A Word About Bows
If you want to buy the best French bow, be prepared to spend a lot of money. The best of the German and Swiss makers, however, can still be had for much less. That makes an older German bow a tremendously good value in the market today. Many a concert artist has had a fine German bow in his case. Jascha Heifetz and Fritz Kreisler used Pfretzschner and Nürnberger bows.
“These German bow makers—and many others—left legacies of great bows that have long been considered a great unrecognized resource. Major orchestral musicians, including those who already owned the best French bows, needed no persuasion to purchase a German bow.” Phillip Kass, Strings Magazine, “Why Fine German Bows Are Such a Bargain”
Rudolf Neudörfer Violin Bow
circa 1980’s. $1850
Stamped: *NEUDORFER* on player side, SWISS MADE inverted on inverse
This is a beautifully made Swiss violin bow from the Acclaimed Finkel Workshop, c.1980’s by Rudolf Neudörfer. Neudörfer came from a long line of German bow and instrument makers. He learned his bow making in the state-run Violin Making School in Luby and worked at the Cremona cooperative for string instruments until 1964. He did an apprenticeship in bow making in Bubenreuth at the Seifert shop (1968-1973) and went to Switzerland to work for Johannes Finkel in 1983 to 1986. In the 1980’s he won several prizes at competitions at the Violin Society of America and in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he won a gold medal for his violin bows.
The bow is pernambuco wood with sterling silver mounts and is in round section with the distinctive Finkel tip. The fully-lined ebony frog is accented with a single mother-of-pearl eyes and a mother-of-pearl slide. A leather thumb grip on the silver winding and a three-piece silver and ebony adjuster complete the bow. Weight fully haired 61.7 grams.
Lothar Seifert 4/4 Bow
Mid- 20th century. $1500
Stamped: *LOTHARSEIFERT* on the player side, and GERMANY on the heel of the stick
From the respected shop of Lothar Seifert in Bubenreuth, Germany. A beautiful example of a quality Seifert bow. Silver mounted, Round pernambuco stick. Seifert bows are handcrafted from wood that has been dried in the Seifert workshop for a minimum of 20 years. As all Seifert bows are made by hand, each bow is unique. The Seifert workshop was founded in 1932 by Oskar Seifert.
According to the book “German Bow Makers,” Lothar Seifert was born in 1932, and apprenticed as a bow maker under his father, Oskar. He continued to work in the workshop until his father’s death in 1976, at which point he assumed management of the firm which he continues to run.
Johannes Finkel Swiss violin bow
$1300
Stamped: DOM. ADAM on player side, ‘SWISS MADE’ inverted on inverse, with unique “blind-eye frog and slide.
Swiss made pernambuco bow, round stick, sterling silver mounted frog, silver tip and wrapping. Selected fine stick. 61 grams
The Swiss Johannes Finkel workshops have a long standing reputation for high quality bows made with only the finest materials and the same attention to detail as fine Swiss watches. FINKEL- bows have been used by musicians since 1868. Johannes Finkel is the fourth generation of the Finkel & Weidhaas bowmaking family. This model bearing the “DOM. ADAM” imprint is distinct in the unique styling of the blind- eye frog and sterling sliver tip, and pays homage to the early 19th century French bow maker, Dominic Adam.
Léon Jolly
French Trade Violin Bow, $1250
Branded Léon Jolly. Most likely from the Mirecourt workshop of Marc Laberte in the 1930’s. The bow is pernambuco, round, with a fully-lined single mother-of-pearl eye frog. The bow has silver winding and a leather thumb grip to The end screw is a solid cap and the bow is recently re-haired and in good condition. Laberte employed hundreds of violin and bow makers like Léon Jolly, including several skilled luthiers that went on to attain personal success The firm produced high-quality instruments and bows for players from the student to professional level.
Pfretzschner Workshop Violin Bow
Markneukirchen circa 1930 – $1200
Branded: “HR PFRETZSCHNER” on player’s side, Frog stamped with insignia on player’s side, “GERMANY” on bottom flat
This is a fine bow made in the Pfretzschner family firm’s Markneukirchen workshop. The bow is in excellent condition. The frog is Parisian eye bearing the Pfretzschner imprint, the head, frog, and end screw are typical Pfretzschner modeling, Pfretzschner is one of the most prevalent names in German instrument and bow making. The Pfretzschner luthier family can be traced back to the early 1700s in Markneukirchen, one of the important centers of German violin and bow making. Weight fully haired 60.0 grams.
German Violin Bow
Markneukirchen School c.1930’s $650.00
A quality pernambuco stick nickel-silver mounted, with distinctive shield frog in the style of bows from the Hornsteiner workshops. Markneukirchen in Saxony is the home of many of the most famous names in German bow making. These famous workshops supplied bows for violin makers and shops around Europe. Many bows, were left unstamped so that the receiving shop could apply their own brand. Not all shops applied their own brands and so large numbers of these superb bows remained unstamped.
C. Santos, Brazilian bow
Joao Neiva, c.1960’s. $500
Very strong 4/4 Pernambuco wood bow, nickel-mounted, with distinctive blind-eye frog. Santos most likely came from the prestigious ATELIER CASARA in the Brazilian bow making center of Joao Neiva. His bows are deceptively responsive and are a favorite backup bows of many professional violinists who know and admire fine craftsmanship.
Brazilian Pernambuco wood 4/4 Bow
Unmarked, $475
Nickel silver mounted on a hexagonal stick. Very fine condition and a responsive strong bow.
This unstamped Brazilian bow is most likely from the workshop of L’Archet Brazil /Arcos. They started as a company in 1995, when Celso De Mello observed a need for higher standards in the bow market. Arcos Brasil has been able to produce reasonably priced student bows of remarkable excellence. They have formed partnerships with other companies and the local government on projects for music and environmental education and are avid supporters of all preservation efforts of our natural resources, especially fighting the illicit trade of Pernambuco Wood.
Of note is their commitment to the preservation of Pernambuco Wood Since its inception, Arcos Brasil has planted thousands of trees on their own private land, and distributed over 100 thousand seedlinggs to Indigenous tribes in Brazil.
Conrad Götz *
Germany, circa 1970 $450
Frog stamped with cursive insignia on player’s side, GERMANY- stamped butt end
The G. A. Götz jr. company is still operating today. It began 130 years ago by the current owner’s great grandfather Conrad August Götz. This bow is in very good condition. The bow is from the mid 1960’s. It is pernambuco, octagonal section, and mounted in nickel silver fittings. The stick is strong/firm with a blind eye frog bearing the Gotz imprint. with a three-piece end screw in octagonal section. The bow has a balance point in the middle to lower half. Weight fully haired 60.4 grams
German Workshop Bow
Repaired Pernambuco stick, no markings $300
A very good quality unmarked bow with all the earmarks of Markneukirchen craftsmanship. This was obviously a quality bow worthy of repairing the once-broken tip with a finely crafted splice which actually has strengthened the bow beyond its original limits. An opportunity to own a quality bow at an affordable price.
Hybrid Bows
Carbon fiber core wrapped with pernambuco wood. $200
These bows are an amazing discovery and highly recommended for emerging players wanting to up their game. They are a hybrid of carbon fiber wrapped in natural pernambuco wood providing both strength and warmth of tone.. They are surprisingly responsive, with the touch and feel of a high-end French bow but at an affordable price. A great step to improved technique and control. A personal favorite backup bow in my fiddle case and highly recommended.
S. Eastman Student Bow
Brazilwood Chinese 4/4 bow Stamped S. EASTMAN $125
In spite of all the prejudices surrounding Chinese violins and bows, this is actually a very good quality and decent playing stick for an emerging player. A product of Eastman Strings, founded in 1992 by Qian Ni, an accomplished flutist from Beijing, after graduating from the Boston University School of Music. He opened his master workshop in the mold of master German luthier workshops. Situated in the outskirts of Beijing, The top two luthiers he worked with then are still managing the string shops today.