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Bow Observations

Stephen K. Perry 2010 Gianna Violins www.giannaviolins.com 866 884 6 46 mail!giannaviolins.com "he #ow ma$es an incre%i#le %i&&erence in ease o& play an% tone pro%'ce%. "he #est are ma%e o& a rare (ra)ilian woo%* pernam#'co. +ith growing scarcity o& this woo% an% the a%vances o& technology* other materials are coming to the attention o& players incl'%ing other woo%s an% a #a&&ling range o& car#on composite materials. ,or o'r #etter #ows* we provi%e the weight* #alance point* an% a physical meas're o& sti&&ness -%e&lection.. "hese parameters help remote shoppers compare the #ows. /ne o& the things we %o that isn0t common is to meas're the sti&&ness o& #ows we stoc$. 1 caveat2 3'ite so&t #ows o& very high 3'ality can &eel sti&& 4 they ta$e less &orce to pro%'ce e3'ivalent level o& so'n%. ('t sti&&ness still gives a very goo% in%icator o& which #ows to try &or a partic'lar 'se.

Instrument Violin Viola 9ello (ass

Weight 46 g 66 7 56 g 56 7 8 g 11 7 1 0 g

Balance (frog) 1504200 mm 160 7 20 mm 1 0 7 160 mm 100 7 1: mm

Balance (end) 6 7 10. 8 8. 7 10.5 8 8 7 6. 8

Typical weights and balance points Violin bow weight +eights cl'ster aro'n% 61 g. (ows 'n%er 5 g generally prove a #it light to han%le well* an% those over 6: g really &eel weighty. Perhaps a ;stan%ar%8 meas're wo'l% #e 61. g. "he act'al weight is only part o& what contri#'tes to the #ow0s &eel. "he #alance point ma$es a great %i&&erence in the apparent weight. <any players pay &ar too m'ch attention to weight. Balance Players ten% to %evelop a pre&erence &or #alance. +e provi%e 2 #alance point meas'rements. ,irst* the %istance ahea% o& the &rog in it0s most loose position* 's'ally aro'n% 160 mm. Secon%* the %istance ahea% o& the en% o& the stic$* given in inches. 9lassical players seem to li$e #alance points aro'n% 18 7 160 mm -6. 8.. (ows o't to even 200 mm -10. 8. play well &or many players. Sti&& #ows that are a #it tip heavy play power&'lly an% &eel goo%* #'t many prove tiring &or lighter players. ,i%%lers ten% to li$e them. =ight #ows can prove a %elight* #'t most are 3'ite so&t playing. Stiffness +e meas're sti&&ness with a ga'ge in%icating %e&lection in tho'san%ths o& an inch. "his is 3'ite acc'rate an% provi%es a 3'ic$ in%ication o& #ow characteristics. >o'gh characteristics o& #ows o& vario's sti&&ness2 260 to 3102 Sti&& orchestral #ows that han%le har% playing witho't #ottoming o't. S'ita#le &or relatively &lat4arch* %ar$ so'n%ing violins. 310 to 340: Soloist #ows giving smooth so'n% with less perc'ssive e&&ect* 's'ally giving crisp spicatto. "hese #ows ten% to #e highly versatile* han%ling har% playing an% more n'ance% so&t wor$. 330-380: ,orgiving #ows generally li$e% #y a%vance% st'%ents an% amate'r players* giving smooth

an% easy per&ormance &or rela?e% players. 9om&orta#le. 1lso 'se% #y some soloists* especially &or earlier classical m'sic. "hese #ows are especially nice &or responsive* high4arche%* #rilliant violins with a relatively thin tone. 380 to 420: @nterme%iate st'%ent #ows* easy to play 'n%eman%ing m'sic* &orgiving. 420 to 4502 Playa#le #y a #eginner or very sensitive players. Over 450: /&ten too so&t* #'t some s'rprisingly goo% with a %elicate to'ch. General Bow Information Terms Stick A the woo% or composite itsel& Head A the &ar en% o& the #ow Frog 4 the moving e#ony part Head plate or facing 4 's'ally #one cover at the #ottom o& the hea%* generally line% with e#ony Button, adjuster or tip 4 the a%B'ster that moves the &rog Eye 4 %ecorative inlay 's'ally o& mother o& pearl on the si%es o& the &rog or en% o& tip Mortise 4 holes carve% in hea% an% &rog to hol% hairC also hole allowing eyelet to reach sha&t Plug 4 maple #loc$ we%ge% into mortise to hol% hair in place Slide 4 mova#le cover over mortise an% hair in &rog Ferrule 4 D section metal #an% over en% o& &rog edge 4 thin woo% piece sprea%ing an% hol%ing hair across &err'le !ining 4 metal on &rog. Eal& line% &rogs have only the contact s'r&ace with the stic$ &ace% with metal. ,'lly line% &rogs have metal contin'ing &rom the sli%e aro'n% the #ac$ o& the &rog Eyelet 4 screws into &rog an% hol%s the &rog to the stic$ #y engaging sha&t in stic$ mortise Shaft 4 threa%e% steel ro% e?ten%ing &rom tip into #o%y o& stic$ an% engaging eyelet to hol% an% a%B'st &rog rap 4 silver or other wire* threa%* leather* or imitation whale#one g'ar%ing the stic$ &rom the &ingers "rip 4 the thic$er leather swell the th'm# ri%es against a%Bacent to the &rog eight 4 in grams* o& the entire #ow generally

Balance point 4 meas're% several ways* in this shop #y mm ahea% o& the hair4e%ge o& the &rog Stiffness 4 resistance to &le?ing* in this shop meas're% with a Stro'p sti&&ness ga'ge* in 'nits o& tho'san%s o& an inch Bow stick materials <o%ern #ow stic$s are ma%e o& vario's $in%s o& woo%* composite materials* an% even com#inations. "he &inest stic$s are o& pernam#'co 4 a re%%ish woo% &rom (ra)il also re&erre% to as Pa'4(ra)il. /ther woo%s 'se% incl'%e woo%s similar to or in&erior gra%es o& pernam#'co loosely terme% ;#ra)ilwoo%*8 sna$ewoo% an% a range o& somewhat mysterio's 1sian woo%s. Pernam#'co itsel& varies in 3'ality. Straight grain an% high %ensity are the most %esira#le. "he #est woo% sin$s in water. /n the other han%* more poro's woo% o&ten has great elasticity* a goo% thing. "here is some %e#ate a#o't the importance o& totally straight grain* the presence o& waves in the grain* an% the orientation o& the ann'lar rings. 1n i%eal wo'l% #e totally straight grain with the ann'lar rings pointing to the string in playing position. Eowever* rather nice playing stic$s o&ten e?hi#it &laws in the woo% an% orientation. "he most important aspect is li$ely how the ma$er compensates &or minor &laws. +oo% ten%s to #rea$ perpen%ic'lar to the ann'lar rings* so the most serio's &law in orientation is having the ann'lar rings r'nning 'p an% %own the hea%. "he hea% will #rea$ easily 'n%er these circ'mstances. rog ,rogs are generally ma%e o& e#ony. @vory* imitation ivory* #one* &ossil* horn* tortoise* an% pro#a#ly other things have #een 'se%. "he material matters less than the constr'ction. F?cept that some e?otic materials shatter rather easily* something to $eep in min% when shopping an% playing. 1 &air amo'nt o& machine an% han% wor$ goes into even a simple &rog. "he 3'ality o& materials* %esign* an% constr'ction all play into whether a &rog is e&&ective or not. "he &rog swells at the #ottom to accommo%ate the sli%e an% hair* an% possi#ly to a%% a little mass. "he sli%e nee%s to &it &irmly* #'t still move o't o& the way &or rehairing. "he &err'le sho'l% #e cleanly ma%e an% &it well. Very important2 the &rog nee%s to seat well on the stic$ witho't wo##le. ,rogs may #e either hal& line% or &'lly line%. "he lining re&ers to metal aro'n% the perimeter o& the &rog. ,'lly line% &rogs have metal on the #ottom an% #ac$ o& the &rog along the center line. +hile &'lly line% &rogs are s'ppose% to #e #etter* we %on0t see any pro#lem really with hal& line% &rogs. "he lining a%%s mass* which can #e 'se&'l in #alancing a #ow* an% loo$s great. +e %on0t recommen% plastic &rogs. ittings <'ch is ma%e o& the material &ittings are ma%e o&. Plate% cheap steel lies at the #ottom* han%cra&te% gol% at the top. "he highest level &rogs an% &ittings are o&ten ma%e #y the #owma$er &or a partic'lar #ow. <ost #ows come with &rogs an% &ittings either entirely or partially ma%e #y specialist pro%'cers. Playing characteristics aren0t in&l'ence% #y the origin* #'t as with instr'ments themselves* the aesthetic characteristics imparte% #y a s$ille% artisan with a goo% eye are worth something. ,ittings m'st &it. Gn#spC1n% stay attache%. "hat0s a#o't it &or &itting &'nctional 3'ality. @& yo'0re e?amining a #ow* loo$ &or the &it an% &inish o& the &ittings as well as the material. Some wor$ on cheap #ows is s'rprisingly cr'%e on close e?amination. !air Virt'ally all #ows are str'ng with vario's 3'alities o& horse tail hair. Eair is allege% to come &rom Si#eria* <ongolia* <anch'ria* Polan%* an% 1rgentina. Stallion hair &rom Si#eria has #een to'te% as the #est. @ have no i%ea i& any o& this is tr'e. @t may all come &rom a &ew sorting ho'ses in northern 9hina &or all @ $nowH Players an% #ow ma$ers pre&er straight hair with reg'lar str'ct're. Violin players li$e very white hair while #ass an% cello players pre&er coarse #lac$ hair. /thers 'se a mi?. +e only see hair a&ter large amo'nts o& sorting an% have no i%ea whether there0s an inherent correlation o& color an% te?t're. Some hair is apparently #leache%. @ can0t imagine #leach %oes hair any goo%.

<ost hair comes &rom sla'ghter ho'ses. "he hair is cleane% with mil% soap or %etergents then %resse% &or 'se in vario's pro%'cts. Dressing involves gathering* sorting #y length* an% eval'ating the consistency o& the #'n%le. "he #etter the %ressing an% the more times %resse% the more consistent the hair is an% the #etter it wor$s on a #ow. <ost #owma$ers &'rther sort the hair. "he amo'nt an% criteria &or this &inal %ressing are very personal. +e simply p'll o't hairs that are too &at* too thin* or $in$y. (owhair wor$s #y hol%ing rosin. "he rosin particles stic$ %irectly to the hair material an% %on0t re3'ire a%hesion to the scales o& the hair. Players tal$ a#o't 0#ite0 4 a com#ination o& the hair itsel& an% o& rosin characteristics. Players sometimes %estroy #ite in hair. +e0re not s're how this happens. 9o'l% #e %amage to the hair itsel& or contamination. <ay#e they r'# the scales %own or 'se a terri#le rosin. Dirt an% oil are the real enemies o& #ow hair. (ro$en hairs* which generally occ'r on the playing e%ge o& the hair ri##on* are the #ow0s enemy* lea%ing to warping. Dirty hair can #e cleane% a co'ple o& times #e&ore rehairing* #'t thin hair calls &or prompt action. 1 compromise e?ists in the amo'nt o& hair on a #ow. "he #est tone comes &rom the least hair &easi#le &or a #ow. "oo m'ch hair %ea%ens the so'n% an% over%rives the stic$. +e li$e to have the amo'nt o& hair that gives a#o't 0. mm stretch when the #ow is tightene% s'&&iciently &or goo% playing.

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