Stick

What it is

The stick is the shaft of the bow, running from frog to tip. Everything else attaches to it. More of this kind of thing is in the anatomy section.

It is the component that determines how a bow behaves. Two bows with identical hair, frogs and fittings but different sticks play entirely differently.

What it is made of

Pernambuco is the traditional and still preferred wood for fine bows. It has an unusual combination of density, elasticity and strength that no other wood matches.

It comes from a single species native to the Brazilian Atlantic forest, which is now endangered and subject to international trade restriction. Supply is limited and prices reflect it. This is a genuine long-term problem for bow making and one reason alternatives matter.

Brazilwood is the common term for other, less expensive woods used in student bows. It is not the same wood as pernambuco despite the naming confusion.

Carbon fibre is now widely used at every price point. It is stable across temperature and humidity, durable, consistent between examples, and good ones play very well. Many professionals carry one as a backup or for outdoor and travel use.

Synthetic composites appear at the student end and vary in quality.

Round and octagonal

Sticks are cut either round in cross-section or with eight flat faces.

Octagonal sticks are slightly stiffer for a given weight, because more material sits away from the centre. They are also more work to make, so an octagonal stick often indicates a more carefully made bow.

Round sticks are more common and are not inferior. The difference in playing characteristics is real but small, and other factors matter more.

Some bows are octagonal near the frog and round toward the tip.

Why the stick determines everything

Three properties of the stick govern how the bow plays.

Stiffness. A stiffer stick transfers more energy to the string and produces a more direct sound. A more flexible stick has more give and produces a softer attack.

Weight and balance. Total weight matters less than where the weight sits. A bow with more mass toward the tip feels heavier in the upper half and behaves differently in fast strokes.

Camber. The curve of the stick, discussed in its own entry, determines the springiness that bouncing strokes depend on.

These combine into a playing character. Some bows bounce readily and suit spiccato and sautille. Others are firmer and suit sustained playing. Neither is better in the abstract; players choose according to how they play and what they play.

Weight

A modern violin bow typically weighs between 58 and 64 grams, with 60 to 62 being common.

Weight alone tells you little. A 62 gram bow with the mass toward the frog handles more lightly in the upper half than a 60 gram bow with mass toward the tip.

The balance point, usually measured from the frog end, is the more informative number, though most players judge by feel rather than measurement.

What can go wrong

Warping. A stick can bend sideways over time, particularly if stored under tension or in poor conditions. Correctable by a bow maker with heat, within limits.

Loss of camber. Long-term storage under tension flattens the curve. Recambering is possible but is a real repair.

Cracks. Usually fatal for a wooden stick, though a skilled maker can sometimes save one.

Bug damage. Rare but real. Wood-boring insects occasionally attack a stored bow.

Maintenance

Loosen the hair after every session. This is the single most important thing a player does for a stick.

Wipe rosin dust off after playing. It accumulates and hardens.

Store in a case, at moderate humidity. Extremes of dryness or damp affect wood.

Do not lean it against anything. Bows fall.

Carbon fibre sticks are far more forgiving of all of this, which is part of their appeal.

Choosing a bow

For students, playability matters more than material. A bow that draws a clear sound and bounces predictably is worth more than a bow with an impressive label.

Trying several bows on your own instrument is the only reliable method. Bows and violins interact, and a bow that suits one instrument may not suit another.

Weight and balance should feel comfortable in the hand without conscious effort. A bow that feels like work is the wrong bow, regardless of its quality on paper.

How it comes up in teaching

Rarely as a subject in itself, but constantly as an explanation.

A student whose spiccato will not develop may have a bow that does not bounce. A student who cannot sustain tremolo may have one that is too heavy. Recognising when a technical problem is an equipment problem saves months of unproductive practice.

Understanding how the instrument is built on paper and producing it on the instrument are different skills. We teach both, in private and group violin lessons, in Cumming, Sugar Hill and Dunwoody. Call 470-789-2422 or book a no-commitment evaluation lesson.