Mid priced pernambuco bows like Alfred Knoll bows seem like a good step between cheap student bows and a more expensive professional type model bow. Are they worth the money?
We know that pernambuco wood is the perfect wood for making violin bows. Tourte, the inventor of the modern bow, discovered this over 250 years ago. However, the pernambuco wood used to make quality bows is in scarce supply, and is increasingly expensive nowadays.
Pernambuco is actually made from the middle core of the pau-brasil tree, found only in Brazil. A lower quality wood, brazilwood, is usually used for entry level student bows. This wood can either be from other brazil native hardwood trees, or from the same tree as pernambuco, but using the outer, less dense part of the trunk.
Knoll violin bows offer the promise of pernambuco wood at a price which is less than a master craftsman bow, and yet is a step above brazilwood student bows. What everyone should know is that the quality of pernambuco can vary significantly, and also the craftsmanship of the bow maker is worth as much as the type and quality of the wood used.
Now, one question you can probably answer is, who is going to get the highest quality pernambuco? Is it going to be a master craftsman who will sell the bow direct for $1500 to $3000, or is it going to be the large scale bowmaker, who is going to sell these bows for $200 wholesale? That's right, the quality of pernambuco used by the master bowmaker is going to be better, of course. They are also going to be able to hand pick their pernambuco, whereas there is going to be a greater variety in the quality of wood in a Knoll bow.
This is not too much of a knock on Knoll, and you shouldn't read too much into that for the Knoll factory specifically. All wood varies from tree to tree, and from year to year. Any bow that you buy should be tested in person before committing to a purchase, and just because a bow is more expensive doesn't mean that it's going to be better. Also, choosing a bow is a very personal thing, and a bow which is great sounding on one instrument might be less than stellar on another.
But what we're talking about here is if it is worth it to spend the money on a Knoll pernambuco bow, rather than another option.
Graphite composite bows were once considered a low quality option for a bow, especially since before graphite composite, the only synthetic option was fiberglass, which truly is the bottom of the barrel for bow stick material.
But since the introduction of carbon fiber bows, many, many people, even professionals playing at all levels of orchestras have begun using carbon fiber, or graphite compound bows. Some use them as second bows for gigs like outdoor weddings where the risk to their primary expensive instrument and bow might be higher. And some have just decided that for whatever reason, they actually like the synthetic bows better than what they were using before.
Carbon fiber, like natural wood, is also available in many different qualities and consistencies. Some of these bows can be as high as $2000, and some are as low as in the $200's. Although it is important to remember that a bow is a very personal thing, many people report that carbon fiber bows can give an extremely good value for the money. Many people have reported that they have tried $400 carbon fiber bows that stack up equal or better to pernambuco bows in the $1000 range.
When you get into the $1000 range of the carbon fiber bows, you are getting into the professional range of bows. These are bows meant to compete with pernambuco bows which are handmade professional bows, which normally will range in the $2000 and above range.
Are you seeing a pattern here? Generally, if you find that carbon fiber works for you, you may be able to find something in your price range that could possibly DOUBLE your value when thinking in traditional terms. At the very least, you'll want to consider these bows alongside the Knoll or other pernambuco choices.
If you are looking to upgrade your bow, make sure you consider all of the options in your price range, and make the choice that is right for you!
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