So, you’re ready to upgrade your bow? That’s exciting! And maybe you really don’t know what you are doing; depending upon a shopkeeper or friends to help you, and that’s okay. However, sometimes listening to people describe the process of going through bow trials and purchasing can seem a bit like the “Emperor’s New Clothes.” What I mean is that with all things musical, we don’t necessarily view, have knowledge of, or hear the same characteristics as others; especially if you’re less experienced.
When I was thirteen, I went with my parents to a large music store to+ purchase a cello and bow. We found a fine little German cello. I had the choice between two bows, the “heavier” one and the “lighter” one. My violin-playing sister said she prefers heavier bows and so we bought that. I got exactly the quality we asked for which was sufficient for my needs at the time.
Fast forward, as an adult, I upgraded my instrument and sold my German cello to buy a bow to match. Taking suggestions from my wonderful luthier, I ordered some bows from different sources and had them sent to me. I still didn’t know what I was doing exactly or what I was looking for. So I had an equally wonderful orchestra pro-cellist help me pick a bow out of my line-up and it turned out to be a success! We found a bow that had great characteristics overall.
Again, I was looking for a second bow to replace a backup bow that wasn’t doing it’s job and the whole bow-selection process clicked for me this time while I was functioning on my own. I understood what I was looking for and I had a plan this time. Thus, I’ll share my experience!
My excellent bow that came from a reputable bow maker has been a blessing! It literally saved my hand/wrist from tendinitis due to overcompensation. When I visited with Hannah Alkire from Acoustic Eidolon (she has Dungey Cello 112, and I have 113) I had an opportunity to try out one of her bows and came to a realization that my current bow was missing some characteristics that her bow had. When I sat down and analyzed the difference, I realized that my current bow had a great bite and brought out a superb tone in my instrument, but it was a little unwieldy. Her bow made sautille’ and spiccato effortless! At the time, this bow technique was my biggest and longest lasting challenge and I was shocked to see the difference a bow could make! Shout out to Mr. Paul Katz who has a wonderful technique video on sautille’ and spiccato bowing on CelloBello. Check it out!
Moving forward, I took down the name of Hannah’s bow maker and had friends who own a local violin/music shop order some trial bows from this individual. The following is my process and I walked away very pleased with my selection:
Do some homework. Check out websites, ask colleagues, teachers, and other experts for some advice on where to purchase bows and which bowmakers would be worthwhile to check into.
Know your budget. Only trial bows within your budget.
Make a plan. Analyze the characteristics you would like in a bow. For me, I was looking for better control, specifically sautille’ and spiccato, without sacrificing tone in other areas. A good general criteria to be looking for is tone quality, ease, does it compliment what you do well, does it assist technique that you struggle with? If you are worried about strength or the environment you will be playing in, you might want to check out some synthetic bows.
Some of you may want an older “antique” bow. A lot of people out there have a tendency to think that older instruments and bows are better which isn’t always the case. Also the fact that something is old can push the price beyond the actual worth of the bow when it comes to performance. Expensive can, but doesn’t always equate to better. New, reputable luthiers and bowmakers do a really good job and can often match up to the sound quality of old, venerable instruments and accessories. Don’t rule out trying a new bow.
Do a self analysis for musical passages that contain technique which will demonstrate the bow’s performance. For me, Variations 1, 2, and 7 of Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations and also Popper Etude 27 were all selections I had played and I knew that those passages would expose a potential bow’s sautille'/spiccato response including the often awkward theme of Variation I.
One more word of warning about musical passages: Don’t choose passages that you haven’t played. There cannot be confusion or excessive effort coming from the left hand. It is really easy to confuse certain mistakes and problems in the left hand with the bow arm and vice versa. That said, you can choose passages that you would like to see the bow assist more and even choose passages that you do extremely well to check for unencumbered ease and tone. I would choose a wide variety of passages to really learn the limitations of the bow. From Shostakovitch, to Bach, Tchaikovsky, etudes, and Faure’; let’s see what these bows can do! I had a total of 10 musical selections for trial, but you can adjust to your needs.
Next, I made a graph. I listed the bows on the x axis of the graph and my musical selections on the y axis. Then I systematically went through each bow, including the one I currently owned. I made a brief, written comparison of each bow’s performance. Feel free to go back and retry a certain bow against another. I even added a musical selection that I ruled out earlier. Be mindful during the trial that if you are making mistakes, is it really the fault of the bow or another factor? Are you warmed up? Are the bows sufficiently rosined? Bring your rosin with you; you’ll want to reapply during the trial.
Go ahead and bring a friend, teacher, or colleague to be an objective listener. Utilize their opinion, but don’t let it make or break what feels good to you.
Even within one bow maker and bows that were nearly the same price, I found significant differences. Some bounced nicely, but didn’t pick up the tone of my instrument. Some bounced better than others. One bow not only bounced, but made Bach repetitive bowing a pleasure. This aspect turned out to be important to me as Bach and I have a love/hate relationship. Compare to your current bow. Are there any new bows that do what your current bow won’t do? (You can own two bows and use them for different musical tasks). Is there a bow that has most or all of the characteristics you are wanting? Are you prepared to walk away or try a different shop/maker when the bows don’t match your specifications? Are you being reasonable with your expectations of the bow quality at your budget?
Keep in mind that bows that are made with certain regulated materials like real ivory will be confiscated or provide a paperwork hassle at port of entries if you are planning on leaving the country or flying overseas with your instrument.
Lastly, don’t buy a bow based on looks unless it is a major criteria for you. Remember that all bows look similar from the audience so generally you will be the only one that is aware that your bow has fancy details.
I came away from this last bow buying experience feeling confident that I could describe in detail the characteristics of both of my bows. It’s always important to be able to speak intelligently about the equipment you own and make musical decisions based upon that knowledge. Think, make a plan, listen carefully, be objective, and choose wisely. You won’t be disappointed!