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Shop4Value - Posted - 09/30/2019: 15:05:13
musiciansfriend.com/orchestral...iolin-bow
Guitar Center and its affiliated stores like Music and Arts, Musician's Friends, etc. sell these Londoner Violin Bows (one-star to three-star). Their descriptions say these are good-quality pernambuco bows with German-made frogs. I cannot find information regarding these bows anywhere else on the internet, (rather than the listings on Guitar Center's related sites). I asked the folks at Musician's Friend, an affiliate of Guitar Center, and they said it was made by a manufacturer name Londoner! (Duh!) But I cannot find any website for a Londoner bow manufacturer, either. No one seems to know whether these bows are from China (with German-made frogs), or from Germany, or from where else, e.g. London?! I start to wonder whether these bows are actually Guitar Center's "house-brand" violin bows and whether they simply make up a fancy name for the bows?
I'd like to buy the Londoner One-Star Octagonal bow for my older kid to practice her violin lessons as she has made progress, and now needs a tad more sophisticated bow than the carbon fiber that came with her violin. Nonetheless, without much info available about Londoner bows, it is hard for me to make an informed decision. Can any of you kindly share your experiences or knowledge about these Londoner violin bows, especially the one-star (octagonal) bow? Much thanks!
rosinhead - Posted - 09/30/2019: 17:41:03
I don't know anything about them...so I can't help you there.
My best advice though would be to go through a site like Johnson Strings or Shar Music. Call them and ask their advice on a good upgrade and they will send you multiple bows in your price range that she can sample. Pick the one that works best and send the rest back. Nothing beats trying before buying 
UsuallyPickin - Posted - 10/01/2019: 06:25:16
Yeah Rosinhead gives good advice here. I don't know what your budget is and violin bows get pricey quickly as you move up in quality. I did the bow tryout with Shar, carbon fiber bows by Coda, and they sent me either four or five bows to tryout over a several day period. Keep in mind also Pernambuco comes in several grades. It is a watchword word that gets thrown around a lot in the less expensive bow ranges. A fairly good German Pernambuco bow will cost several hundred dollars. And a carbon fiber bow in the same price range may be a better choice for your daughter. Carbon fiber is tough and Pernambuco is not. Lastly a Guitar Center is not a great place to go looking for anything involving violins. Do her a favor and take her to a violin shop to try out some bows. The player is the party that needs to be choosing the bow. R/
Shop4Value - Posted - 10/01/2019: 08:03:29
Thanks everyone.
Dragonslayer - Posted - 10/01/2019: 08:54:27
I believe a German frog is not one that is made in Germany, but a shape of the German style of frog
DougD - Posted - 10/01/2019: 09:12:28
I think that only applies to bass bows, where there are two different styles. In the ad it clearly states "made in Germany."
Also, have you asked her violin teacher? They might have a suggestion.
Edited by - DougD on 10/01/2019 09:14:18
Shop4Value - Posted - 10/03/2019: 21:26:07
I took a chance and ordered the octagonal one-star bow for the kid. It arrived in absolutely plain packaging, (but properly cushioned, of course). It has a simple SKU label for their store inventory but absolutely no manufacturer info!
The bow itself is actually quite good. It is light, about 56g to 58g (depends on whether you weigh it at the tip or the frog, respectively). The wood is stiff but flexible. The stick has a good camper and feel balanced at 9.5 inch point. The hair is smooth and even. Both my kid and I tried it, and we were both happy. On her violin (with Dominant strings), it makes the sounds warmer and mellow. On my violin (with steel Prelude strings), it makes the sounds loud and clear. Interesting how the same bow can have different effects on different violins. Its attacks the strings easily and has good bouncing on both violins. We compare it to a FG bow (that had previously come with the kid's violin), and it beats the FB bow handily!
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