We found an old Louis violin bow in the shop and re-haired it, cleaned it up a bit and what a nice bow it turned out to be. It's round and
made from pernambuco . When we were all done with the repairs, etc, including a new frog, it weighed in at 59.57 grams with a balance point at around 10.5 inches. I love the feel of it. It's a fine bow for fiddling.
I did a quick search of "Louis bows" and a whole bunch of different makers turned up. Wish I knew more about this particular bow.
One of these days I think I wanna "upgrade" to a wooden bow. Or at least fill the slots on my case. :)
quote:
Originally posted by ErockinOne of these days I think I wanna "upgrade" to a wooden bow. Or at least fill the slots on my case. :)
I've owned a few non-wood bows but in the end, just let them go. I guess I am a die-hard pernambuco lover.
i especially am fond of octagon pernambuco bows. Lots of friends use carbon, etc.
quote:
Originally posted by wilfordquote:
Originally posted by ErockinOne of these days I think I wanna "upgrade" to a wooden bow. Or at least fill the slots on my case. :)
I've owned a few non-wood bows but in the end, just let them go. I guess I am a die-hard pernambuco lover.
i especially am fond of octagon pernambuco bows. Lots of friends use carbon, etc.
Interesting! I am excited to mess with a couple bows. I remember the feeling I felt when I switched from a poorly strung viola bow to a 4/4 CF bow that was brand new. For me, that was life changing. So, I can imagine how a decent wood bow would make with ones playing.
Maybe the second name of the brand is worn off? I can’t think of any bow makers or shop brands that are just “Louis.”
The violin bow inspired an original fiddle tune this morning titled "Louis Le Bow".
youtu.be/pu8gOqeL5AA?si=gMDllxPAEXWz-w6y
quote:
Originally posted by The Violin BeautifulMaybe the second name of the brand is worn off? I can’t think of any bow makers or shop brands that are just “Louis.”
I'm unable to find another name before or after it. I'll try to post a picture of it.
I've never liked any of the CF bows I've tried. They've never given me a tone or feel I've liked, no matter which of my three fiddles I've tried them on. In any case, I'm now settled on which of my three bows I use for each for my three fiddles. By hook or by crook, I use my cheapest bow on my cheapest fiddle, the middle-priced bow on my medium-priced fiddle, and the most expensive bow on my most expensive fiddle (none of which are genuinely expensive, btw). I also have a fourth bow stowed away just in case... And oh yeah, the most expensive bow is the round one.
Edited by - Lonesome Fiddler on 12/08/2023 12:26:44
quote:
Originally posted by Lonesome FiddlerI've never liked any of the CF bows I've tried. They've never given me a tone or feel I've liked, no matter which of my three fiddles I've tried them on. In any case, I'm now settled on which of my three bows I use for each for my three fiddles. By hook or by crook, I use my cheapest bow on my cheapest fiddle, the middle-priced bow on my medium-priced fiddle, and the most expensive bow on my most expensive fiddle (none of which are genuinely expensive, btw). I also have a fourth bow stowed away just in case...
That's a great place to be in in!
quote:
Originally posted by wilfordquote:
Originally posted by The Violin BeautifulMaybe the second name of the brand is worn off? I can’t think of any bow makers or shop brands that are just “Louis.”
I'm unable to find another name before or after it. I'll try to post a picture of it.
I've looked through a magnifying glass and there is just the one name, no others. It's so difficult to find history of so many bow makers who might not have achieved world fame.
UPDATE:
The bow I have which is stamped "LOUIS" also has a stamp under the frog that says "Germany". Perhaps this will further assist anyone helping me to find out more about the bow maker or any history having to do with Louis bows in general.
For some unknown reason, I thought the bow was of French origin, but it's a German bow.
quote:
Originally posted by wilfordUPDATE:
The bow I have which is stamped "LOUIS" also has a stamp under the frog that says "Germany". Perhaps this will further assist anyone helping me to find out more about the bow maker or any history having to do with Louis bows in general.
For some unknown reason, I thought the bow was of French origin, but it's a German bow.
The chances of it being French were pretty slim. If it's stamped "Germany" that makes it pre-war but doesn't tell much more than that. The Markneukirchen violin making industry churned these out by the thousands. Many were exported to the U.S. and branded by shops before sale. That may be what happened here.
I have no idea what the wood is for the Chagas-branded Brazilian bow I mention above. All I can say is that the wood looks quite different from the woods in my other bows. For one, it's a significantly lighter shade of brown. For another the wood has barely any visible grain. In any case, when I use it I'm a happy guy.
