Not for every violin. Made my instrument sound scratchy and shrill.

Very sturdy bow, makes my violin sound warmer and thicker, very lightweight

I am an intermediate to advanced player and have been using this bow for about a month or so. It’s my second carbon bow and I would say has a moderately to very stiff stick. The balance is good and I feel like it gives me the ability to make smoother bow changes, especially near the frog. I think it’s a good value in the $150 price range.

I have been playing music since I was six (piano) and been playing violin for five years. it is a Great Bow !! for the price, it makes my sound much warmer and "thicker" even on the E string, the sound I have been looking for for years; it also is very beautiful in shape and color.

Let me start off by saying I'm a beginner to this instrument. I however have played various instruments for around 35 years. I bought this bow for an upgrade over my fiberglass rental. I found it to be harsh even compared to the fiberglass bow. Soooooo I let my teacher play with it and see what she thought. She didn't care for the sound either, and commented on how unforgiving the bow was. I wish now I would have just put that money on a better pernambuco bow. Hope this helps someone. I'm putting this bow on eBay to try and recoup some of my money.

In its 3/4 size, this is a pretty decent carbon bow for the money. It's light, at around 52 grams, and very stiff -- probably stiffer than any pernambuco bow you'll ever encounter. The balance point is a bit close to the frog, at around 8.5" (21.6cm) from the end of the stick. This frog-heavy balance point isn't really a big drawback -- the bow's light weight seems to make up for that. The bow's stiffness may make it inappropriate for beginners, though. It's not particularly forgiving. In the end, my daughter decided to keep using her fiberglass Glasser bow. I hadn't expected that.

First off, I'm a beginner on the violin. I've played music for 35+ years though. I started taking lessons a few months ago, and I'm progressing to the point I thought about upgrading my bow. I got my bow and put rosin on it and played with this bow. I'm just playing a rental for the moment, but to be honest I like the sound of the fiberglass bow that came with the violin better than this bow. I thought it was just me, so I had my teacher play with it too. She said its a very unforgiving bow, and when she switched between all the bows I was amazed at the difference between the sound of the bows. To be honest, I wish I would have just put the $120+ on a better wooden bow. Live and learn.

I have owned a Presto Audition bow (the same one) for a few years now. If you are looking for a stiff, powerful bow that is somewhat agile, then look no further. I've compared this to much more expensive pernambuco bows (and other Presto bows) and this bow has always proven to be the stiffest. Take that as you will. When it came time to rehair the bow a few years back, I chose synthetic Incredihair. The combination of the Audition bow with the Incredihair (which smoothes out the sound but deadens the response some, so be wary!) means that I can play quiet passages smoothly without hair noise. (I also have yet to break a hair since the change). The bow is reasonably agile, but a bit heavy, with the result that off-the-string bowing can be tiresome. However, I choose this bow over my primary pernambuco bow when there are fast passages that require the bow to stay on the string. Drawbacks? If you are looking for a bow with a wide range of dynamics, this bow is not for you. The dynamics of this bow are loud and LOUDER. Quiet passages are possible, and made better by the Incredihair, but the moment you lay into the bow, you can expect volume rather than tender expression. So, if you are looking for a durable bow that favors power more than anything else, this is your bow.

I love this Bow i have had it for a year now it is still intact i am a little rough with it playing several styles of music. I play down at the farmers market in Bloomington. But i recommend this bow however idk if it is my fault but this bow seems to lose hair. But i think it is my fault for the many different styles i play also the silver coil seems to have lost some of its color and also has unwound a little but not a lot

I'm rather disappointed in this bow. It has a harsh sound. No one I've let play it or hear it likes it. My fiberglass bow has a much smoother tone. My teacher doesn't like it either. She says it is a very unforgiving bow. I wish I would have just saved up for a nicer wood bow.

I had this bow on a trial basis and I found it to be very pleasant to hold; it is light weight and had a great balance that I noticed immediately. I was able to play very easily with even sounds and this bow allowed me to make the quick movements I was working on without struggle. Since this was a trial, I actually purchased it from Shar and this is my preferred bow in the Presto Performance family. For me the weight was an important factor in buying a bow as the other bow strained me a bit after a playing or... they were difficult to hold and always had me make an extra effort holding it while trying to make an even sound. I tried the Presto Encore but this one the Audition has all my 5 stars. To me it is the best. I love it!!!

I am new to the violin so I can only speak with limited bow experiences. But this bow is several standard deviations smoother than any of 4 Brazilwood and 2 Pernambuco bows Ive tried. Its immediately noticeable upon the first stroke. It must pay for this smoothness somehow, and that is in the lack of the fiery strike of the Pernambuco bows. Instead, it delivers a pure sweetness on the E, and rounded clear tones on the lower strings. I would use this in performance when I need to minimize my bow scrapes and squeaks.