Hi everyone!

I'm currently looking at buying a new violin bow. Have tried out a number of different bows and currently have 5 bows on approval (between ?140-340) and will get my teacher to take a look at my next lesson. There's a definite difference between the bows, and it just figures that the one I have a marked preference for is also the most expensive!

So am trying to decide between getting a cheaper bow (that is almost certainly adequate for my current playing standard of around Grade 5), or a more expensive bow that I prefer and that should last me for a while longer. Any advice anyone?

And also - is it worth getting insurance?

(My violin is a Zeller that I'm still quite happy with, though will probably look to upgrade sometime next year...)

Items below ?500 are almost certainly covered on your home insurance, those under ?1500 are usually covered. What you have to watch out for it cover outside the home, in a locked vehicle and particularly in concert venues. My viola is currently covered for all risks in all places unless I'm at a concert. Presumably it is not covered if it's under my chair while I watch a concert either! Check any policies you already have before springing for something new. If you go for the expensive end insurance may be worth it, but then how much is it and what is the excess? If you have to pay ?100 towards any claim and the insurance costs you ?80 then you are well on your way to just paying for even the more expensive bows.

If you are happy (ish!) to pay for the one you really want then get it because you will constantly be frustrated by the ones you don't like. If you are having to compromise too much to get a cheaper one then look at a wider selection - it may not necessarily be that you need an expensive one, just that out of that particular batch you need the expensive one. Then again there is something to be said for buying in the moment. You don't know how your technique will change and develop as you grow with your instrument, and perhaps change instruments to one which likes a different bow. I've had my current "best" viola bow since 1993 and thought I had entirely forgotten how to play. This morning I decided to find out how "bad" my ?12 student violin bow is to see if it's worth recommending to a student that she get one instead of her ultra-cheap outfit bow. I'm amazed! I always like a heavy bow, concrete blocks in it if possible. The lightness of this violin bow astounded me and suddenly I can play this piece that has been getting me down for months. You really cannot plan for the future, I don't think, you can't buy an instrument that will last forever and it is perfect because it has room for growth, it's a little like buying an adult dress for a small child now and keeping it ready for her for the next 12 years - will she fit it when she's 18? Probably not, you have no idea what size and shape of 18 year old she is going to be. Buy for the moment with a little growing room for the immediate future and sadly there is never an end in sight to the changing of violins, bows and cases. Fun, though!

Problem with using household insurance for instruments is that in the event of damage, they will only pay for repair to be done, and will not compensate you for any resulting decrease in the value of the repaired instrument. .
Another problem might be that they could insist on the instrument being repaired cheaply by "the music shop down the road" and not be prepared to pay the higher cost of a specialist.

I insured both my violins through New Moon insurance. I found them to be well priced and they've had some good reviews from others on the forum.

I've just been trying out bows on approval too - I live far from a suitable shop so I had a selection of four sent by courier.

Have you tried a 'blind' test? I laid the bows out on a table and tried them one by one without knowing which maker they were or how much they cost. I did this several times and two really stood out. Out of those two I liked them both but was veering towards one that I just loved - it made my viola sound amazing and was so sensitive that I felt my playing had suddenly improved!!! I did the blind test again with the same result and then asked my non-musical hubby to listen to the final two. He not only picked out the one I also like but even used the same descriptive word to describe it.

Ironically it was the cheapest of the four!! I'm rather annoyed in a way because I was my budget was considerably more and I almost 'wanted' a more expensive bow but I'm rather blown away by the improvement this bow has on the subtleties of my playing - it's extended my dynamic range hugely and makes the tone of my viola sound even better!!

So I have bought this bow because it really suits me. RoseRodent is right though that playing changes as time goes by so one bow at the moment might be something you want to up-grade or change out in a year, or two, or whenever. So yes it might be worth trying a wider selection comfortably within your price range, or purchase the more expensive one that you like at the moment and perhaps you could trade it in if you ever felt like a further change or have changed instrument.

As for insurance I have specific instrument insurance because I feel it covers the situations specific to musicians and I need to know my instruments are protected. I didn't bother with my beginner instruments but now that my instruments are into four figures I feel it's necessary. I will also add my new bow to my current policy. My insurance came with Smartwater identification as an extra security against my viola being stolen.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

An update - I played a bit more yesterday with the bows I had and decided that I actually had a preference for two of them - one a slightly heavier one that gives a much nicer sound, but that is harder to spiccato with, and the other a lighter one that was a joy to use and amazing to spiccato with, but gave a lesser sound. At my lesson today my teacher tried out the five bows I had "blind", on both my violin and hers, and afterwards agreed with me on the two that I had a preference for!

Given that of the two, one was ?150 and the other was ?340, I ended up going for the ?150 one...

So am probably going to pass on the insurance for the moment - thanks for advice on insurance though - will probably start looking into that when I upgrade my violin (soon - next year? I feel like I've done enough decision making and a bit too much playing in strings shops for now...).