I recently bought a graphite "Diamond" Coda Bow and am very pleased with its response and durablity. It has survived accidental drops, a dip in a glass of cola and last night, it brought a black widow spider to the ground and saved two of us from being bitten. I think I paid about $800 for it.
Spend as much as you can. Never underestimate the value to your playing of a good bow. If you own an expensive fiddle and can't afford a decent bow, flog the fiddle for a cheaper one and spend the difference on a bow.
If you've got a fine fiddle a you're happy with it, by all means hold on to it and save for a good bow because, it is true, the music is in the bow and the bowing.
i have a coda bow classic and it is wonderful. with these composite bows you dont have surprises. they are very consistent and reliable. another very good , and cheap bow, thought not as good as the coda, is the"incredibow". you can get one for less than 130 usd, and has many advantages, first of all the quick response and the very powerful sound. try it
The quality of a bow has a big effect on tone. I have used a nice German pernambuco bow for years, but I have been playing a Coda Diamond GX bow for over six months and it’s a massive improvement. As well as being quite undemanding to use, it makes producing a nice tone much easier. A friend of mine has an Arcus bow (which I spent a few days trying out) and I’m considering buying one, because I find it even better than the Coda Diamond GX. Arcus bows are lighter than conventional bows and I find it moves even easier in the hand and seems to reduce tiredness in the right arm. (Coda bows are made in the U.S.A., and Arcus are made in Austria.)
And Arcus bows start at 600 euros (around £520) & can be got here: http://www.soundpost.co.uk/Arcus.html
(The Bow Shop also sells Arcus bows, but they’re more expensive.)
I’ve heard people say good things about Artuim carbon fibre bows, developed by violin maker Martin McClean from Northern Ireland, though I’ve never tried one. It costs £360 sterling (around 415 euros.) Here’s the link: http://www.irishfiddles.com/bows.html
If you have loads of money perhaps pernambuco bows are best (as some people insist), though many, many professional classical players are now using carbon fibre bows. But I think that if you have a relatively limited budget then you can get a much better carbon fibre for your money than by going with pernambuco.
There seems to be some very well thought out engineering in the upper end cf bows, the Arcus in particular. Arcus, for instance, make the valid point that the traditional design of bow was intended for what today would be relatively quiet instruments - gut strung - which worked fine for the acoustic requirements of the period. Then Tourte came along at the beginning of the 19th century and redesigned the bow to cope with the louder music of Beethoven and everyone since. These are the bows we use today. Now Arcus has done some subtle redesigning using carbon fiber to cope with the demands of today's synthetic and metal cored strings, strings which the Tourte wasn't really designed for (they weren't around in Tourte's day, anyway). Arcus claim that their bows can provide the articulation with modern strings that Mozart would have been used to with his pre-Tourte bow; it's often not realised that a Mozart concerto is unexpectedly difficult to play with a modern Tourte bow because it doesn't articulate in the same way - and Arcus are remedying this deficiency. This would obviously apply to other fiddle music of the period, including ITM which derives from the 18th century and earlier.
Historically, bow design has always been driven by top executants of the instrument who would want a bow that behaved in a certain way to enable their latest bit of virtuosity. They'd then go to a bow-maker who would design a bow to meet the player's requirements. That's how the bow has changed over the last 400 years from the Baroque design (several of them), through the "transitional" bow of the late 18th century (Mozart would have used one), to the Tourte bow of the early 19th century which is still with us, and to the continuing development today of bows using new technology and materials and applying detailed scientific and mathematical analysis to get the optimum results (Coda and Arcus, for example).
I think we can expect to see in the future bows using even more interesting materials such as nano carbon fibres, or wood bows with a non-wood insert. Don't forget also that carbon fibre acoustic violins and cellos are now being made and used professionally, especially in the USA.
ChipZ if you get to try an Incredibow and like the idea, we have some in stock here in the UK at £89.99 including tracked next-day delivery (tracked airmail to EU - 3 days - is £94.17).
I know not everyone loves them but a lot of users bought them as second bows and have ended up using them at sessions etc.
We decided not to do the wilder colours as there are just too many, but the basic "no-frills" version above is cheaper and quicker than getting it from the US site, plus we've already paid duty (approx 18%) on them.
I've had a go on the Arcus ones and they are really nice - I wouldn't claim the Incredibow is as nice as those but if you get the chance to try one and like it, then please get in touch!
I see that Arcus has brought out its new M-series bows (based on their Veloce and Allegro bows). The upshot is that the price for an Arcus bow now starts at 450 euros.
look: http://www.ardistribution.co.uk/pages/violin.html
As to how much you should expect to spend on a bow, I’m not convinced that spending a fortune on a fine classical bow is really necessary. Many professional players of Irish music have bows that cost a fortune, excellently balanced, with perfect spring, etc., but they don’t hold the bow where the bow is perfectly balanced (sometimes 4 inches from the frog), so why spend a fortune on a bow that is made for the agility and complex bow techniques of classical violin? If a bow gives a nice tone and plays fairly easily then it’s probably well suited for the traditional fiddler. I shouldn’t think that its really necessary to spend much over 1000 euros for a fiddler (at least if you going with carbon fibre). (I’ve decided to buy an Arcus bow for around that figure.) And the Coda Diamond NX bow only costs £230 sterling (around 265 euros).
That said, many of the carbon fibre bows in this price-range get very high praise from classical musicians, so they are themselves fine classical bows!
Interesting comment in the ardistribution web page:
"If you send an email and don't get a reply, it might be because we haven't received it. Our email provider has started to practice "grey listing" - in simple terms it means we sometimes don't receive emails from certain domains."
This might explain some of the difficulties that can arise in trying to contact a retailer or manufacturer.
new bow!
new bow!
hey, just wondering where would be a good place to buy a new bow for a fiddle in Ireland? How much should you spend for a good bow?
Thanks!
# Posted on June 7th 2009 by ChipZ
Re: new bow!
I recently bought a graphite "Diamond" Coda Bow and am very pleased with its response and durablity. It has survived accidental drops, a dip in a glass of cola and last night, it brought a black widow spider to the ground and saved two of us from being bitten. I think I paid about $800 for it.
# Posted on June 7th 2009 by Leendah
Re: new bow!
http://www.beatley.ie/
# Posted on June 7th 2009 by Keith Dubinsky
Re: new bow!
Leendah- that's an amazing story! Sounds like Indiana Jones. Does the bow come with arrows?
# Posted on June 7th 2009 by Here Lyeth
Re: new bow!
I have a Coda Bow Classic. Love it. Paid about $700.00 for it. Far superior to all the wood bows I tried in that price rance.
Mary
# Posted on June 7th 2009 by Antikhntr
Re: new bow!
www.bowshop.co.uk/ does a range of carbon fibre bows at realistic prices. I know a number of people who have bought from him and are well satisfied.
# Posted on June 7th 2009 by deeor
New Member
I am talltorpedo, a new member here, and I just wanted to say hello.
# Posted on June 7th 2009 by talltorpedo
Re: new bow!
Spend as much as you can. Never underestimate the value to your playing of a good bow. If you own an expensive fiddle and can't afford a decent bow, flog the fiddle for a cheaper one and spend the difference on a bow.
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by ...
Re: new bow!
If you've got a fine fiddle a you're happy with it, by all means hold on to it and save for a good bow because, it is true, the music is in the bow and the bowing.
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by leoj
Re: new bow!
Hi talltorpedo and welcome.
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by Henk Bos
Re: new bow!
No. Some of the music is in the bow and the bowing, but a heck of a lot of it is in the fingers.
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by ...
Re: new bow!
Fingers are important, too.
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by leoj
Re: new bow!
I hope you are paying attention here talltorpedo. Fingers and bows... mark my words.
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by Jams_O'Donnell
Re: new bow!
yes you're right llig, I've had the same fingers for many years now and very satisfied with them
Mary
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by Antikhntr
Re: new bow!
Whatever you do, don't sell you fingers!
It's OK to lend them out, however.
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by leoj
Re: new bow!
i have a coda bow classic and it is wonderful. with these composite bows you dont have surprises. they are very consistent and reliable. another very good , and cheap bow, thought not as good as the coda, is the"incredibow". you can get one for less than 130 usd, and has many advantages, first of all the quick response and the very powerful sound. try it
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by fiddlemax
Re: new bow!
http://www.webercharcoalbbq.com/item_name_Fiddle-Bow-Cheese-Knife_item_5970.html
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by Red Robin
Re: new bow!
joking aside http://www.westcountryviolins.com/web_pages/stock_106.htm
# Posted on June 8th 2009 by Red Robin
Re: new bow!
The quality of a bow has a big effect on tone. I have used a nice German pernambuco bow for years, but I have been playing a Coda Diamond GX bow for over six months and it’s a massive improvement. As well as being quite undemanding to use, it makes producing a nice tone much easier. A friend of mine has an Arcus bow (which I spent a few days trying out) and I’m considering buying one, because I find it even better than the Coda Diamond GX. Arcus bows are lighter than conventional bows and I find it moves even easier in the hand and seems to reduce tiredness in the right arm. (Coda bows are made in the U.S.A., and Arcus are made in Austria.)
Here’s Arcus’s website, with detailed descriptions of their innovations and how their bows avoid some of the problems of conventional bows:
http://www.arcus-bow.de/english/01e_welcome.htm
And here’s Coda’s website:
http://www.codabow.com
The Coda Diamond GX bow is about £450 sterling, about 520 euros.
Coda bows are available here:
http://www.bowshop.co.uk/Carbon%20Fiber.html
And Arcus bows start at 600 euros (around £520) & can be got here:
http://www.soundpost.co.uk/Arcus.html
(The Bow Shop also sells Arcus bows, but they’re more expensive.)
I’ve heard people say good things about Artuim carbon fibre bows, developed by violin maker Martin McClean from Northern Ireland, though I’ve never tried one. It costs £360 sterling (around 415 euros.) Here’s the link:
http://www.irishfiddles.com/bows.html
If you have loads of money perhaps pernambuco bows are best (as some people insist), though many, many professional classical players are now using carbon fibre bows. But I think that if you have a relatively limited budget then you can get a much better carbon fibre for your money than by going with pernambuco.
# Posted on June 9th 2009 by klhsadhfahslkdfhsalk
Re: new bow!
There seems to be some very well thought out engineering in the upper end cf bows, the Arcus in particular. Arcus, for instance, make the valid point that the traditional design of bow was intended for what today would be relatively quiet instruments - gut strung - which worked fine for the acoustic requirements of the period. Then Tourte came along at the beginning of the 19th century and redesigned the bow to cope with the louder music of Beethoven and everyone since. These are the bows we use today. Now Arcus has done some subtle redesigning using carbon fiber to cope with the demands of today's synthetic and metal cored strings, strings which the Tourte wasn't really designed for (they weren't around in Tourte's day, anyway). Arcus claim that their bows can provide the articulation with modern strings that Mozart would have been used to with his pre-Tourte bow; it's often not realised that a Mozart concerto is unexpectedly difficult to play with a modern Tourte bow because it doesn't articulate in the same way - and Arcus are remedying this deficiency. This would obviously apply to other fiddle music of the period, including ITM which derives from the 18th century and earlier.
Historically, bow design has always been driven by top executants of the instrument who would want a bow that behaved in a certain way to enable their latest bit of virtuosity. They'd then go to a bow-maker who would design a bow to meet the player's requirements. That's how the bow has changed over the last 400 years from the Baroque design (several of them), through the "transitional" bow of the late 18th century (Mozart would have used one), to the Tourte bow of the early 19th century which is still with us, and to the continuing development today of bows using new technology and materials and applying detailed scientific and mathematical analysis to get the optimum results (Coda and Arcus, for example).
I think we can expect to see in the future bows using even more interesting materials such as nano carbon fibres, or wood bows with a non-wood insert. Don't forget also that carbon fibre acoustic violins and cellos are now being made and used professionally, especially in the USA.
# Posted on June 9th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: new bow!
I'm also considering an Arcus bow and currently have a coda classic. Anyone have one?
# Posted on June 9th 2009 by leoj
Re: new bow!
Just a thought - as a rule of thumb, the carbon-fibre equivalent of a reasonable wooden bow is "about" half the price.
# Posted on June 9th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: new bow!
Hi all,
ChipZ if you get to try an Incredibow and like the idea, we have some in stock here in the UK at £89.99 including tracked next-day delivery (tracked airmail to EU - 3 days - is £94.17).
I know not everyone loves them but a lot of users bought them as second bows and have ended up using them at sessions etc.
We decided not to do the wilder colours as there are just too many, but the basic "no-frills" version above is cheaper and quicker than getting it from the US site, plus we've already paid duty (approx 18%) on them.
I've had a go on the Arcus ones and they are really nice - I wouldn't claim the Incredibow is as nice as those but if you get the chance to try one and like it, then please get in touch!
# Posted on June 9th 2009 by Mark Harmer
Re: new bow! How Much to Spend?
I see that Arcus has brought out its new M-series bows (based on their Veloce and Allegro bows). The upshot is that the price for an Arcus bow now starts at 450 euros.
look: http://www.ardistribution.co.uk/pages/violin.html
As to how much you should expect to spend on a bow, I’m not convinced that spending a fortune on a fine classical bow is really necessary. Many professional players of Irish music have bows that cost a fortune, excellently balanced, with perfect spring, etc., but they don’t hold the bow where the bow is perfectly balanced (sometimes 4 inches from the frog), so why spend a fortune on a bow that is made for the agility and complex bow techniques of classical violin? If a bow gives a nice tone and plays fairly easily then it’s probably well suited for the traditional fiddler. I shouldn’t think that its really necessary to spend much over 1000 euros for a fiddler (at least if you going with carbon fibre). (I’ve decided to buy an Arcus bow for around that figure.) And the Coda Diamond NX bow only costs £230 sterling (around 265 euros).
# Posted on June 10th 2009 by klhsadhfahslkdfhsalk
Re: new bow!
That said, many of the carbon fibre bows in this price-range get very high praise from classical musicians, so they are themselves fine classical bows!
# Posted on June 10th 2009 by klhsadhfahslkdfhsalk
Re: new bow!
Interesting comment in the ardistribution web page:
"If you send an email and don't get a reply, it might be because we haven't received it. Our email provider has started to practice "grey listing" - in simple terms it means we sometimes don't receive emails from certain domains."
This might explain some of the difficulties that can arise in trying to contact a retailer or manufacturer.
# Posted on June 10th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: new bow!
For a description of how grey listing works see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greylisting
# Posted on June 11th 2009 by Trevor Jennings
Re: new bow!
Fixing the above dead links for getting Arcus or Coda bows in England:
http://www.bowshop.co.uk/
http://www.soundpost.co.uk/bows/bows.html
# Posted on November 18th 2010 by ed_boot