Which is more important: a bow, or a violin?

April 16, 2015 at 04:19 PM · I have been looking into getting a new violin before I go on to collage, however I was recently given the idea that it may be wise to split my money between a violin, and a bow. Right now I am considering an unknown violin for around two thousand dollars and another violin for about thirty five hundred dollars. The more expensive instrument is most definitely a nicer violin, but I am wondering if I should go with the less expensive instrument, and use the saved money to buy a nice wooden bow. My teacher has said that a more expensive bow cam improve my bow arm overtime, and I am just looking for some other opinions. I have tried nicer bows, and while there is a large difference in sound, I am unable to notice any large difference in ease of play. So can a bow help my technique over time, and should I split my money?

Replies (3)

Mary Ellen Goree

April 16, 2015 at 04:55 PM · I'm not a huge fan of Codabows in general, but I do advise my students that if their bow budget is under $1000, they are likely to find a better bow among the high end carbon fiber models. (I really like my JonPaul Avanti, about $750.) A good quality pernambuco bow will be in the thousands.

Regarding the rest of your question, it's impossible to answer without actually seeing and playing on the violins in question as well as your current bow.

Mary Ellen Goree

April 16, 2015 at 05:16 PM · Holy smokes, DON'T LEAVE A VIOLIN IN A PARKED CAR. The heat in a parked car should never be an issue.

Lydia Leong

April 16, 2015 at 05:25 PM · You can probably trade in the Coda, so the delta to a slightly more expensive CF bow might not be huge; it might well be worthwhile. (I also have a JonPaul Avanti.)

If your teacher thinks you would benefit from a better bow, I'd take their advice.

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Which is more important: a bow, or a violin?

Replies (3)

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