Why do I need more than one bow? If one looks at the inside of most all the orchestral string instrument cases (other than the double bass), they will find that there are places to secure more than one bow. Clearly, if this is an amenity that is offered in nearly all cases, there has been a need established by the consumer. Which, leads us to the question: why do I...
Read More
One of the most common “simple” repairs that comes through my shop is a broken tip plate. The tip plate is the part of your bow that covers the wood of the bottom face around the tip mortice, and the very tip of the bow. The material from which this piece is constructed, will typically be: plastic, bone, ivory (elephant on very old bows, fossilized mastodon tusk on...
Read More
This might seem like a very basic question, that does not warrant much of an answer, but it is actually a very good question, with a lot of facets in which most people would not think to consider when looking at this piece of leather wrapped around the stick of their bow. Clearly, by name alone, the primary purpose of this part is quite obvious, it helps you to hold...
Read More
I know, lapping sounds like something that a runner does in a race, but it is also the name given for the wrapping of usually either some kind of metal, plastic, bone, wood, or silk around the shaft of the bow, starting just after the frog. Traditionally, the lapping will start, just after the most forward position of the frog, and continue for three inches up the...
Read More
This is one of my most commonly asked questions, and something that most string players don’t know much about, other than possibly that their bow hair comes from either Mongolia or Siberia. Most all of the finest horse hair used for rehairing the bows of the string family will originate from Mongolia and Siberia, with some good hair (and some specialty colors)...
Read More
This is one of the most commonly asked questions that I encounter from my students, other professionals, and from my clients. As we practice and perform on a nearly daily basis, we do not notice the degradation of the hair every time we pick up the bow, but with every use, the hair will stretch, and will lose some of its ability to properly grip the string,...
Read More