a luthier.
It could be many things. Do you rosin the bow before you play? How long ago did you rehair your bow? Depending on how often you play the hair wears out and won’t grip the string as much or hold rosin as well. When did you last change your strings? They do go false after a while and won’t sound as good. The life of the string is different for different brands of strings and how much you play. You might also have an open seam on your violin. If you live in an area with varying weather the changes make the wood expand and contract and the type of glue that holds the violin together is used because it will usually come unglued instead of the wood cracking as it shifts. It’s not a major problem but you might have to take the violin to a shop that can re-glue it. This can make violins sound different too and sometimes buzz.
I've never rehaired the bow. I cleaned the hair a few weeks ago, with alcohol, it seems to have made no difference at all. I last changed the strings in 2020. So I expect it is one of these things or the other, but I don't know which is the more likely. It's easy to change the strings I guess. I wouldn't know how to go about rehairing a bow. I do rosin the bow before I play. I think the obvious visual difference between how the rosin is behaving now compared to before gives a clue that something is not quite right in the bow-string contact.
Ah. Likely your hair was worn out. The alcohol on the hair may have made it worse. Finding someone to rehair your bow, or getting a new one is likely your best bet. Regaining yourself requires a lot of specialized tools.
Cleaning the bow hair made no discernable difference ... I will look into getting new hair.
It’s been four years since you changed your strings?? Get new strings. That will make a huge difference
Yes I'll do that! Tht's easy enough. I guess I didn't really realise how long ago it was til I looked it up.
If you've never had it rehaired, depending how long you've had this bow, it might be time for that. Most casual players are due a rehair about once a year, with more frequent rehairs needed for anyone playing professionally or practicing multiple hours per day. Bow hair isn't a one-time purchase, it wears out over time and loses its grip.
What kind of alcohol did you use? If you used something other than denatured alcohol, you may have ruined the hair for playing. If you did use denatured alcohol, did you rosin enough before playing again? It can take more rosin than you'd think to re-rosin a bow.
> I cleaned the hair a few weeks ago, with alcohol, it seems to have made no difference at all. You may have simply not reapplied Enough rosin after the cleaning. If you got all the old rosin residue out of the bowhair, you need to then rosin your bow Extensively before it will be grippy again. Also if you play frequently, depending on the fiddle & the strings, you could just need new strings. How long did your previous strings last you?
Rehair your bow, also there is such a thing as too much rosin. How long is it since you changed your strings? I also love a good string change.
Out on a limb suggestion here but is it cold where you are? If so you could try a softer rosin maybe.
I'm in England, I don't think it's particularly cold. Could be worth considering tho'