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Bows

"Some people think a bow is only wood and hair," says Gunter Seifert, violinist with the Vienna Philharmonic and head of the Wiener Geigen Quartet, "but the bow can be more essential to expressing the soul of the music than the violin is."

 

Gailes’ Violin Shop carries an extensive selection of bows to match both the instrument and player, from beginner to professional. Our collection includes bows from Germany, France, Brazil, the United States and China. We are commissioning bows from up-and-coming Bulgarian and American makers.

We carry bows made of fiberglass, wood, carbon fiber, brazilwood and pernambuco. All our bows are hand selected to assure the best playability and value. We invite you to come in to the shop and test a variety of bows when making a selection.

Beginner Bows

These entry-level bows are $35 for violin and viola, $45 for cello.

  • Glasser Fiberglass
  • Wood

Carbon Fiber

We carry carbon fiber bows from Artisan (China), and from JonPaul, (United States). From Artisan, we have the Sopra, Volta and Terzo models. From JonPaul we carry the Bravo, Legacy, Arpege and Avanti models. Please visit www.jonpaulbows.com for more information on their bows and excellent warranty. Please call for prices on specific models.

Pernambuco

Brazil, for centuries the source of the finest bow making wood, is now the source for fine bows. We are pleased to offer bows from Arcos Brasil, a company that we have worked with for years. We have sampled other company’s offerings, but find that Arcos Brasil offers consistently high quality bows. We currently offer full-size violin, viola and cello bows, and will soon carry a limited number of fractional sizes as well. Of special interest to us is Arcos Brasil’s commitment to the well being of their bow-makers and their families, as well as to the environment. They are active partners in the effort to plant thousands of young pernambuco trees in order for the species to survive. More information is available at www.arcosbrasil.com.

Brazilwood

Made from wood no longer available for harvest, our older brazilwood bows have proven themselves over decades of service. Our selection is predominately from Germany and France, and most are an average of 50 years old. These bows generally offer better playability and produce better sound than new, inexpensive pernambuco bows.

Advancing & Professional Bows

A partial listing of bows currently in stock:

  • Dorfler
  • Knoll
  • Seifert
  • Ary France
  • Schiker
  • Arcos Brasil

A partial listing of the new and old European bows currently in stock:

  • Herm. W. Prell
  • L. Bausch
  • Nicolas Delaune
  • G. Cone & Fils a Lyon
  • Albin Hums
  • Horst Schicker
  • Davot a Paris/Morizot
  • Didion
  • Fcois Lotte
  • Grandini (J.T.L.)
  • G. Prager
  • W.A.Pfretzschner
  • Dodd family-Transitional-composite
  • F. Vincent a Lyon

Pictures

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Horst Schicker viola bow
with snakewood frog

  
Grünke and Söhne violin bow

  

Horst Schicker viola bow
with ebony frog

  
Klaus Grünke violin bow

  
Richard Grünke violin bow

  
 
Roger Treat violin bow
  
Curiot-Hury violin bow