Yes, this is who you think it is still trying bows! i went to buy one from THAT shop but in true turners style they messed me about again so i left the bows there and went... to cardiff violins! and boy are they good to me. I've found 2 lovely bows there, and at great prices.
1 is a Manoel Francisco bow. It's in great condition, well made, beautiful and nice and strong...it's, to me, better than the ?1500 bows i tried at turners - and it's only 875. This puts me off a bit as i want a bow to last me a few years and 875 seems too little but if it does the job..! after a quick google i read great things about this maker, and people are of the opinion that his bows are cheap as he hasnt got the name for himself to be able to charge higher prices but as he become more well known his bows are going to increase in value. apparently! it's lovely anyway.
The other is Alfons Riedl, at ?1000. i'm not as 'excited' about this bow as the Francisco one, but it is very nice. Sometimes i prefer this one, sometime the Francisco!! but its more consistently the cheaper one that iprefer..
Anyone have any opinions or know anything about the makers?
Thanks!

Croeso yn ol.

Sorry - I don't know either maker, but I think the "Name" thing has a lot to answer for when it comes to price. It strikes me that if the maker is developing a name then the cheaper bow might be a better investment as (maybe) it will go up in value. If not, well at least you know a friendly shop where you can trade it in. Soooo glad you went to CV.

Would it be possible to get your teacher's opinion before you have to make up your mind. Obviously it has to be a bow to suit you, but it's nice to get a "professional" opinion too.

I think the things to remember are - the bow has to suit you and your violin; good makers have off days. A good name doesn't always mean a great instrument or bow. Conversely an un-known maker could be producing superb quality, it's just not talked about yet.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice! yes i did think of it as possibly being a good invetment, but thats of course not why i chose it
unfortunately im away from college for 3 weeks now so cant get my teachers opinion but he approved of the ones i had from the other shop and in my opinion these are much better. he also said "whatever you get, it will be a heck of a lot better than what you currently have!" soo true

anyway - if my teacher didnt like it Cardiff Violins would let me exchange it, they are so understanding and accommodating

I have a Francisco bow, which has turned out to be great. I have had mine for around 4 years now.

However, the best advice I can give you is to ignore the price difference and just play them, the one you like best is most likely the one to go for. There are many reasons why newly made bows cost what they do, I would imagine in Brazil where Francisco lives, the materials and wages are far less than they would be in Europe for example, so he can make a quality bow for less.
I would ignore the investment value when you are looking for a good playing bow, you need something that works for you first and foremost! If it eventually goes up in value then that's great, but it wouldn't be one of my top priorities when choosing a bow.

If you are not seeing your teacher for 3 weeks, why not wait and go back for the bows then? Would make sense to get your teachers input first. Always best to look before you leap

Thanks, great to hear youre happy with yours

I wont be able to come back as i'm in college every day and its a long and expensive train journey back t cardiff, and then back to bham!

I have an Alfons Riedl bow which cost me 550gbp. It is a great bow for the money and has served me well although it is now my spare bow.

However with my main bow in for rehair I am using this one at the moment and I still think it is a great bow.

Thanks violin hero!
The Alfons Riedl was a lovely bow but I think I am going to have to go for the Francisco, I was leaning towards it anyway but some unexpected financial worries mean it's all I can afford now anyway!