Holstein 1-star Pernambuco Violin Bow

My son is very happy with this bow. The sound improved so much after he started using it. Very happy with Fiddlershop, many thanks to Clare for her professionalism, knowledge and dedication

Couldn't wait to ditch my Carbon Fiber bow for this one. Was worth the wait. Great feel, tone, nicely balanced. The wood grain and color is awesome. I play mostly Celtic style music and this bow is able to handle everything I expect from it. Love it!

This bow was a replacement for an antique practice bow which needs extensive repairs. I prefer carbon fiber for playing with my friends (bluegrass, old time and country fiddle) as they are more stable than wood, less liable to change with the humidity. But in my house where the humidity conditions don't drastically change I prefer wood due to the sound quality and ease of playing. This bow has a good straight tight grain. It weighs 62 grams on my kitchen scale. It has a tight fitting frog, good curve, non-ivory tip, less than 1.5 mm of twist and well installed hair. Hair length is right. Varnish is consistent, winding is tight, frog has no issues. Sound is as good or better than my antique bow, better than my other wooden bows, better than any other ~$300 bow I've played. By way of an easy comparison it is distinctly better in sound quality than my second best CF bow, which is a standard Fiddlerman CF. (The latter is in itself sounds good, equal to other CF bows I've played costing much more.) Sound is sweet, not harsh, not scratchy, not jittery, though as with most bows I've tried it likes some fiddles better than others. It just happens that this bow really plays well with the favorite of my better fiddles. The feel is very good, as good as my antique bow, maybe a tad better. It is softer than the CF bow I mentioned as being one that many Fiddlerman customers may have played. However it is not at all mushy and is firm enough to do double stops and bluegrass style lead ins. Deliberately playing sloppily I find that I can seldom make it jitter nor bounce. When I am playing as I should its attacks are very positive and easy. (All told, I rate it four of five stars, due to that minimal twist which doesn't affect its playing. I used to freak out about small twists but you see them in the real world of humidity changes so they are not a deal breaker. )

I began playing violin about nine months ago and was looking to upgrade the carbon fiber bow that came with my violin outfit. I wanted to try a wood bow and Clare recommended the Holstein Pernambuco bow, so I ordered it. Turns out that they were sold out of the "no star" Pernambuco bow, so they upgraded my order to the one star bow at no additional cost. I have to say, this is a beautiful bow. the workmanship is impeccable, and the draw and response makes me actually sound like I know what I'm doing. It's a big step up from the carbon fiber bow I was using. I wasn't sure that a newcomer to the violin like myself would be able to appreciate the difference a good bow could make, but I was wrong. Just buy this bow and you'll see what I mean. Thanks, Fiddlershop.

I bought this bow as an upgrade from the carbon fiber bow that came with my Apprentice violin kit. As a beginner all I can say is WOW! The difference between the two bows is incredible and the balance of this Holstein bow is wonderful. The sound I produce is much richer and smoother compared to the carbon fiber bow. So glad I made this purchase. When I am ready to upgrade my violin and bow I will be coming back to Fiddlershop for sure.