CELLO BOW

A cello bow is now in process and as with the violin bow we make the fog first. This is because the frog needs to ready to mount on the stick very early on in the process. Since I covered the frog making process in earlier posts I’ll only cover what is unique to a cello frog. The cello frog has a rounded heel or ‘talon’ so this necessitates a different approach in that area. The amount of curve or radius of the heel varies quite a bit between bow makers and in general the earlier 19^th century bows have a bigger radius or are more rounded. There is an aesthetic and stylistic relationship between the curves of throat and the curve of the heel. Since the length of the flat area on the bottom of the frog determines the length of the pearl slide, the rounder heels have a shorter slide all things being equal. In this case our radius is relatively large. The tighter heel curve of late 19^th century makers like Lamy was a bit easier to make and made possible a longer pearl slide since the flat area on the frog was longer.

Once the frogs heel is rounded we fit the eyes in the frog sides and in this case we are using a eye ringed with silver or ‘grain et cercle”. . To receive the ring, a narrow groove is cut with a special drill bit, which cuts the recess for the pearl eye at the same time. Each bow maker makes these bits themselves to the requirements of their taste and style. Francois Tourte was probably the first to make this type of eye and to begin with the ring was fairly heavy, getting finer during the course of the 19^th century. To make this eye a thin strip of silver is cut, bent into a ring and soldered. It is then put on a tapered rod or mandrel and hammered to the correct diameter. It is then filed until it fits snugly into its groove. The pearl eye is filed to fit and glued into its recess followed by the ring, which is hammered lightly into place. When the glue is set, any silver sitting proud can be filed off flush with the sides and the eye is completed.

WILL’S BOW Part 8. The head.

With the stick round, the final carving of the head takes place and the mortise for the hair is cut. As we mentioned earlier, we have chosen a particular height for this head to compliment our concept for the bow’s relative flexibility and the actual transition where the head meets stick has an effect on the bow’s sensitivity. In addition the overall mass of the head effects the bow’s distribution of weight.

The head is also the most sculptural element of the bow and here the bowmaker’s personal style manifests itself strongly. While the throat of the frog is also a sculptural element it is bounded on three sides by the frog itself. The head is a three dimensional form that could manifest itself in many ways and still function to hold the hair. The sketch illustrates some of the variables the bowmaker works with in developing a style. Is the ‘dessous cou’ or back of the head turning sharply or roundly from the stick. How is it angled, forward or back? How does the base or line of the tip plate relate to the curve of the stick? Is it relatively flat or strongly curved? How delicate is the ‘bec’ and how far does it extend from the rest of the head? How does the ‘arete’ or ridge along the front of the head relate to the curve at the back of the head. Does the head appear wide above or bell shaped? Finally how sharp or rounded is the curve from the arête to the top of the stick? And how does that curve relate to the curve between the back of the head and the underpart of the stick? A sharp curve in front and back gives the head a hatchet-like appearance. However Eury very effectively used a very rounded front contrasting with a very angular ‘dessous cou’. These are things bowmakers and connoisseurs notice but any player will appreciate the overall elegance of a beautifully conceived head.

Another strong stylistic element is the ‘chanfrein’ or chamfer, a bevel cut at the angle between the sides and back of the head. It can be cut in many shapes and nowhere else is the signature of the bowmaker more evident. On earlier 19^th century bows the chamfer is a pure unpolished stroke of the maker’s knife that brings to mind the calligraphic nature of Sumi painting. Later in the 19^th century the knife marks were usually cleaned up with a file but the chamfer still had the stamp of the bow’s maker.