Baroque Bows
Baroque Violin and Viola

I make bows based on any surviving early bow, and have examined a few bows that date from the later 17th century. Earlier examples are, however, rare. Please inquire about early bows, as there are many possibilities. I begin here with bows appropriate for later 17th century compositions, and later.
Click on any photo for a larger view.

17th century bow for violin. This is a close copy of an original clip-in model in a private collection, and another very similar stick in Amsterdam. The original bow is English or possibly French. The stick is snakewood; the frog, a dark South American wood. Length, 59-61 cm; weight, 38-42, more for viola. Available only with clip-in frog.

*Note, I now supply several wood and leather pieces carefully cut to evenly increase the tension of clip-in bows, while keeping the hair ribbon flat and even. This essentially solves the issue of hair tension for clip-in bows.

This model is excellent for early to mid 18th century performance. Locatelli used a short bow similar to this his entire career, claiming that he could do anything with this model that others do with a longer bow. The original upon which my copies are based is in the Powerhouse Museum in Queensland, Australia. This example is snakewood with the appropriate clip-in frog. I make these bows with clip-in or screw mechanism for tensioning.

This bow is my personal project, the "Stradivari" bow. Based on original tip and frog templates from the Stradivari collection in Cremona. No original bow survives that has been truly authenticated. (Do not be misled---bows attributed to him are later work.) I make a long sonata bow from snakewood from this pattern; various styles of ornament are available, including: reeding and an ivory button, (not pictured) which looks a little like a screw button, but is ornament only. This model also available with screw tensioning button on request, see lower photo. Weight for violin example between 54 and 56 grams, with clip-in frog or screw adjuster. Unique response, quite flexible with a rich tone.

This is my Stradivari model with fossil ivory button and titanium adjuster. Very similar in weight and balance to the "clip-in" version.

The original model of this bow is in the Paris Conservatory collection. My present understanding is that it is a mid-18th century bow that was modified only a few decades later for a screw mechanism. It may however be an early classical bow, made exactly as it survives today. Has playing qualities similar to "Strad." Weight about 54- 56 grams for violin, a little heavier for viola. A flexible stick with a very rich sound.