Short Guide to the Care and Maintenance of Violin Family Bows
The violin family is a large family. From violins to basses each instrument is carefully and artfully constructed to produce their unique sounds. These instruments call for such attention that we often overlook the other half of the instrument, the bow. The construction and selection of a bow is just as important as the instrument. A poorly constructed bow can make the best instrument sound mediocre, and a well-constructed bow can bring the best sound out of mediocre instrument. The perfect match of bow to instrument is one that will pull out the best sound and feel completely natural in hand. To keep this harmonious balance, it is critical that the bow be well maintained.
There are a few things you can look out for to keep your bow in good playing condition. The most common of which is the hair. Depending on the player it is normally recommended to get your bow rehaired every year, though some players will go through hair much quicker. As the seasons change your bow experiences a lot of fluctuation with the changing humidity. The hair gets longer in the summer with high humidity and shorter in the winter with low humidity. It is common to need a rehair because the hair has either stretched too long and it can’t be tightened any further or it has gotten too short, and it can’t loosen any further. Another common hair issue is when bows get a buildup of rosin over time. The hair will feel stiff, and the bow will produce a harsh, raspy tone. At this point it is time for a rehair and a reassessment of the quantity, age and type of rosin in use.
Another piece of the bow that will wear over time is the grip and wrapping. As the bow is played the players thumb will wear down the thumb leather on the underside of the stick, creating a divot. If the thumb leather is not replaced it’s very common to see the players thumb wear create a hole in the stick itself underneath where the lapping would be. This can cause serious issues in the fit of the frog, cracking of the frogs’ thumb projection over time, and overall damage to the constructional integrity of the bow. To avoid wearing down the stick, replacement of the grip is recommended when it’s worn through.
Like the thumb leather and the hair, the eyelet will wear over time as well. The eyelet is the brass piece that the screw goes through to move the frog back and forth, either tightening or loosening the hair. The eyelet is made out of this soft brass as a safety precaution so that if there is any unnecessary tension on the frog the brass will strip out before anything breaks. As a result, they do wear out with time, occasionally it can be a sign that there are other issues with the bow. With student bows that are produced in mass quantity it is common to see frogs that don’t fit as well, these bows will need replacement eyelets more frequently than other more precisely constructed bows.
There are a few little things you can do to take care of your bow each day. Remember that oils from your hands transfer very easily onto the horsehair, when this happens the slick parts of the bow won’t catch the string and it can be very difficult to rosin over. Avoid touching the hair whenever possible. When you finish playing your bow remember to loosen the hair. If the stick is made out of the traditional Pernambuco or other kind of Brazil wood, it could warp if left tightened too long. Carbon fiber and fiber glass bows are less susceptible to warping but if left tightened repeated it can happen.
The bow connects the player to their instrument. It pulls the sound and is attentive to every little change the player makes. A well-maintained bow can give your playing so much power and dynamic, bringing out the best potential from your instrument. That is why their care and maintenance is so important. If you have any concerns about your bow or it isn’t playing as well as it used to, seek out a shop or local bow maker and get your bow looked over.
