Time For A New Bow?

Unsatisfied with your bow?

Buying a new one is not always the answer.

A little TLC may go a long way towards making it a more suitable tool. Very often, inexpensive bows are not given the proper care and attention to balancing when they are first made. Particularly, those entry level bows advancing musicians sometimes find themselves stuck with for years after they are no longer suitable for their level.

Specifically, they are balanced in the shops mathematically - balanced originally as a product of an equation.

I prefer a more organic approach. These equations are good, but tell you very little of how the bow actually responds in action.

When I balance a bow, I take it a step further by personally putting it through its paces as a performer. This requires both adding, removing, and shifting weight around the handle end of the stick. I write these measurements down, make the required alterations, sometimes by using lead tape (enough of which is then removed by weight for replacement by the leather thumb grip) and finish the bow to a tenth of a gram of the intended result. Moreover, you can simultaneously customize the aesthetic of your bow. Another plus is you can feel the vibration and response of the stick through the silk.

Here are some silks I have available, including tinsel, and some finished examples.

This is just one of the services I can provide, broken down into three parts.

Silk winding in two tones: 75.00.
Three tones: 105.00.
Grip: 25.00 - 30.00.
Balancing (only with some combination of these other services): 100.00.

Tinsel, nickel silver, and sterling silver are also available for the same application and may be more appropriate for your bow, with pricing given as determined. Silk is beautiful but a heavier material may indeed be necessary. The balancing is the magic here.

Other adjustments and repairs might also be necessary and can include rehair, a new tip plate, straightening, cambering, etc. 

Having said all that, you can put lipstick on a pig but that won't ever make it kosher; there is simply no substitute for a superior tool.

At a certain point, you have to determine if its cost effective to make these repairs, and we’re here to provide the information and expertise to make that educated decision easy, fun, and personalized.