I chose to special order a bass bow meeting my desired specifications. The shop did exactly as per our efficient communications, and was very quick to ship the finished bow, exactly matching requests. The finished product is professional quality, and will be used in my professional capacity as assistant principal player of the bass section of a US orchestra. The snake wood draws a big, articulate sound, and allows subtle tonal and articulation control. It requires a bit of adjustment from pernambuco, which tends to be more forgiving. The upside is smaller motor mechanisms are effective, such as fluid use of fingers, wrist, and lower bow arm, as opposed to larger arm usage, as common in orchestral playing. This is a characteristic of the finest bows money can buy, such as those by Sartory and Fetique. This characteristic can be a detriment without adjusting one’s playing technique. The snakewood provides necessary stiffness and flex, as no doubt intention on the part of the obviously experienced bow makers. I’m a happy customer!
