Fiddlerman Carbon Fiber Violin Bow 4/4

I inherited my grandfathers 100 yr old German made violin and refurbished it with the intention of playing again after many years. The instrument turned out nicely, but the bow was not in good shape so I searched for a new one. I settled on the Fiddlerman carbon fiber bow based on reviews I had seen. I was pleasantly surprised when I received the package containing the bow. It was shipped in a box, but also came in a very nice little box of it's own. A very nice touch for a not so expensive bow. I added rosin and was again pleasantly by the nice smooth sound the bow produced. After a couple of weeks of playing with this bow, I am still impressed with its performance and the quality of construction. If you are looking for an inexpensive quality bow for your violin, I don't think you will be disappointed with this product. Well done Fiddlerman.

There are some amazing string instruments coming out of China these days at incredible prices; the trick is finding the really good ones. I was intrigued by Fiddlerman's claim that he had tried out 100 cheap carbon bows and liked this maker, so I decided to give it a try. I agree with him -- the bow is straight, decently balanced, has nice healthy camber and (for a carbon bow) a lively action. It weighs 60 or 62 grams, so it feels very much like a wood bow (conversely if you're looking for an extra light carbon bow, this is not going to be your model) I have tried out carbon bows at price ranges from $250 to $800 and this cheapie bow holds its own quite well. It is difficult to find a carbon bow that is firm but not harsh and has enough camber and wiggle to support staccato and sautille in at least a limited way -- which this bow can do. Legato performance is uneven, but that is typical during a break-in period (the horsehair on this bow appears to be OK quality but it has not been prepped at all -- so the buyer needs to spend some time working in rosin till the hair breaks in a little.) My best bow is a quality pernambucco bow with a soft, supple action that is great for Mozart/Beethoven/Haydn where you are off the string / on the string in quick succession. That kind of bow is expensive (usually $1500-$2000 and up), and I have yet to encounter a carbon bow that can compete in that arena. However, carbon is nice when you want to crank up high tension -- say, late 19th century music, or situations where you need to press for more volume. Or if you are playing outside or in a setting where you don't want to put an expensive stick at risk. Quality wood bows do not like to be over-tightened or over-pressed -- it can damage their delicate camber. Carbon bows are great for this purpose because they're so durable. I guess to sum up, this bow is a no brainer for a student at this price, and would find a use for a lot of advanced players. I am not persuaded that it's worth spending serious money for carbon when a bow this good can be bought for well under $100. Nice work Fiddlerman.

OMG, this is a great bow for the price! I love how light and sturdy it is and the real horse hair is providing such a rich sound with no screeching over my high end synthetic bow. Love it! Just be sure to use a lot of rosin when you first get it. The Siberian horse hair is very thirsty at first.

For a while, I didn't care for this bow. Specifically, the synthetic hair. It seemed like it would never hold rosin, and I eventually sanded the hair much more than the recommended "15 passes". After maybe four months, it's holding rosin better and sounds better. I think maybe it was the Prelude strings. I went back to Helicores and I suddenly love this bow. My wooden bow sounds better, and I use it for performances, but I will bring this one to jams and I use it for daily practice. It's better than any other carbon fiber bow I've used, and I know that I will never need to pay for new hair.

Well add me to the chorus that is singing praise about this bow. This was intended to replace a bow that came with a student outfit (Stentor II). The Stentor bow was...ok, I guess, but it just didn't have a balanced feel to it, which wasn't a surprise. I think the packaging bears mention, though there is a fine line mentioning that in an Amazon review. I was disappointed that it was only secured in the box with some crumpled up paper. The bow was rattling about in the box some, but fortunately this is a strong bow (how strong? Check out Fiddlerman's video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOjs84ShSp0) and it didn't seem the worse for wear. Still, I'd prefer that it were packed a little more securely. The bow I received was a little different than the photos...the "Fiddlerman" name is simply engraved, no gold to it or anything. However, it was in good shape. I have to say, when I picked it up it seemed much lighter than the bow it was replacing, so much so that I had to weigh it. Nope, came in right around 60 grams. That's what proper balance is going to get you...the bow is going to feel much lighter than it actually is. I found it quite easy to hold with no pinkie strain at all. I decided to go dark rosin with this bow, and though the hair was not pre-rosined (really, thanks Fiddlerman for that...I like to be able to pick my own rosin) it only took me about five minutes to get it all set up. And then, heart in my mouth, I drew some notes. Wow. In the back of my mind throughout this process, I confess to thinking "how good can this thing *really* be?" Had I fallen for a gimmick and cheap marketing talk? Am I doomed to wander the Earth forever in search of a decent, reasonably priced bow? Well, it's pretty darned good and there is nothing oversold about this bow. It's balanced. it's agile. The weight is appropriate and drawing it is effortless. In short, it's a dream to use, and before I knew it, a half hour had passed with me just jamming on the violin. That's when I knew I could not give this to my kid. Or at least...I'd have to get another one. After all, if you're going to learn, why not learn with a great bow? I don't know how I found this bow. Honestly I am a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to these things and wasn't looking for a bow made of space-age materials. But found it I did, and I couldn't be happier with this. It's a very good bow.

Teşekkürler

best buy carbon fiber violin bow!

The product was received in good condition. No hair was broken.

I like it. It’s a great bow. I wish it was about half an inch longer

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