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Contents
What is the best material for a cello bow?
As time continues to go on, a lot of cello bows are made out of carbon fiber. However, some of the most expensive bows on the market are made with Pernambuco; cello bows that are made with this type of wood are considered the highest quality on the market.
What is a cello bow made of?
Cello Bow Materials
The longest, most substantial portion of the cello bow is called the “stick,” and can be composed of three different materials: pernambuco, a very high grade wood from Brazil, carbon fiber, and Brazilwood, which is a generic term for several types of hardwoods from Brazil.
How do you make a bow for a string instrument?
Cut notches into each end of the cane. Take a few strands of horsehair and stretch them across both ends of the stick. Wrap and tie the ends of the hair through the notched tip. Pulling the loose hair toward the bottom end of the stick, wrap the hair through the notch and around the end and tie it.
What makes a cello bow expensive?
Quality Of The Material Used
The quality of the material was also the main factor that really boosts the price of the most lavish cello and bow in the world. From the article, the makers seem going an extra mile with the material of wood they used to make these instruments.
Can cello be played without bow?
In pizzicato playing, the string is plucked directly with the fingers or thumb rather than being played with the bow. Pizzicato is often abbreviated as “Pizz.”. Position of the hand is slightly over the finger board and away from the bridge.
How heavy should a cello bow be?
Weight and Balance
The average weight of a violin bow is about 60 grams (a viola bow is 70 grams; a cello bow, 80 grams). But remember, this is only an average. Many bows by the great makers of the past weigh as little as 54 grams and yet play beautifully.
How much does the average cello bow cost?
But whether you’re playing the guitar or the cello, the price of a cello bow varies depending on the characteristics like the material, weight, playability, brand, and model. An average cost of a cello bow ranges under $1000.
How many hairs are on a cello bow?
Expensive hair is very consistent in appearance. Have you ever wondered how many hairs are in your bow? Approximately 150 hairs are required for a violin bow. Viola, cello, and bass bows require incrementally more hairs with the bass bow using in excess of 300 hairs.
Are horses killed to make violin bows?
Michael Sowden, who has been in the business for some 40+ years and is probably the best-known supplier of bow hair, has stated that 95% or 98% of hair comes from dead horses which are killed for meat and other products. He has also said that it takes about 5 horse tails to get enough good hair for a violin bow.
Why is horse hair used for bows?
Horsehair absorbs water quickly and this can affect your bow considerably. In different temperature and humidity conditions the hair can react in different ways. At P&H we always use high quality unbleached horsehair to ensure the best sound for our bows.
Is horse hair used for bows?
The bow hair is made of a hank of horsehair. A single violin bow will use between 160 and 180 individual hairs. These hairs are all attached next to each to form a ribbon. Unusually thick hairs and kinked hairs are removed so that only straight hairs are used.
How do you make a diddley bow?
- Step 1: Prepare the Board. • Hammer the nails or screw the screws into each end of the wooden board, raised about 1 inch above the board.
- Step 2: Secure the Wire. • Tie one end of your wire around one nail. …
- Step 3: Place the Can. • …
- Step 4: Secure the Can. • …
- Step 5: Test It Out! •
What is considered the king of instruments?
If you ask a pianist or composer why the piano is called the King of Instruments, there’s a good chance they’ll tell you its because of its incredible tonal range and versatility. The piano covers the full spectrum of tones and notes found in all other orchestra instruments.
How is bow rosin made?
Pine sap is indeed the key ingredient in violin rosin, and it is derived from pines grown for paper pulp on big southern plantations. A mash of pulverized trees and liquid is heated in giant “digesters” that separate the wood fibers from byproducts rich in aromatic compounds known as oleoresins.
Why does my thumb hurt when I play the cello?
A common cause of a sore thumb can be an incorrectly set-up hand and arm position. Remember to drop the left shoulder, bring the wrist forward a little, balance the hand with the thumb placed lightly over two strings avoiding string contact with the nail, and use light arm weight, not pressure.
What is a baroque bow?
Baroque bows generally look straight or bent slightly outwards in the middle, with an elegant “swan-bill” pointed head. Typically made from strong, heavy snakewood, bows of the early 17th century were used to play both violins and violas. They were particularly short and light and well-suited for dance music.
How to draw a Cello – YouTube
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How to Make a Homemade Violin Bow With a Stick | eHow
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- Summary of article content: Articles about How to Make a Homemade Violin Bow With a Stick | eHow Updating …
- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Make a Homemade Violin Bow With a Stick | eHow Updating Many bows in early artistic renderings of stringed instruments appear to have followed a basic pattern. The stick had notches at each end. The ends were connected by a length of horsehair made taught and tied to each. Making a bow requires special skills, experience and specialized tools.
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Turning a Stick into a Violin Bow
Step 1
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Tutorial: How to make your own bow
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- Summary of article content: Articles about Tutorial: How to make your own bow Andreas Grütter shows you how to make your own bow. Fantastic method, very easy and for violin, viola or cello. …
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How To Build A Cello Bow? – Mozart Project
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- Summary of article content: Articles about How To Build A Cello Bow? – Mozart Project The cello bow hair is attached to the frog and the tip of the cello bow stick. 172 to 200 hairs make up the entire body. …
- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How To Build A Cello Bow? – Mozart Project The cello bow hair is attached to the frog and the tip of the cello bow stick. 172 to 200 hairs make up the entire body.
- Table of Contents:
Why Are Cello Bows So Expensive
How Much Does A Bow Cost For A Cello
How Heavy Should A Cello Bow Be
How Is The Bow Made
How Is A Cello Made
What Makes A Cello Bow Expensive
Do Cello Bows Make A Difference
What Makes An Expensive Cello
What Is A Good Bow For Cello
How Do You Buy A Cello Bow
Watch how to build a cello bow Video
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cello bow making – FineWoodworking
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- Summary of article content: Articles about cello bow making – FineWoodworking Cut the mortises. Refine with scrapers until it flexes the way you like. Heat it dry to bend it. Finish, cut and fit the frog. Glue the tip, put … …
- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for cello bow making – FineWoodworking Cut the mortises. Refine with scrapers until it flexes the way you like. Heat it dry to bend it. Finish, cut and fit the frog. Glue the tip, put … Hullo friends, I have built a cello and would like to make a bow to play it with. Any ideas on how to go about it?
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Andreas Grütter shows you how to make your own bow. Fantastic method, very easy and for violin, viola or cello. | Cello bow, Violin bow, Homemade instruments
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- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Andreas Grütter shows you how to make your own bow. Fantastic method, very easy and for violin, viola or cello. | Cello bow, Violin bow, Homemade instruments Oct 17, 2019 – Andreas Grütter shows you how to make your own bow. Fantastic method, very easy and for violin, viola or cello. Oct 17, 2019 – Andreas Grütter shows you how to make your own bow. Fantastic method, very easy and for violin, viola or cello.
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How is a Bow Made?
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– Simply for Strings Traditionally, violin, viola, cello and double bass bows were crafted with pernambuco, the preferred timber of archetiers (bow makers). It is becoming … … - Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How is a Bow Made?
– Simply for Strings Traditionally, violin, viola, cello and double bass bows were crafted with pernambuco, the preferred timber of archetiers (bow makers). It is becoming … The violin wouldn’t be much without a bow, and yet until last century, it was considered almost an accessory along with the case and the tuning fork. Having said that, there have always been bows of exceptional craftsmanship and beauty admired by those with eyes to see. Learn more about how bows are crafted below! What - Table of Contents:
What is a violin viola cello or double bass bow made from
How are bows made
What’s the differences between all the bows
How to travel safely with your violin viola cello or bass
How to travel safely with your violin viola cello or bass
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Cello Online – Rosin & Sound
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Tutorial: How to make your own bow
Would you like to make your own bow?
Just read this tutorial and you will be able!
A bow is actually a stick with horsehair. So first we need horsehair. The color of the hair doesn’t matter, they are basically all the same.
What you need is a single hank.
I buy my hair from www.lex-bogenbestandteile.de. You can also buy a single hank for less than 10 euros.
If you Google “horse hair supply” you get a lot more addresses.
They sell 500 grams of black hair for 100 euros.
To make a single hank you cut the amount of hair you want to use and tie them together with a big knot, then put some superglue in the knot.
Then you need a stick. Hardwood is the best, but most kinds of wood will work.
Aged wood with a straight grain is the best: length +/-75cm and thickness 12-15mm.
If you can’t find anything suitable, use the stick of your broom.
For the frog any kind of wood is good.
You need a piece of approx. 50X25X15 mm .
The tools I recommend to make your own bow are :
Small plane or scraper Good file Pair of scissors Drill (a machine or a hand drill) with a drill point of 4mm Small handsaw Superglue or another fast-drying fluid glue Shoeshine or antique wax Some sandpaper and a scouring sponge Strong thread Pencil Tape measure Vice or clamp would be good
Let’s start to make the frog. Bring the piece down to 45 x 20 x 13 mm. You don’t need to be very exact, but try to make it square in every direction.
A violin frog is wide enough with 10 to 11 mm, a cello frog should be about 12 mm and a bass about 15mm wide.
Next thing is to make the frog lower at his backside, and then you can round the it, important is that the highest point of the frog is in front at the square side .
Make a bed for the hair on the rounded side. I do the first cuts with a saw and then deepen it out with a file.
The width (9mm violin & viola, 10mm cello, 12 mm bass) of the bed is the width of the hair lint you will get. Depth 2mm.
The frog is done.
Cut your stick at 70 cm for a violin or viola bow, about 65 cm for a cello or a bass bow.
Drill a hole in the middle (diameter: 4mm violin, 5mm cello, 6mm bass), 3 cm from the end of the stick. Try to make the whole in a right angle with the stick.
Maybe it is better to clamp the stick down or somebody holds it for you. If your hole is not exactly in the middle, you will be able to adjust this later when you’re thinning down the bow.
Drill a second hole of 4mm (5mm cello and 6mm bass) at the other side, 1cm from the end. That will be the tip of the bow.
Take your saw and make a cut (2 mm wide) from the tip to the hole. If it is not wide enough, make 2 cuts next to each other, or use a knife or a thin (fingernail) file to widen the cut.
Don’t make it wider than necessary
Usually a bow stick is fluted, thinner at the tip for a better balance. For a violin bow, I recommend 10mm high and 12mm wide at the frog end and 6mm high and 8mm wide at the tip end (cello is 2mm, bass 4mm more, approx.). It is wider than higher so that the tip end does not become too fragile and to add some lateral stability.
I use a plane, but if you don’t have one you can use a file or a scraper to reduce the stick. The fluting should be even and the stick straight. Try to keep the holes in the middle of the stick.
You can make it slightly 8-sided, or do this later, after the hair is on.
To stop the frog from sliding away make a cut in the stick at about 50mm from the first hole (the wider side).
The cut should be about 2mm deep, not more than that, otherwise you weaken the stick more than necessary.
File the wood away between the hole and the cut. It should be graduating in depth: the full height at the hole and 2mm deep at the cut. Keep it flat so that the frog will sit firmly on it.
Now we get to the most tricky part: putting on the hair.
Try to take about the same amount of hair as you have on a normal bow.
A violin bow needs about 120 hairs minimum (4 to 5 grams). A bass bow has twice as much hair and a cello is somewhere in between.
First tie the bundle together with a strong thread.
Make a knot and wind the thread around the hair until it is thick enough so that it can’t slide through the 4mm hole in your stick. Knot the end again and cut off the thread.
Cut off the excess hair, and put enough superglue on the end of the hair and on the knot, it will become as hard as stone.
To make it easier to get the hair through the hole wrap the loose end with tape. Push the taped end through the hole at the frog side from above and pull it through. Watch out: Make sure you insert the hair from the right side, so that the hair will lie over the frog.
Now you remove the tape.
Secure the stick on a table or have somebody to hold it down for you.
Wet the hair to make it easier to comb.
Start combing at the end of the hair lint. You want all of the single hairs to have the same tension, without crossing each other. The comb helps to put them next to each other, the pressure of your fingers gives them an equal tension.
Go through the hair about 10 times with the comb in your hand, pressing your two fingers together, until the hair lint looks flat and even.
Once the hair lint is nice and even, make a knot at the end, about 1cm longer than the stick length.
Wind the thread around the hair until the knot is thick enough so that it can’t slide through the 4mm (cello 5mm) hole in your stick. Knot the end and cut off the thread.
Cut off the excess hair, and put some superglue on the end of the hair.
Now you put the frog in. If the hair ribbon looks twisted you can still turn the knot until the hair looks even.
The hair is obviously too loose. In order to tighten it. First remove the frog. Then pull out the knot approx. 1 cm at the tip and make a second knot big enough not to slide through the hole. Put superglue on the knot , as you did the first time.
Pull the frog in place and see if there is enough tension now. To do this, it is better to bend the stick so the hair is released.
The hair should be short enough to give the stick some bending.
Now, you put some rosin on the hair and play it for the first time. If the hair is not tight enough you take the frog out and make a new knot a little shorter then where it was. If the hair is too short you can take off some wood in the frog, just make the bed of the hair lower and there will be less tension on the hair.
The bow is probably still too stiff and you want it to become more flexible. A softer bow has usually a nicer sound, but if it is too soft it becomes slow an unstable. So be careful on how much wood you take off. Keep on testing the bow. A gram or two can make a big difference in playability and sound.
Go slowly, that is the fun part, adjust the bow until you really like it. The stick can have 8 sides as mine, but you can also make it round, or oval, or triangular. There are no rules or measurements to follow, just trust your own intuition, you are good and this bow is for you.
A violin bow is good at about 60 grams, a viola at 70, cello at 80 and bass more than 100 grams. If the bow is tightened the bend of the stick should be regular,
If you see a spot where the stick doesn’t have any curve, that is where you have to take off some wood. Just do it !
How To Build A Cello Bow? – Mozart Project
The cello bow hair is attached to the frog and the tip of the cello bow stick. 172 to 200 hairs make up the entire body. There are several types of nylon, synthetic, or horsehair used for this. Due to its sensitivity to humidity and temperature changes, synthetic bow hairs are preferred by musicians today over horsehair.
Why Are Cello Bows So Expensive? There are specific raw materials used in each bow, such as Pernambuco wood from Brazil and Mongolian horsehair. A bow maker can produce just one bow in a week, which is why it is so valuable.
How Much Does A Bow Cost For A Cello? However, regardless of whether you play the guitar or the cello, the price of a cello bow varies depending on the material, weight, playability, brand, and model you choose. It costs about $1000 on average to purchase a cello bow.
How Heavy Should A Cello Bow Be? Violin bows are typically about 60 grams in weight (a viola bow is 70 grams; a cello bow is 80 grams). Remember, though, that this is only an average. It is common to find bows made by the great makers of the past that weigh as little as 54 grams and yet play beautifully.
How Is The Bow Made? A hank of horsehair is used to make the bow hair. Each violin bow is made up of 160 to 180 hairs. Ribbons are formed by attaching each of these hairs to the other. It is necessary to remove unusual hairs and kinked hairs so that only straight hairs are used.
How Is A Cello Made? In general, the cello is made from carved wood, although carbon fiber or aluminum may also be used. The back, sides, and neck of a traditional cello are maple, while the top is spruce. In order to make the sides, wood is heated and bent around the forms to form them.
What Makes A Cello Bow Expensive? The quality of the material was also a major factor that made the most lavish cello and bow in the world so expensive. In addition to the most expensive bow, it was also made with a few modernized materials.
Do Cello Bows Make A Difference? Tim Janof, an experienced cello player and editor of the Internet Cello Society web site, agrees that a good bow will enhance the sound of your instrument and may improve its projection.
What Makes An Expensive Cello? In spite of this, cellos are one of the most expensive orchestral instruments. There are some pretty special parts to cellos, which are made of relatively rare materials. pegs, nuts, fingerboards, and tailpiece are all made of ebony, a very hard and dense wood that is also extremely rare.
What Is A Good Bow For Cello? The Carbon Fiber Bow Cello from the Fiddlerman Company… The VingoBow mounted cello bow is made of Pernambuco Cello. The Diamond NX Carbon Fiber Bow from CodaBow is made of carbon fiber. The CodaBow Prodigy Carbon Fiber Bow Cello is made of carbon fiber. The JonPaul Bravo Model Carbon Fiber Cello Bow is made of carbon fiber. Snakewood Bow Cello by Pro Master.
How is a Bow Made?
The violin wouldn’t be much without a bow, and yet until last century, it was considered almost an accessory along with the case and the tuning fork. Having said that, there have always been bows of exceptional craftsmanship and beauty admired by those with eyes to see. Learn more about how bows are crafted below!
What is a violin, viola, cello or double bass bow made from?
Traditionally, violin, viola, cello and double bass bows were crafted with pernambuco, the preferred timber of archetiers (bow makers). It is becoming increasingly scarce due to international treaty restricting export from Brazil because it is listed as an endangered species.
Archetiers are constantly experimenting with different materials. Brazilwood has become a popular alternative for student and intermediate level bows.
Both brazilwood and pernambuco are taken from the same species of tree: “Pau Brasil”, AKA “Caesalphina Echinata”. The loggers only refer to the timber as brazilwood, but bow makers divide the timber between the not-so-dense core or “heart wood” (pernambuco) which is prized more highly, and the more dense outer layer of “sap wood” (brazilwood). Both parts of the tree are excellent for bow making, but the outer is not considered as valuable. However, there is plenty of very good quality brazilwood used in bows.
Snakewood (also called amourette): True snakewood is regarded as the world’s rarest commercially available species of wood, although not listed as endangered at this point. Like the pau brasil tree, it is from South America. Snakewood has always been a favourite for baroque bows, partly because it is fairly similar to pernambuco in performance, but a little less athletic due to a slightly lower elasticity. This would suit the baroque style of playing.
Ipe wood is a very dense, resilient wood that is very popular for architectural use because its fire rating is similar to concrete and steel, and it has amazing longevity in outdoor projects. Bow makers use it for its hardness and flexibility, and it looks very nice: it’s often referred to as Brazilian walnut. although very dense, it’s also fairly lightweight compared to other similar woods, making it a great choice for bows.
Image: Pernambuco, Brazilwood, Ipe and Snakewood bows.
Carbon fibre bows are becoming quite popular. Carbon fibre (also called graphite fibre or carbon graphite) is commonly made from polyacrylonitrile. It is extremely strong, lightweight and appropriately flexible for bow making. It is often used to replace steel in aircraft, sporting equipment, motor vehicles and much more. Most bows made with carbon fibre have a moulded carbon fibre tube, but many also have braided carbon fibre inside, or other components such as kevlar. They perform wonderfully well and can often be a great choice, especially for travellers because they stand up to a variety of conditions.
In our experience, many teachers and students still prefer traditional timber bows because of the tone control they receive from these. However, carbon fibre bows are growing market and will continue to feature even more into the future.
Coda Bow, our best-selling carbon fibre bow brand use carbon fibre to construct all of their bows. They put the history of carbon fibre best!
“In 1958, Dr. Roger Bacon carried samples of his newly invented material into the Naval Ordnance Lab. He wanted official ASTM specifications for his carbon fiber, or ‘graphite whiskers’, and Stan Prosen was the man to do it – he had developed the standards after all. Stan fashioned the carbon fiber into a standard-sized test ring. What his tests revealed, though, was anything but standard; this was a revolutionary new material. In his notebook, Stan scribed the prescient if understated memo: “strength and modulus of carbon-based fiber indicates that such fibers will soon outperform glass and other fibers in composite structures.” And then—perhaps in his excitement—he dropped the ring. It hit the floor, bouncing back almost to its original height. It was not just the remarkable efficiency of that bounce that caught his attention, however, but the sound of the ring produced against the tile floor – a tone remarkably clear and sustained, unlike anything he had ever heard before. Within twenty years, high-performance carbon fiber was revolutionizing industries as diverse as medical technology, aviation, architecture, and recreation, making it one of the most significant material advances of the twentieth century. But Stan, who came from a musical family, was still thinking of the sound of that ring drop in his laboratory and how to harness its acoustic properties to make beautiful music.”
Learn more about the history and heritage of Coda Bows.
How are bows made?
This is a very involved process that we’ve simplified below.
Almost all wooden bows are made in the same way, even the most affordable ones. The differences are in the quality of woods and other materials used in construction; speed of manufacture; attention to detail. Attempts to mechanise the process have been thwarted by the need to taper the bow correctly towards the point, which factory machinery cannot manage effectively. It must be done by hand. Also the assembly of a frog is much too intricate and requires making by hand.
The Stick:
The stick is made from a “blank” which is a piece of wood that was first cut to the required size.
The long part of the stick is hand shaped using carving tools, including specially made planes, tapering towards the curved end, which is called the bow head, and finally tapering again down to the tip. During the rough preparation stage the stick is made hexagonal. The bow head is also hand carved, using woodcarvers’ knives, rasps and special files.
A flame heats the stick so it can be bent into approximately the correct curve. After fitting the frog (following its initial rough cut) the bow is given a final shaping, including very careful attention to the graduation of the taper. If the finished bow is intended to have a round stick, the rounding will be done at this stage. The stick is usually left hexagonal at the end where the nut, or frog is fitted.
After the final trimming and shaping, the stick is chemically treated using nitric acid, followed by exposure to ammonia fumes, so as to bring out the characteristic colour of the pernambuco or brazilwood. Pernambuco is a dark and oily wood that doesn’t need varnishing. After treating the stick it is then French polished with an oily rag, using shellac and perhaps some other gums and resins to protect the wood and add extra shine.
The tip facing or headplate is made in two parts, using a thin veneer of ebony and outer surface of bone (or plastic in cheaper bows). These are glued together onto the tip of the bow. Traditionally ivory was used for the tip facing, but of course that is now restricted internationally. Mammoth bone is a common substitute, and other materials like silver, gold, shell, and various synthetic materials are also used.
This plate is fitted to create strength for the wood at the tip and around the mortise in which the hair is secured. If damaged or cracked at any time, it is essential to have it replaced: otherwise your bow tip is at risk of further injury.
The process of fitting the tip facing is very detailed, requiring exquisite care with knives and other fine tools. If at any time you do need it replaced, removal of an existing headplate is equally detailed. Other work required in making the stick include cutting the mortise that holds the frog; drilling the hole to house the screw; hand-fitting the silver winding and leather pad.
The Frog:
The frog is a very specialised item that requires your bow maker to be a metal worker, wood carver, and silversmith all in one. The frog is usually made of ebony although other materials are also used.
Prior to carving the frog, the luthier prepares all the metal components. The ferrule is made with two pieces of sheet silver, one flat and the other semicircular, which the maker will solder together. The screw is made with a threaded shaft; the adjuster (handle) is created by the luthier from ebony and silver, turned on a lathe, and given its hexagonal shape by careful filing.
Other items to be made are the silver liner; the back plate for the frog; the eyes – either cut out from mother of pearl and fitted by themselves, or fitted with silver rings as well; the pearl slide.
The frog is cut from a small wedge of ebony and shaped by hand using a plane, chisels, knife, gouge, drill and very fine metal scrapers. As each item is fitted to the frog, and the frog fitted to the stick, there are many adjustments to be made using these various tools.
When the stick and frog are ready to assemble, the hair is fitted to perfection and the final trimming and polishing of the stick and frog are completed.
The Horse Hair:
The correct amount of hair is carefully selected, tied at one end with strong, thin thread. The end is dipped in resin dust and then held to a flame to make it expand, and it’s then pressed into the mortise in the bow head, and secured into place with a small wooden wedge (usually maple).
The hair is then measured, cut to the correct length to fit at the frog. At this point many luthiers will wet the hair. The hair is then brushed and rearranged to sit correctly, the ferrule is slid over the hair, and then this end is also tied and fitted the same way to the mortise in the frog as at the tip, held in place with a maple wedge.
Then the slide is inserted over the hair, the ferrule is brought partly into place and a third maple wedge is fitted in between the tongue of the frog and the ribbon of hair, holding it neatly against the flat part of the ferrule. This is called the spreader wedge. Some luthiers will fit the hair in reverse, at the frog first and then the tip.
All three wedges are freshly cut or at least trimmed specifically to fit your bow during preparation at the time of installation. They will expand and contract with weather, just like the body of your instrument, and will deteriorate over time. With frequent use, this is partly why you need to rehair your bow often.
Care considerations:
An important thing to always remember is that bow hair stretches or tightens based on the weather. Bows made from more affordable wood (ie student level) can be more readily affected by changes in the weather, and when a dry change comes we see plenty of people with bows that have snapped in their cases overnight because they were left partly wound up. Remember to always loosen your bow when you’ve finished playing!
Just like your hair that will sometimes become fluffy when there is static in the air or extra humidity, sometimes your bow hair can look fluffy and not tighten very well. This is simply a response to the weather and should correct itself in a few days.
Hair can stretch over time, but it can also deteriorate in terms of quality. Most luthiers recommend rehairing your bow annually unless you are playing full-time, in which case you’ll already know that you need to rehair more frequently. Again, if it’s a basic student bow you may want to get as much use out of it as possible and then simply replace it. A good rehair can cost substantially more than the bow itself. If your bow is intermediate or above, you will need to rehair when you notice it’s no longer performing at its best.
Additionally, the curve your bowmaker carefully put into your bow is deliberate, to create the tension you need in order to play successfully with all the different techniques required in your music. If you leave it wound up permanently, you will lose that curve and the bow will not function properly. If the bow is basic, you will need to replace it. If the bow is higher quality, a skilled bowmaker will be able to restore the curve.
Wedges can become loose and hairs can fall out of one end as a consequence. Ideally these wedges should be replaced by your rehairer each time your bow is rehaired.
Always guard your bow carefully against bumps and drops. When carrying it, be careful not to bump the tip. If your bow is dropped on its tip, there is a strong chance of featuring the bowhead along the grain. If you notice a crack in the tip facing (headplate), please book the bow in for a replacement plate as soon as possible to avoid any structural damage to the bowhead. Sometimes this will hold on for some time and break in the future, leaving you wondering why it has suddenly snapped. Often this fall can make it break off immediately. For less expensive bows this is terminal due to the highly specialised nature of such a repair. If your bow is valuable, we recommend this type of repair should be referred to a qualified bow maker.
What’s the differences between all the bows?
Violin bows are longest, then viola, then cello . Bass bows vary more with some being shorter, others longer than a cello bow. Again, these lengths are only averages – it will depend on the archetier’s individual design. Generally speaking, the measurement from the tip to the end of the screw are as follows: Violin 745mm, Viola 740mm and Cello 715mm.
Frog shape will vary, but the most common standards help distinguish between violin and viola bows. Violin bows have a smaller frog, usually much more rectangular and with a pronounced corner.
Viola bows have a slightly chunkier frog and usually the corner is rounded and looks like a small cello frog.
Cello frogs are larger again, and have a rounded corner.
Double bass French style frogs look like a very large version of the cello one. Double bass German style frogs are much taller with a curve on the inside to accommodate the middle three fingers.
Image: Double Bass bows compared: a German first and a French second.
Bow weights also vary between the instruments. Violin bows usually weigh between 57g to 63g (average 60g), viola bows between 67g to 73g (average 70g), cello bows between 77g to 84g (av 80g).
As for double bass, two good comparisons are as follows:
Schumann:
German – 74cm, 137g
French – 70cm, 129g
Coda Infinity
German – 75cm, 137g
French – 70cm, 140g
If you’ve had some questions about bows that you’ve always wanted answered, we hope this blog post was informative and helpful.
As always, the Simply for Strings doors are always open for those curious about music. If you have any questions, big or small, visit our friendly team of staff in-store or pop into our email at
hello [at] simplyforstrings.com.au
. We’d love to meet you.
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