Handmade bows in the French tradition
Historical Bows As big name makers such as Sartory, Peccatte, Tourte, etc. are continually raising in value and are pushed out of the the price range of most working musicians. However, a repaired or incomplete example may be obtained for a fraction of the price. I anticipate that within the next decade we will see …
Over the past few years, I have had the wonderful pleasure of working with Eliot Heaton, Concertmaster of the Michigan Opera Theatre and Des Moines Metro Opera, and his bows. The way that Eliot shapes phases and uses his bow is inspiring to any bow maker and much can be learned from such high caliber musicians. We welcome him here on our blog, sharing some insight on how he draws insight from the human voice to produce thoughtful, vocal-like phrases.
"Bow Bugs" are carpet beetles that find their way into your case. This article describes how to identify and get rid of them.
I have a huge passion for sharing with those working on bows around the world, especially those of atypical countries, and have made a wonderful connection with Jack Estephan of Lebanon. Though his country is in a dire state at the moment, Jack continues to pursue his passions in music. It’s an honor to have an international bow maker featured here sharing his insight on camber.
I've recently had a lot of people show interest in bow making tools. So this article is the start of a short series of an in-depth look at the main tools that bow makers use.
Duncan Harris is a luthier and bow maker based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We welcome him with his first guest article about keeping your strings clean for a better sound.
I recently put together a video where I start a freshly rehaired violin bow with rosin. This article links the video and outlines the process.
The scene is a common one. You go to practice your violin, viola, or cello, all the pegs have slipped and the strings are laying on the fingerboard. You try to tune it up and the bridge is leaning and all crooked, or worse, it just popped off. Now what do we do?
A violin bow was recently brought into the shop for some rehabilitation. Both holes for the screw and button, including the nipple, needed to be bushed and remade. The process is explained in detail here.
Even if we are extremely careful with our stringed instrument, accidents can still happen. The best way to protect the instrument against irreparable damage and high repair or replacement costs is to have an effective insurance policy in place. Purchasing the right insurance for your needs will ensure that these high costs won’t come directly out of your pocket.
