Saltcured - Posted - 06/17/2023:  19:59:40

I came across an old fiddle & bow in a dilapidated case and thought to have it made playable. The luthier's estimate is way beyond my budget but here's the thing: the bow is stamped BAUSCH MODEL E. So on a hunch I agreed to let him re-hair it. Now looking online I see some astronomical prices for that same bow with the additional stamp MARTIN SACHSEN. Were those 2 words faded, worn away, or did Bausch make a Model E version without them? It sure feels good on string crossings, much easier than my old GLASSER bow. Oh, one more thing: a few inches from the frog, on its hair side, are 3 very old-looking small slash cuts made at an angle. Any thoughts welcomed. Thanks in advance!

Edited by - Saltcured on 06/17/2023 20:10:30

dogmageek - Posted - 06/18/2023:  09:13:46

I'll go with the E Martin Sachsen. I have a Bausch but that is all it says. It says "trade mark" on the other side. I also have an E Martin bow and some E Martin fiddles.

E Martin made fiddles in Dresden, which is the capital of Saxony; which is what Sachsen means. Could that be where the Dresden style chinrest originated. The E Martin fiddles were also picked up by an outfit called Bruno in NY and the label has "Bruno" on it. These were cheaper fiddles made for that music store. There is an E Martin from Markneukirchen
jrjuddviolins.com/product/e-ma...90-1910/.

I'd say your bow is a keeper, but I do not know value. Still, I would take good care of it.

Saltcured - Posted - 06/18/2023:  12:13:06

Thanks. It feels lighter than the GLASSER even tho they both weigh the same 2 oz. And it handles much easier in fast string crossings. Only trouble is I can't keep blaming mistakes on the bow itself!

The Violin Beautiful - Posted - 06/19/2023:  01:26:01

There are Bausch bows and there are “Bausch” bows. The genuine articles made by the Bausch family are quite valuable and good bows. However, due to the success of that family and the proliferation of fakes, there are all kinds of bows that are stamped Bausch but have no relation to the fine bows. Compare it to putting a fake Strad label in a cheap German violin that has nothing in common with an Italian violin.

This is why you’ll see a huge variety in prices for bows listed with a Bausch stamp. Any bow that has a chance of being genuine would need to be shown to a bow expert and have a certificate written. Just like a violin, you should assume a bow isn’t genuine until you can prove otherwise.