Fiddlerman Carbon Fiber Violin Bow

Arrived today, well packaged and in a very nice box for the bow, which was a pleasant surprise. I am a beginner to intermediate player, and purchased my violin and bow from an old man in an alley for practically nothing. It is a student model which was well set up twenty years ago but was very worn. The bow I started with was what I now believe to be a Vale student model. It was breaking down and half the hair was missing so I went looking for an affordable alternative. I'm very traditionalist in my selection of most everything, and was hoping to acquire a well made brazil wood bow at the very least. However, after noticing the many positive reviews of this product I decided to take a chance. Also I live in a very unpredictable climate, and with a carbon fiber bow, you eliminate a great deal of worry over environmental stress on the bow. After the bow arrived I inspected it and found no obvious defect. I rosined it and tested it and am fairly pleased with it so far. I have spent much time looking for an affordable quality bow and I believe this one is a very reasonable selection for a beginner such as myself. Is it a professional quality soloist piece? No. It is priced and manufactured very appropriately for a beginner to intermediate player. It produces a very clear tone and is decently balanced. There are some people who may tire kick this bow and that is to be expected of people in general in this day and age. They want it all, and they want it for nothing. Don't listen to them. This is an extremely high quality bow. For the price point. If you are working with a very tight budget, I highly recommend this bow, in terms of design and quality. This is an excellent option for those of us in need of a workhorse for a low price. And did I mention it comes with a warranty?

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.

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.

This is a good bow, but to save time, purchase it from the official site instead. They function with professional musicians who will inspect the bow before shipping it over, which guarantees a straight bow, but that's not the case with Amazon - you may get a crooked bow without the inspection. I had to return it because the one I got from Amazon was crooked. Otherwise, still the same item from the same company, and Fiddlerman has fantastic products.

It’s a great bow. Definitely worth the money.

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.

This bow looks, feels and sounds great! That’s why I gave it 3 stars. I’ll admit I had pretty high hopes after reading reviews but I was disappointed. It just seemed that the hair was falling out way more than normal. Perhaps I just got a bad one but it was a bit too pricey for me to keep.

Good opinion for a bow replacement. Works better than the lower end bows that I have used. It has good weight and balance. The hairs tighten evenly.

best buy carbon fiber violin bow!

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

جيد للتمرين

Excellent!

A mi hijo le encantó, muy ligero y fácil de manejar.