Hello

I thought I'd treat myself to a new bow, I am thinking of spending about £250, does anyone know of any good makes in that price range.

Thank you

Violin mad person

I don't know but if you go to your local shop and take your violin you can try them and see which one you like.

Yes its best to try a selection in your price range. Different bows suit different people and different instruments.

They may let you bring a few home on approval to try for a week or so, that's the best way if you can. You might also like to try a carbon fibre one too.

My bow is a black fibreglass one and it's great! It's below your price range though-i think it was £100

Different bows suit different people so really you do need to try them. For example, the Glasser carbongraphite bows (at about half your budget) are probably impossible to beat at anywhere near your budget if the weight suits (I had to go up to £1800 to find one I liked better and have heard one teacher say that he prefers his Glasser to his W.E. Hill bow which is £4000 worth) but some people just don't like them. I love them but then I can do spicatto with anything. We find a lot of our customers go for lightweight Chinese bows which bounce very easily but feel rather like tothpicks to me Then to complicate things further, the same bow can sound different on different violins. You see it is a really personal thing. So see if you can get some to try.

A local shop is a possibility of course. Another option is to find a nice online retailer who will send you a selection on approval. Not that I could possibly suggest anyone

Liz

It does depend a good deal on the player: I am one of those who can't cope with a heavy bow, so some bows that others find very good are way too heavy for me. However I can recommend you try out the Glasser bows as the lighter ones are great (and the heavier ones too, if that suits you!) Definitely worth trying to get some to try on approval.

Photos of bows including the Finkel Atelier type that Viohazard has. The size and shape of your hands, your particular violin, and the way you play will all influence your choice, and Viohazard has been very happy with his chioce

For a bow over GBP100, I can't think of any reason to look at glass fibre bows, but carbon fibre is a whole 'nother story, so please *do* consider them. If Viohazard wins a bikini contest or something and buys a second bow, I'm sure it will be a carbon fibre one (they are not so common in Japan, or we would have considered them when buying his first bow).

I assumed violinandpianogurl meant carbonfibre - no fibreglass bow that I have ever heard of is that expensive.


Bikini contest? Um .....

Yes...just wanted to tactfully make sure that people realized they weren't the same thing!

Hi all

Thanks for all the advice, I think I'll go to a violin shop and try out a few. My current bow cost £75, I need a spare and thought I'd treat myself

Thanks again
Violin mad person

Hi

Just have to mention the Glasser braided carbon bow I bought a few months ago from Liz. It`s far superior to the glass fiber bow that I started with last year and better than the much more expensive carbon bow I tried recently.

I don`t think you will find anything better around your price range. The weight of the Glasser is 60g and the balance point is perfect at 9 1/2 inches. Both these measurements are given as ideal in articles I have read.

Of course all this is subjective and you really need to try as many bows as possible. I`m sure Liz would be happy to send you one for a week or two to compare against any others you may try. Please let us know what what bow you eventually decide upon. Good luck in your search.

P.S. Think these start at £175.

I probably did. I don't actually know-that's just what my teacher called it.

I also have a Glasser braided carbon bow purchased from a nice online dealer and it is fantastic. I was fortunate enough to be gifted a 'cocker' and two old permanbuco bows (all worth a lot more than I paid for the Glasser - thanks to a great discount from that nice online store...which you all know). The Glasser is better than all of those and braid looks pretty good too. But as Liz says some people just don't like bows that are not wood.

Regards
Jon

The good violin shops will let you take up to 3 bows home with you to try them out in a more relaxed setting and spend more time over your decision. If you haven't got a good violin shop nearby it may actually be worth making the journey to one. Then you could send the other 2 back without havin to make another journey, and send a cheque for the one you want.

Violinia