Baroque Violin Bow - Snakewood - 4/4 Size
Baroque Violin Bow - Snakewood - 4/4 Size
Baroque Violin Bow - Snakewood - 4/4 Size

Shar

Baroque Violin Bow - Snakewood - 4/4 Size

Sale price$149.00
SKU: BVB50S
In stock
Quantity:

REVIEW VIDEOS

Discover the Articulation That Only a Baroque Bow Can Achieve


At the suggestion of concert violinist Rachel Barton Pine, Shar is pleased to offer players our new baroque bows. These are the same bows that are used by orchestras around the United States as part of Ms. Pine's program to bring baroque performance practices to modern symphony orchestras. The shaft and frog and made from snakewood, the traditional wood that has been used for centuries for such bows. Upon tightening, the camber (curve) of the bow is outward, which is the reverse of modern bows. Ms. Pine recommends that baroque bows require more tightening than modern bows, to bring out their desired characteristics, suggesting that they should be tightened just to the point of an outward camber. These major differences help produce the kind of "attack and release" in baroque-era music that is approached differently than in more modern performance practices.

Rachel Barton Pine, acknowledged as one of the world's expert performers and pedagogues of Bach's Sonatas and Partitas, is one of the very few artists that easily transitions from the baroque era to more modern music. Often playing baroque music on a violin with baroque setup, Ms. Pine also advocates for the use of a baroque bow even with a violin having modern setup, when playing baroque era music. The articulation and phrasing required in a more authentic baroque performance is much more easily attained with a baroque bow.

This bow is for violin. Similar bows are available for viola and cello.

Customer Reviews

Based on 11 reviews
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I
Ian To

Plays nice, decent durability, overall very good quality! As a high schooler playing Baroque pieces definitely a good cherry on top to my playing style.

4
415 rules!
Initial Assessment: Good Value, Reasonable Quality

I have several Baroque bows, some purchased from Shar, some directly from makers in China, and one from a U.S. maker. The price range has been wide, from $35 to $2,000.
The cheap bows direct from China were an experiment....well made but far more "modern" than purported, and the hair shredded in weeks. Not worth it.
The artist bow from the U.S. is superb, both stylistically and in terms of quality. It facilitates a beautiful sound and is extremely responsive. No question that it is superior.
So where do the Shar bows fit in? The Shar bows (both snakewood and Brazilwood) are of consistent quality, both stylistically and with respect to quality. They represent a very good value at the price point. The balance point tends to be farther to the tip than I prefer but the sticks are straight and the hair is decent. The sound quality is not quite as good as the artist bow but it is perfectly reasonable. I've used the bows on my Baroque instrument (gut, A=415) and the response is fine. If anything, the bows are a bit more responsive on my modern instrument.
If this is your first foray into the wonderful world of Baroque instruments, these bows are a very cost-effective way to explore the sound and technique. If you're looking for an inexpensive backup bow for your Baroque instrument or something for casual use, these are perfectly suitable. If you're looking for a Baroque bow that will take you to the next level, keep looking and be prepared to pay much more.

B
Blake Bingham

Baroque Violin Bow - Snakewood - 4/4 Size

C
Coy Fullen

It is excellent. I am using it for fast fiddling and it really helps.

J
Julie Beachy
Love the bow

My second baroque bow. Love it!

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