Rodney D Mohr, a leading string instrument bow maker, restorer, and repairer with more than 25 years experience, offers tips to help keep your violin bow, viola bow, cello bow or bass bow at its optimal performance level to produce the highest quality sound from your instrument for the longest period of time.
Keep your bow clean! Wipe any rosin or perspiration off with a soft cloth every time you use it or if you're in a long session, take a break and wipe it down.
Perspiration will soften the pearl inlays and they will lose there luster and start dissolve.
The salt from your perspiration will also recrystallize in the pores of the ebony and pernambuco and make white or gray blotches that are very difficult to remove.
Rosin will accumulate on the bow and turn dark and unsightly. It takes strong chemicals to remove this build up. This is unhealthy for the repair person and will remove some of the original varnish.
While cleaning your bow, look at it and become familiar with it. You see it more often than your repair person and you will be better prepaired to see changes.
Don't delay a repair! Time delays can make the job more difficult or even impossible. A crack or split in your bow should be repaired immediately. DO NOT TOUCH any damaged areas! The oils in your hands may promote discoloration of the wood and the edges of the crack can be broken away making the repair more noticeable.
Choose your repair person wisely! There are many people that can do remarkable repair work, but there are many more that are willing to do work for you that are unqualified. Make sure that the person you choose is up to the task. Ask other players, teachers, ect., about whom they trust. There may not be anyone in your area that is capable of doing the work. Just remember higher quality repair work will help you retain your bow's value. Contact the American Federation of Violin & Bow Makers for a listing of makers and restorers by state.
Choose your rehairer wisely! Rehairs are done more frequently than any other work and your bow is at the most risk of damage during this procedure. Small plugs are placed in the head and frog to hold the hair in place. A thin wedge spreads the hair to the edges of the ferrule. Great care must be taken in fitting these plugs and wedges properly for many bows have been damaged while being rehaired.
Col legno can damage your bow! If the string is trapped between the bow and the fingerboard, this will leave indentations in the stick. If possible use a lesser quality bow or fake it.
Stand tapping is forbidden! Why would you show your approval of a performance by wacking your bow against the edge of a steel music stand? If I suggested wacking your instrument against a music stand you would think it an absurd idea. Please don't do it.
Keep your instrument insured! Don't insure tomorrow what you can damage today. Probably the most important thing you should do to protect your investment is to insure it. Accidents do happen no matter how careful your are even before the ink has dried on your check. Make arrangements with your insurance company before you take an instrument home. Typically homeowner's insurance only covers a single item up to $500. A separate ryder policy is necessary for musical instruments of value. Contact Heritage Insurance for questions about your musical instrument insurance.