# Violin bows



## Forbes

I just came across a website selling violin bows for 3500€. That prompted me to wonder:

Are there more expensive bows?

How much would a world famous violinist pay for a bow?

How much would a rank and file orchestral violinist be paying for a bow?

What sort of difference is there between a bow costing (a) 50€ (b) 250€ (c) 1000€ (d) 3500€?

If a world famous violinist lost his bow just before a concert and had to borrow a cheap one who would notice?


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## Enthalpy

Are there more expensive ones: yes.
How much: more than 3500€.
Who would notice: most violinists. If hearing him with both bows, definitely. And the one who plays notices, obviously. Plus, a violinist must get accustomed to his bow.

It was fashionable in the last decade for physicists to let a violinist play a good and a bad instrument for 20s each, then ask a random group of listeners which instrument is best, and publish "no difference". That's grotesque. Bowed strings differ hugely, some instruments are good and others are bad, and easily distinguished. But it takes listeners with ears, more than 20s, and the differences must be sought. Even more, some differences are perceived when playing rather than hearing.

What differences between bows is difficult to describe in physical terms, as usual. But not a reason to deny them. How easily it starts and stops jumping, how easily and clearly it starts the sound, and so on. And then, stability over time, which can't be guessed when trying a bow for half a day, but is a big difficulty of bow making.

Pernambucu wood is the standard choice as it enables the standard forming techniques, doesn't rot and is rather stable over time, plus it has good performances, but the source (Brazil) is dried out. Some manufacturers claim success with graphite fibres (as opposed to violins where they fail).


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## Forbes

Informative, thank you.


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