What is the best value viola bow out there.

July 19, 2014 at 05:36 AM · Consider a JonPaul Bravo.

September 23, 2014 at 08:00 AM · I have a 15" Czech Viola, ARS Music, Model 029.

I love it very much !

I bought it direct from the Luthier, Mr. Josef and Jan Holis. Akord Kvint spol, s.r.o.. Good price for such good Quality.

The Case is equipped with a Hygrometer.

The BOW also is very good.

September 23, 2014 at 06:44 PM · Bows are very personal items, what's a good bow for one person may be a terrible bow for another, so there's no such thing as a good cheap bow that everyone would appreciate, the best thing is to try out bows in your price range at several violin shops, and pick the one that you feel suits your style of playing the best, never buy a bow you haven't tried out first(ebay, internet etc)Some bows are cheap because they are brazilwood or Czech etc but play very well, some bows are expensive because they are Pernambuco, French or English etc, but play very poorly, so don't assume bows are priced on playing quality.

In violins and bows alike there are always cheaper instruments that play or sound better than more expensive ones which may have a LABEL!!!! or something that gives them antique "value".

September 24, 2014 at 04:10 PM · If you're a beginner, I'd recommend bringing along a more experienced colleague to play and identify the major traits of individual bows that you try. It will help with your education in learning about the characteristics of the different sticks. The thing, a good player can easily identify a cheap bow that happens to be a fluke...for some reason everything has just come together and despite the cheaper materials and craftsmanship it plays a well as a bow two, three, and more times its selling value. :)

If you're going to buy sight-unseen, even with a generous return policy you'll probably have an easier time finding consistent results with a carbon fiber product. JonPaul Bravo and Matrix models are good suggestions, as are the Codabows. Iesta Musical Instruments GmbH (Germany/China) makes a lovely carbon fiber bow with a pernambuco veneer that is not very expensive, but handles very well and draws a good sound. They offer good "bang for the buck" and I recommend them to students who have to bring them to school since they are so durable.

September 25, 2014 at 12:43 AM · It would be easier to make recommendations if we knew where you are.

September 25, 2014 at 09:26 PM · Lyndon and Gene have given you some good advice. Bows are personal, and you need to try out a bunch of them. I would only buy bows you have tried, and bring along someone more experienced to help you and to play your viola with whatever bows you think are good so that you can hear how they sound to others. Good luck!

November 12, 2014 at 01:32 AM · Has anyone noticed a strange sound in the 1st position on D string when using Coda Diamond SX or GX bows?

I have got both bows for 7 day trial and am using them with master viola made by an esteemed local viola maker.

The sound of D string is completely different than the others and it does not appear to be such (or to the same extent) when using other (wooden) bows.

Strangely enough, a few months ago I gave up on purchasing any of Jay Haide violas after testing them on site using the same type of bow (SX). All of them, no matter of their grade and price, had consistently had a bad sounding D string! At that point in time I did not suspect the bow, but today this seems to be the case. The problem is worse with SX than GX model.

Any feedback is most welcome.

Thanks!

November 12, 2014 at 02:12 AM · To follow up on Michael's question, it may help to know where you are not just geographically but in the kind of equipment you're looking to leave behind you and what your budget might stretch to. To some people, a crummy bow is one made from sagebrush and fishing line. For others, it's a less-than-top-drawer Sartory.

November 12, 2014 at 08:55 AM · Rocky,

I have recently bought a codabow diamond GX violin bow after trying it for a few days. I have to say that I did not notice any of what you are experiencing with the viola bows you are auditioning. The sound certainly improves after the first re-hair. The best one for me however was the Joule as it produced the best sound and also the best spiccato, feeling very even across the whole length. What I didn't like about it was the shape of the frog and I made enquiries whether a GX frog can be substituted without detriment to the balance and behaviour of the bow.

Overall I do like the GX and play it all the time in the orchestra keeping my expensive French bows for solo and chamber music.

November 12, 2014 at 10:14 AM · I recently bought a inexpensive pernambuco bow off of ebay after trying one a colleague purchased. She had me play it for a while, and I really liked it and asked how much she paid for it. When she told me she got it on Ebay for $150. I didn't believe her at first, until she showed me the transaction on her phone. I've since bought two of them one right after the other, they are slightly different, but both are shockingly good. I have owned the Codabow Diamond GX for a year or so, and I love its action and response, but its tone only sounds great on my Guarneri copy. Its tone is too edgy on my other violins. These Chinese pernambuco bows I received are clearly superior to the Coda both in action and tone production. I just purchased a Ming Jiang Zhu Viola (which I adore) last month, and I purchased a pernambuco viola bow from the same ebay dealer from which I purchased the violin bows. Although I know that different players prefer different qualities in a bow, this bow is really amazing, especially considering its $200 price tag. I know that it is best to go to local shops to try bows for yourself, I just thought I'd share my recent serendipitous experiences with you. Good luck!

P.S. here's the links to the bows I spoke of, seller has a 14 return policy -

Viola - http://www.ebay.com/itm/321330640326

Violin - http://www.ebay.com/itm/320613991859?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

November 12, 2014 at 11:11 AM · Have a look at this website

http://www.pandhbowslondon.com/

I bought a P&H carbon fiber violin bow a few weeks ago for UK£99 (~ US$160). I used it last night in an up-to-speed rehearsal of Beethoven #5, and it did everything I wanted - response, tone quality, and projection. Our professional leader is very impressed and is going to get one for himself.

The P&H is a good example of how CF bow technology has progressed over the years, with a significant fall in price but certainly not quality. I would expect the quality of their CF viola and cello bows to be on a par with their violin bows.

November 17, 2014 at 04:52 PM · Thanks Trevor! I will check it out.

Coda Diamond series is definitely not an option for me. Mechanically they work just fine, but the sound is bad, no matter what I do.

April 29, 2015 at 02:23 AM · Trevor, which model of P&H bow do you have? I found the Master Class model for $110 US with no shipping fee.

May 1, 2015 at 04:11 PM · Has anyone tried Presto Carbon Fiber Viola Bow? It's $89 at sharmusic.com which has good reviews. This bow seems like a decent starter bow.

I've had great experiences with CodaBows and I'm wondering which carbon fiber bows (cheaper) I should recommend to my students.

Having a good bow can be so liberating. Hope you find a great one! :)

July 24, 2015 at 06:34 PM · I tried about ten different carbon viola bows under 129€ and the Carbondix came out as the best. In the same sort of trial for violin bows, I returned all of the trial bows because I found that they were too heavy, compared to pernambuco. But for the viola, I don't mind a bit of extra weight, as long as tone quallity is great and I can manage the bow.