Bow making

What use would be a good bow stringed instrument without his loyal bow? The magic wand to a great musician, the bow needs to play out every sound the player imagines. It must be quick and accurate on every tone colour. Choosing a bow is a most unique quest, and I am here to help you fulfilling it – by making your own bow.

Bow making

I think having your bow made is the best way to get exactly what you want. To do so, I need to understand and analyse how you play, what kind of music you play, and on what instrument. Indeed, trying to pick a bow that might suit you best among hundreds of others would be a loss of time and of money (the prices for antique French violins are most of the time extremely high). At my workshop, on the contrary, you will have a say on every step of the making, thus helping to create a bow made for you only.

My bows

Travel violin bow by Guillaume Kessler

First and foremost, these bows are unique pieces, handmade in the French bow making tradition. First and foremost, these bows are unique pieces, handmade in the French bow making tradition. They are for violinists who want a great sound and an unmatched playability. If you go abroad often, this bow is your new passport – with it, you will go through no more troubles at the check-in-procedures, and, what’s more, it only needs a small change to turn into a completely vegan bow.

not rated 2940,00€ – 4200,00€

In stock

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Travel viola bow by Guillaume Kessler

First and foremost, these bows are unique pieces, handmade in the French bow making tradition. They are for cellists who want a great sound and an unmatched playability. If you go abroad often, this bow is your new passport – with it, you will go through no more troubles at the check-in-procedures, and, what’s more, it only needs a small change to turn into a completely vegan bow.

not rated 2940,00€ – 4200,00€

In stock

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Travel cello bow by Guillaume KESSLER

First and foremost, these bows are unique pieces, handmade in the French bow making tradition. They are for cellists who want a great sound and an unmatched playability. If you go abroad often, this bow is your new passport – with it, you will go through no more troubles at the check-in-procedures, and, what’s more, it only needs a small change to turn into a completely vegan bow.

Rated 5.00 out of 5

3361,00€ – 4725,00€

In stock

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Cello bows by Guillaume KESSLER

Here’s a bow made just for you in my workshop.

not rated 2940,00€

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Viola bow by Guillaume KESSLER

Here’s a bow made just for you in my workshop.

not rated 2520,00€

In stock

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Violin bow by Guillaume KESSLER

Here’s a bow made just for you in my workshop.

not rated 2520,00€

In stock

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Customed bow making

You are looking for a very particular bow? Feel free to get in touch with me so that we can discuss your project.

Steps of bow making

Making a bow is putting together various pieces of wood, metal, and other refined materials. Here are a few steps of how a bow is made at my workshop.

Choosing the stick

A modern bow is usually made of Pernambuco. A stick from this Brazilian Wood displays great playability, a rich sound, and has a nice tone. Still, wood is a raw material and, as such, it takes a careful selection to find the best piece. It is however possible to guess what character the stick will have once it has been carved. Here is how I rank them:

• Mechanic-wise, from the stiffest to the most flexible stick.
• Tone-wise, from the clearest to the darkest tone.
• And how good they look – it is important that the wood be pretty and flawless.

Planing the stick

I shape the stick with planes and then carve its head with knives. I can also use ebony, ivory, or metal to veneer the head, in order to make it stronger.

Planing the frog

The frog is a complex feature. It is made of various materials put together to ensure the player has a good grip and to conceal one end of the hair. The frog is mostly made from ebony. Then I carve it and veneer it with pearl and metal.

The mortise for the hair is cut into the frog

The silver ferrule is perfectly adjusted

A full silver liner