Need help deciding

March 6, 2010 at 2:45 PM

I've recently embarked on a bow hunt. I have luckily managed to narrow it down to two bows with very distinct, different qualities. Which do you think I should choose?

David H. Forbes (VSA award-winning): Warm, rich, powerful, bold, better craftsmanship of bow, lacks clarity in acoustically-dry areas

P. Fracalossi-Brasil (Arcos Brasil): Clear, articulate, warm, softer and lighter stick

If I used vowels to describe the sounds, the Forbes would be an "O" and the Fracalossi an "A"

From Tom Holzman
Posted on March 7, 2010 at 7:40 PM

A very interesting choice. Have you had someone play your violin with the two bows so you can hear what they sound like when you are playing for others? If you have not, that might give you some more information. Otherwise, it is difficult to advise you. Try to figure out which characteristics are most important to you. Can you afford something more expensive that would give you some combination of each bow's good points? Good luck!

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