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Contents:
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Bow Observations p. 2
Physical Aspects
Bows are physical objects. By measuring and looking at them we can screen bows for ones that will
likely work, assess their quality apart from trying to play them, and attempt to match them to particular
levels and kinds of play. Aspects include weight, balance, stiffness, and quality of construction.
Weight, Balance, and Stiffness
Players pay too much attention to weight. Probably because weighing a bow is easy. When I actually
weigh bows people bring in I often find them surprised that their “heavy” bow isn’t heavy - just has a
further out balance point. Balance is the key. I measure from the leading edge of the frog when the
hair is slack. The overall range of weight and balance generally considered appropriate are as
follows:
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Generally the mid point seems best. I tend to like violin bows around 61 g with a balance point
at 185 mm, with bows out to 195 mm playing fine for me. Heavy bows tend to be powerful but
difficult to handle. Some big boned players like them. They’re often popular with fiddlers
because they play without adding any force with the hand. Light bows are a delight, but most
are quite soft playing. I don’t see weight and balance really impacting tone directly.
Stiffness is another matter. Stiffness usually gets stuck in generalities. I measure stiffness with
a gauge marketed by Stroup. The gauge gives deflections in thousands of an inch for a given
force. This is very accurate and provides a quick indication of the likely use for a bow. I list
the stiffness for the better bows and can measure the stiffness of other bows on request.
260 to 310: Stiff orchestral bows that handle hard playing without bottoming out. Suitable for
relatively flat-arch, dark sounding violins.
310 to 340: Solo bows giving smooth sound with less percussive effect, usually giving crisp
spicatto. These bows tend to be highly versatile, handling hard playing and more nuanced soft
work.
330-380: Forgiving bows generally liked by advanced students and amateur players, giving
smooth and easy performance for relaxed players. Comfortable. Also used by some soloists,
especially for earlier classical music. These bows are especially nice for responsive, high-
arched, brilliant violins with a relatively thin tone.
380 to 420: Intermediate student bows, easy to play undemanding music, forgiving.
420 to 450: Playable by a beginner or very sensitive players.
Over 450: Often too soft, but some surprisingly good with a delicate touch.
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Part 3: Materials
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