A $160,000 Violin Bow?

[sc_rufctr]

I had no idea they could get this expensive.

[svandamme]

sounds all the same to me, if at all there is any difference it's her playing that is different

[sc_rufctr]

Details of the bow used:
$40,000 François Voirin
$90,000 Joseph Henry
$160,000 Dominique Peccatte

I'm amazed that someone would pay $160,000 for a Dominique Peccatte Bow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominique_Peccatte

Violin used: Stradivarius 1690

[Willem Fick]

Sounds a lot like the typical "my expensive cable with added pseudoscience is better than yours" over on the high-end audio forums!

[sc_rufctr]

I've watched the video 4 times now and I really can't tell the difference between the bows.
Maybe the most expensive one is a slightly "crisper" than the rest but that's about it.

But I'd be she can tell though.

[wdfifteen]

$500 for a violin bow?

[KFC911]

Charlie Daniels' golden fiddle bow ain't even worth that much ....wonder what the Strad it plays is goin' for? ....but I'm not looking

[tabs]

Well it is obvious.

[ZOO]

Some people don't understand why I buy such short-lived tires for my M3, either. Or why I like 18year old Glen Livet. I bet an accomplished.violinist can feel and hear a difference.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

The $40K bow was only slightly better than the $500. The $90K was significantly clearer, the $160K significantly richer and clearer over that.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

The cheap bow seemed to me to have a quick response and tacky tone. The two middle bows seemed to have a slower response but much smoother/ richer tone. The 150,00 bow seemed to have a quick response and smooth/ rich tone. Especially in the fast music.

That said, I bet the video is a complete farce and the 150,000K bow is really $10 dollars from Wal-Mart.

[Tervuren]

I have Erhu's instead of Violins.

With the Erhu, much of what goes into how it sounds is movable and replaceable. Very small changes can result in(to me) pretty drastic differences in sound and play-ability.

Because these things are fixed in a Violin they have to leave the factory dead to rights the way they should be. The accuracy required(and cost) is much higher.

With the Erhu, I buy five or six hand made bows, rosin them all, and choose the one I like until it wears out. It is a different way of thinking than Violin.

[berettafan]

violins are a strange animal. my 8yr old stepped up to a 1/4 size violin last year and we learned a lot about them. or at least the process of buying them. instead of visiting your local chain music shop you go to a violin shop (often with an extra 'pe') by appointment. you get ushered into a room full of violins and try an assortment of violins in your general price range. AND you try different bows! not just the hair but the material of the frame and of course decorative inlays.

frustratingly it is near impossible to determine brand, age, value by simply looking at a violin. you might spend $1,500 on a violin you've never heard of and when you ask the age the answer might be 'I think early 80's' or 'new' or '100+ years old'.

there are surely differences in sound though a neighbors teenaged daughter plays a violin that I think cost around 2-3k and I can not honestly imagine a more beautiful sound.

one other interesting aspect to violins is these shops will very often have a guaranteed trade in at your purchase price or very close to it for upgrades in the future. for young students this works out great.

I'm a pop/metal/rap child of the 80s but one of the greatest joys I've experienced so far in my years is listening to my daughter play in our home. It is truly a joy.

[astrochex]

..... because you can tell the difference from a youtube video.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

The $40K bow was only slightly better than the $500. The $90K was significantly clearer, the $160K significantly richer and clearer over that.

Yup, if you know what you are listening to it's clear.

My daughter has several violins and bows of varying quality.

One of her bows is 150 or so years old and valued around what one might pay for a quality 2nd hand Honda.

It's obvious when she's using it, regardless of which violin she's using it with.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

I have Erhu's instead of Violins.

With the Erhu, much of what goes into how it sounds is movable and replaceable. Very small changes can result in(to me) pretty drastic differences in sound and play-ability.

Because these things are fixed in a Violin they have to leave the factory dead to rights the way they should be. The accuracy required(and cost) is much higher.

With the Erhu, I buy five or six hand made bows, rosin them all, and choose the one I like until it wears out. It is a different way of thinking than Violin.

Thanks for posting.

A friend of mine said it could take you more than one lifetime to master one. He was good and had been playing for about 15 years.

[MBAtarga]

I've seen several episodes of Antique Roadshow where someone brings in an "old" violin and bow. From what I recall on one occurrence, the appraiser explained that the violin was several hundred years old made by some well known maker (NOT a Strad though) and might have been worth several thousand dollars. Then he holds up the bow and goes on and on about how magnificent it was - whom made it - and that it was worth something like $20k or more.

Just decided to do a search - here's text recap of the show, although seems the video is not available any longer:
https://www.aol.com/article/2014/12/16/antiques-roadshow-french-violin-bow-is-appraised-at-20k/21116909/

[flatbutt]

My cello bow cost $300 and it's not very special. My cello costs $2500 new and it's rather crappy. Whereas my teacher plays a $30,000 cello using a $3500 bow.

WRT the instruments the cost is greatly influenced by the wood used, the cut of the wood and the skill of the luthier. Case and point, my cello uses beautiful flame spruce wood for the back and sides



but the top is a cheaper cut, is very thin and prone to cracking, the bass bar and sound post are made of crap wood, the finger board is very thin and not made of ebony, the tail is metal and the scroll is mass produced. The joinery is really poor and prone to separation. So yeah you do get what you pay for.

[Superman]

Indeed, there is quite a premium on very nice bows. The really good ones sell for insane $.

[RKDinOKC]

The more expensive bow makes less of a scratchy sound when changing stroke directions and when stoking slower. It is also played much louder in the fast sections which may seem clearer.