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Road Tripping, Bow Tripping

From Emily Grossman
Posted August 24, 2010 at 04:03 PM

Short Summary:

The bad news is, my modern Italian bow caught fire and burned during a rehair mishap a week and a half ago.  The good news is, modern Italian bows gain value in a relatively short time, and with the settlement, I get to shop for a bow worth up to $1500 more than what I paid for the last one.   (Who said appreciation wasn't an important factor to consider?)  With two weeks of wide open schedule to conclude a non-stop rainy summer in Alaska, and in anticipation the long, long winter ahead, what better timing could I have asked for a road trip in the lower 48? 

So, I bought a car on ebay in Connecticut (buy one in CT for $5000, sell in AK for $8000), went shopping in Philly and found a nice Hill bow for $4000 to take with me on trial, and drove out to Tulsa to surprise my folks and spend a week basking in some 100+ degree sunshine.  This Thursday, I would like to take a day trip to a series of good shops to try as many bows in my price range as possible before I tie the knot with this Mr. Hill that I so love.  Question is, which direction do I go?

I found my bow while at a music festival, I bought it from Dan Lawrence based out of Lee's Summit, MO which is near Kansas City, MO. He was very fair and knows his stuff. Might be a place worth stopping in :)

http://www.danlawrenceviolins.com/

I talked with Matt Wyatt today about his bow collection, and he recommended Dan Lawrence as well.  How exciting, looks like I'm taking a trip to Kansas City!

You can't go wrong with a Hill.  Just make sure to get it authenticated by an independent source.  If you don't make up your mind this week, you can always get bows shipped to you.  Your travels sound like a lot of fun, but I don't think I could make a good assessment on the spot.  I need at least a few days to get acclimated to a new bow.

I take them out on trial.  I know what you mean, every bow has its different nuances.  I wan't able to really get into the meat of it until I'd had a good long practice session with it all by myself.

 Emily,

If you are still in Philly, visit Fred Oster. He has a great bow collection. The price is very reasoable. I got a Hill bow for my daughter there. A great bow by all accounts.

I went right to his door last week, only to read a note posted to the door saying that he was gone on vacation and would return the following week.  It was not meant to be...

Here's the update.  I found a pristine Nurnbereger, part of Matt Wyatt's collection in Independence, MO.  It plays absolutely beautifully, and I feel very pleased with this bow, and with the price.  Look him up if you're in the area, as well as Dan Lawrence.  Both shops were incredibly enjoyable.

 Thank you for the tip. If my daughter goes into music, I may have the oppotunity to check them out. She is not encouraged at the job prospec. Getting a job shouldn't feel like a winning a prize as is with musicians according to her.

Emily,

I'm glad you discovered the "value" in old German bows.  I did a rather extensive bow hunt last year and ended up buying a Ludwig Bausch, made in the late 1800's.  In your price range, the old German bows offer an excellent value, and may play as good (better?) than bows that are many times more expensive.  German bows are quite undervalued right now, IMO.

Buy low, sell high.

The best way to get a great bow is accidentally with a second hand violin - I just saw my bow for sale for 3.5K at a reputable dealer :o