Type of Material:
Brazilwood (prices usually seen between $50 and $200); Pernambuco
(priced anywhere from $100 to $10,000 or more); carbon fiber (priced
anywhere between $50 and several thousand dollars); fiberglass (usually
the lowest-priced option).
Sound: Look for
a bow that will give both a smooth, broad sound and at the same time
possesses great clarity of focus and the quickness of response that
comes from a stronger, stiffer bow.
Weight and Balance:
Average bow weights: violin, 60 grams; viola, 70 grams; cello, 80
grams. Look for a bow that feels right in your hand. To test the weight,
pick up a bow and hold it at a 45-degree angle. It should feel natural
in the hand–well balanced from tip to frog with equal weight
throughout.
Shape: Round or
octagonal? With two bows made from the same wood, the octagonal shaft
will be stiffer. Some octagonal bows are quite stiff, creating a hard,
one-dimensional tone, lacking nuance. Some of the German commercial-bow
producers make round and octagonal versions of the same bow, the octagonal
being a bit more expensive. This has added to the myth that octagonal
bows are better.
Price: Establish
a budget, but do expect to look at bows that are a little more expensive.
If you don’t know much about bows, try lots of bows to educate
yourself about what is available.
Test: When you
go bow shopping, be sure and bring your own violin and current bow
with you as a benchmark. Each bow will perform differently on different
instruments; remember that you’re looking for a bow that complements
your violin. I normally show six bows at a time. Once you’ve
chosen one or two from that batch, ask to see some more. Play the
same very brief passage with each bow, one right after another. There’s
a good chance that one or two will stand out.
