Violin is one of the most famous string instruments in ancient and contemporary times. It’s one of those instruments lovers of classical music delight in playing. However, the essential part of a violin isn’t the violin itself—it’s the violin bow!
What is a violin bow?
When we talk about violin bow, we are referring to that wooden sword-like thing that violinists move forth and back across their strings. A violin bow is the most critical tool for producing beautiful sound on the violin.
Why is the violin bow so important?
As stated earlier, a violin bow holds the key to producing a rich, perfect and beautiful sound when playing the violin. In other words, the violin as a string instrument would be meaningless without the violin bow. Most professional violinists will often have multiple violins, whereas, most will have just one bow they use in playing all of their violins. The reason is down to the fact that it’s the bow hand that controls the various elements of playing such as articulation, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, and tempo—including the bow itself.
Related: Violin, Kids Violin, Electric Violin, Violin Case and Violin Bridge
What are the Best Violin Bows to Buy?
2) Fidderman Carbon Fiber Violin Bow 4/4 Full Size
- Popular Choice
- Mongolian Horse Hair
- Great Balance
- Lightweight
1) CodaBow Diamond GX Carbon Fiber 4/4 Violin Bow
- High Quality
- Handcrafted
- Pernambuco
- Great Sound
- Great for All
3) Crescent Brazil Wood Mongolian Horsehair Violin Bow
- Brazilwood
- Mongolian Horse Hair
- Affordable
- High Quality
So what should I consider when buying a bow?
Choosing a violin bow can sometimes be difficult, considering the multitude of brands that have flooded the market. However, there are few things you should know and consider when searching for a bow. These are:
Materials: The main four materials used in making violin bows are Brazilwood, Pernambuco, synthetic material and carbon fiber. This is due to their lightweight but sturdy nature.
Shape: Violin bows come in two shapes—round or octagonal. Rounded bows are preferable because they’re less stiff and allows for greater control.
Size: Of course, make sure that the size of your violin corresponds to the size of your violin.
Weight & Balance: All bows come s with different weight and balance. While a lighter bow makes will make different bow strokes to be more facile, a more substantial bow will typically create a much more important sound.
20 Best Violin Bow Reviews and the Best Violin Bow Brands
1) CodaBow Diamond GX Carbon Fiber 4/4 Violin Bow
The CodaBow Diamond GX Violin Bow is a handmade product designed in the USA. The brain behind this design is Walter Paulus, and the bow features a polished premium ebony design that is individually numbered. The bow is suitable for playing 4/4 violin, and it features a top-quality Kevlar acoustic core.
The bow enhances performance and plays beautifully like the most elegant Pernambuco bows. It is remarkable for producing a unique organic sound that is rare among carbon fiber violin bows. The bow size ranges 31 x 3 x 1 in dimensions, which is just perfect for players at all levels. The material is sturdy, handles well, well balanced and easy to control while producing robust and full sound with minimum effort.
One reason why this violin bow from CodaBow is worthy of consideration is its consistency both in craftsmanship and responsiveness. It’s a good design for all players.
2) Fidderman Carbon Fiber Violin Bow 4/4 Full Size
A hand-made carbon fiber design is another great option to consider when looking for the best violin bow in the market. Most violinists preferred violin bows made of carbon fiber. The violin bow is lightweight and is well weighted, with a mounted ebony frog that is nicely decorated to give it a charming look.
The Fidderman Carbon Fiber Violin Bow has a perfect weight distribution, which enhances balance for great playability degree of responsiveness. Its carbon fiber composite design makes more affordable compared to other carbon fiber models. Using the Fidderman guarantees no finger strains while its quality Mongolian horsehair ensures great response and rich sound.
The bow’s construction is such that it resembles the weight and curve of those wood bows used by professionals. It has excellent bounce and action, although it may need to be rosined on arrival.
3) Crescent 4/4 Full Size Well Balanced Round Brazil Wood Mongolian Horsehair Violin Bow
The Crescent Mongolian Horsehair Violin Bow is made of durable Brazilwood, and it produces excellent sound when used across the violin strings. It is readily affordable with boasting a design that is appealing to the ordinary eye. The Crescent 4/4 measures 29.5 x 1.3 x 0.3 inches in dimensions, making it a full-size bow.
Precisely, the bow does what it is made to do—draw responsive sound, but much shouldn’t be expected from such a cheap bow. For better performance and reliability, you may have to rosin the bow if it happens that the warp is bearing side by side, instead of being up and down. Nonetheless, the Crescent 4/4 Full-Size Mongolian Horsehair Violin Bow is the typical bow intended for beginners’ level players.
The excellent quality sound is the significant aspect of this violin bow, even though it tends to lose hairs a bit.
4) CodaBow Diamond SX Carbon Fiber 4/4 Violin Bow
Similar to the Diamond GX, the CodaBow Diamond SX Violin Bow is a 4/4 design featuring Kevlar acoustic core with a fantastic graphite diamond weave finish. This bow natural graphite tint design is a competent violin bow for professionals and teachers as well as for tours.
The CodaBow Diamond SX performs wonders regarding the sound it draws. The bow has a smooth mechanism, especially with the sterling silver inlay and the sterling silver winding, both of which compliment the diamond weave slide and the traditional handcraft wood wedges and plugs.
The bow is well-balanced, and the sound that emanates from this piece is bright, warm and has the needed responsiveness to alter your opinion about your violin. With 10 years limited warranty, you can always consider this one violin bow when shopping for one.
5) CodaBow Prodigy Carbon Fiber 4/4 Violin Bow
The CodaBow Prodigy is one of the most beautiful violin bows on the market. The bow is handmade in the United States, which is a welcome development for violinists who don’t joke with standard and quality. The bow feature mother-of-pearl slide and a sterling silver winding for smooth and enhanced playability.
Featuring brown tint color design, the CodaBow Prodigy Carbon Fiber Violin Bow is an ideal option for professional violinists who want something that is beautiful and reliable at the same time. The bow also features a traditional ebony engineered frog designed, silver medal horsehair, usual wood plug and nickel and silver fittings. All of these features, including a Moroccan leather grip, make the CodaBow a bit expensive but top quality violin bow.
The bow draws amazing sound from any violin and is suitable for an aggressive and wide variety of playing styles.
6) JonPaul Bravo Model Carbon Fiber 4/4 Violin Bow
If you don’t mind purchasing something that is a bit on the high side, the JonPaul Bravo Violin Bow is an excellent option to consider when shopping for the best violin bow. It may appear pricey for the beginner player, but for those who have attained professionalism, the price of this violin it.
The JonPaul Bravo Model Carbon Fiber Violin Bow is a full-size bow perfect for size violins. It has excellent fittings and mounting, together with Steinway finish combining to produce a beautiful piece of instrument. It features a single piece design (though carbon fiber) which makes it extremely strong. The stick is round, and it has an elegant black finish that pops the silver alloy tip.
JonPaul has long been in the business of producing carbon fiber bows more than any other company in the market. The bow has thin hairs, and it has a wood-like appearance. Lastly, the durable leather grip makes it a great choice for professional violinists.
7) Yamaha CBB101 Carbo Fiber Violin Bow
Only a few musicians will need an introduction to Yamaha—one of the world’s most famous brand and manufacturer of musical instruments of all category. The Yamaha CBB101 is just another top-of-the-board product that is worth every penny spent on it. The bow is very sturdy in design, perfectly streamlined, and strong enough to withstand aggressive play.
With 30.3 x 2 x 1.2 inches in dimension, Yamaha offers a perfect length size violin bow suitable for advancing and professional violinists. The CBB101 is designed to be extremely durable while being able to undergo aggressive play. It features a leather grip and horsehair design that adds to its overall durability and strength in responsiveness and smooth playing.
Ebony frog eye and nickel ring pearl give the CBB101 superior look and feel of a professional violin bow. It is a full-size bow meant for a full-size violin—a bow that can function under any climate.
8) DZ Strad Old German Baroque Style Violin Bow
DZ Strad Violin Bow reminds us of the popular ‘German machines,’ an acronym that defines the durability and efficiency of goods made in Germany. The bow has nice looking features with top-quality craftsmanship. It features unbleached Mongolian white horsehair that is well-strung to provide a rugged and handsome tool for your violin.
The bow has quick balance and perfect resilience, and the German design ensures durability at its peak, which is further reinforced through inspection of the product in the United States. The bow is a full-size violin bow with snakewood design that also adds to its appealing look. It weighs 54g, which is just perfect for professionals and beginners alike.
Overall, the frog braid design and hand craftsmanship ensure the DZ Strad is the Old Geman Violin Bow that is manufactured with considerable attention to details.
9) Glasser X-series Carbon Fiber X-Bowl with Horsehair (4/4 Violin)
The Glasser X-series carbon Fiber is one of the most advanced violin bows on the market. It uses a carbon graphite molding technology in its overall construction, which helps in making it more affordable by keeping the price down. The durability of this violin bow is not in question since it is manufactured in the United States.
Aesthetically, the violin bow is beautiful, especially with the inclusion of the faux pearl eyes which adds beauty to the design without affecting the price range. The stick is round, which is suitable for violinists who prefer something with a round shape and better feel.
Weight and balance are well distributed across the violin bow, considering its extreme lightweight design, which in turn, renders a unique bright sound. Nonetheless, you might need some time to produce a sound that will fill a large space. But with slide action, you can enjoy a smoother play.
10) ADM 4/4 Full Size Well Balanced Brazilwood Violin Bow
Violin bows made of Brazilwood are always something to consider because of the rich, quality sound they generate. They are also very convenient to play and suitable for both professionals and beginners alike. The ADM Violin Bow is a full-size bow, and it has a genuine half-line ebony frog fully mounted upon nickel silver metal. It features inlaid mother-of-pearl eye together with pearl slide for excellent look, balance and responsiveness.
The ADM Violin Bow is made of Brazilwood, which is very durable, with fantastic feel and excellent response across the entire stick. This design features the reliable Mongolian horsehair, but it appears to be loose off t some point, although you can still get about 40 gigs out of it before thinking of a replacement.
Overall, the bow is decent for the price and considering the synthetic leather thump grip, its great sound, balance and response, the ADM is not a lousy violin bow at all.
11) Carbon Fiber Violin Bow 4/4 Full Size with Rosin
For violinists who are looking for a way to experience quality sound, this Carbon Fiber Violin Bow is the ideal way to acquire that. The bow features the famous Mongolian horsehair which is known for producing rich, vibrant notes and excellent overtones on your violin.
The lightweight design and resilience offered by the carbon fiber construction are one of the reasons lots of professional violinists prefer this violin bow. It comes with an excellent arch profile that renders strong bounce and action, even when subject to aggressive playing.
Additionally, the bow comes with its rosin, which is good, but it also means you can’t choose your own. Perhaps, the best thing with this violin bow is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. Plus the fact that it is well balanced, enabling you to play with ease on your full-size violin.
12) Crescent Well Balanced Carbon Fiber Violin Bow 4/4
Crescent is another great name when it comes to violin bow construction. This model is completely made for full-size violin play, and it has great quality features that set it apart from some models in its category. The bow can be defined as a subtle upgrade from a generic bow. It produces smoother and slicker sound, and its durability is never in question.
The Crescent Well Balanced Carbon Fiber Violin Bow features good quality ebony frog and fittings with slides that renders smooth play. It also includes pearl eyes, which is perfect for students who consider carbon fiber as an excellent option. The horsehair quality (which is Mongolian) fittings, frog, cut and chamber great exceed anything that constitutes a student playing level. Beginners are bound to experience the fantastic ease at which the Crescent bow plays the violin strings.
Boasting a well balanced and highly responsive feature, the Crescent Violin Bow is ideal for everyday outdoor or indoor violin play.
13) Presto Carbon Fiber Violin Bow Black (4/4 Size)
Presto is a genuine carbon fiber violin bow with excellent features that make it suitable for intermediate users. This bow is one that is skilfully molded and finish by professional and experienced artisans. This carbon fiber bow is extremely durable and can withstand a high level of aggressive play.
The Presto Carbon Fiber Violin Bow incorporates a laser-tracking design and unbeatable control which makes it the perfect teaching bow for young and upcoming players. The soft and smooth-sailing action is another feature that defines this carbon fiber bow. It is suitable for fine music because it eliminates scratches and rounds off notes in a compelling manner.
Ebony frog with Parisian eye adds glamour to this black-color designed bow—a perfect option for advanced violinists.
14) Guiliani Brazilwood Violin Bow (4/4 Full Size)
Here is a bow from a good manufacturer that has attracted some important recommendation for its violin bow quality and reliability. Guiliani Brazilwood Violin Bow is a full-size bow designed for professionals to play efficiently on their full-size violin.
The Guiliani Violin Bow comes with full rosin feature which contributes immensely to its bounce and responsiveness, apart from the way the bow’s frog and stick are designed to flow together in relative terms. The bow also incorporates the ever-reliable Mongolian horsehair, which can stand the test of time due to its strength and durability.
Aesthetically, the Guiliani Violin Bow is outstanding, featuring a genuine silver-winding, inlaid mother-of-pearl eye, and a real leather grip. It is also remarkable for producing a bright, full tone, with two years full warranty.
15) DZ Strad 200 Violin Bow Pernambuco Wood 4/4 Full Size with Ebony Frog
The DZ Strad 200 Violin Bow is highly rated as one of the best violin bows in the market. This is largely due to the type of wood material used in designing the bow. Pernambuco wood is remarkable for being the best and most durable wood for violin bows. The wood is lightweight and at the same time strong. It can withstand any level of aggressive play, and it enables the wide range of motions necessary for playing the violin.
Based on its durable construction, the DZ Strad 200 Violin Bow has an excellent balance and resiliency perfect for long duration play. The instrument is well crafted and it is firm in strength and stiffness. Every piece of the design is thoroughly inspected in the United States to guarantee standard, quality, and durability.
The DZ Strad 200 Violin Bow features pure white, unbleached Mongolian horsehair with high-grade AAA for great note response and overall playability.
16) Vio Music Braided Carbon Fiber Violin Bow, Full Size 4/4
Designed as a full-size violin bow for a full-size violin, the Vio Music Braided Carbon Fiber Violin Bow offers players a strong, well balanced and convenient playability. The feel is excellent, and it has a great curvature. At 0.8 ounce, the bow is well weighted, and the balance is adequately distributed.
The Vio Music Braided Carbon Fiber Bow features an ebony frog with silver winding which is perfect for beginners and student violinists. Vio features a reliable design that promises the best of performance similar to Pernambuco violin bows.
The braided carbon fiber adds much durability to the bow. Decent response, well balanced and playing with this bow is like a walk in the park. The company (Vio) is famous for producing reliable instruments and accessories that will last for many years with the best quality. This model is most suitable as a backup violin bow.
17) Beautiful Snakewood Baroque Style 4/4 Violin Bow Stiff & Fast Richard Wilson Marais Model
Richard Wilson Marais Violin Bow models are remarkable for their baroque style design and tenacity during play. This model is a full-size bow, with Richard’s regular stiff and fast response level. The body construction features a snakewood design, together with durable wood material from South America.
Regarding length, this Richard Wilson Marais Violin Bow Model features a 704mm length measurement, which is useful for enhancing the right balance during play. The bow has a round shape, and the model is termed ‘Master & Modern bow’ class. Measuring about 59 gram in weight, this beautiful snakewood baroque style violin bow is just perfect for producing slicker, smoother sound with quick response and resilience.
The bow weighs 6.4 ounces, which is considerably light for a wooden bow of its class. The firm and fine grains enable excellent performance with robust tone.
18) DZ Strad Model 301 PERNAMBUCO Violin Bow 4/4 Full Size
DZ Strad has released another violin bow model that share similar characteristics with the DZ Strad 200 and the Strad Old German bow models. For instance, the DZ Strad Model 301 PERNAMBUCO Violin Bow features the same genuine white, unbleached grade AAA Mongolian horsehair found in the Old German and Strad 200 model—a feature that allows the instrument to draw top-quality notes from your violin.
However, the major difference between the DZ Strad Model 301 PERNAMBUCO Violin Bow and its sister versions is the fact that it has much brighter tone than most other violin bows, including those in its brand series. The bright, vibrant tone makes it suitable for challenging musical play such as blues or rock music. The bright tone isn’t much suitable for cool and soft artistic style of play.
Nonetheless, the DZ Strad Model 301 PERNAMBUCO Violin Bow features similar wooden construction like its sister version—Pernambuco wood is stable and will last for a long time. It has a good response and unbeatable resilience as well.
19) Glasser Fiberglass Bow with Horsehair (4/4 Violin)
The Glasser Fiberglass Violin Bow comes in a round stick shape, a pattern that is popular among advanced and professional players. As the name implies, this bow is made of fiberglass, a material that has an excellent reputation for being decently durable and reliable regarding extensive use. The bow is created as a full-size option for a full-size violin.
Of course, the design a degree of durability since it is made in the United States. It comes with genuine horsehair and composite frog bearing full metal under-slides, which are the source of its strength. The bow measures 29 x 0.5 x 1.2 inches—a good length for smooth playability and with 2.24 ounces in weight, the Glasser is offering excellent balance for professionals and advanced players alike.
This bow can last up to 5 years or even more. It is an excellent choice for any beginner.
20) VALE Prima Violin Bow with Light Weight Bow Case (Full Size)
The VALE Prima Violin Bow is a great bow with excellent balance. Weighing 2.8 ounces, the bow is just like most other violin bows that are incredibly lightweight, which is ideal for long duration play. The Prima measures 30 x 2 x 1 inches in dimension—a reasonable handling size for both professionals and beginner violinists.
The Vale Prima Violin Bow features a durable Palo Santo wood stick design, and carefully stored in a lightweight case for carriage. It has an ebony frog with slide and abalone eye. The bow also features natural, high-quality Mongolian horsehair, which doesn’t come off like most other cheap models. It has a silver winding and a cowhide leather wrap. It is a full-size bow ideal for a full-size violin unit.
Apart from its aesthetic look, the VALE Prima Violin Bow and its tightly-fit Mongolian horsehair produce great playability and warm sound resonating on every note.
Choosing the Best Violin Bow from the Best Violin Bow Brands
A good violin bow is the only thing that can bring out the best in any violinist. Although the time spent on searching for the right violin bow may seem overwhelming, it is worth every bit of it. Ability to purchase a good violin bow has the potential to influence and generate positive results for all violinists as well accompanying musicians.
The essential component of a violin outfit is the bow; without which you just cannot make meaning out of the best violin. Therefore, it is imperative that critical care and time be dedicated to searching for and purchasing the right and suitable violin bow.
2) Fidderman Carbon Fiber Violin Bow 4/4 Full Size
- Popular Choice
- Mongolian Horse Hair
- Great Balance
- Lightweight
1) CodaBow Diamond GX Carbon Fiber 4/4 Violin Bow
- High Quality
- Handcrafted
- Pernambuco
- Great Sound
- Great for All
3) Crescent Brazil Wood Mongolian Horsehair Violin Bow
- Brazilwood
- Mongolian Horse Hair
- Affordable
- High Quality
A good violin bow should (preferably a full size one) one should fit your violin size correctly so you can have smooth handling. It should have excellent weight distribution if you want perfect balance and an unbeatable level of response.
The horsehair should be tightly strung and not easily broken, to ensure excellent playability and sound quality when used across strings. Lastly, you may want to consider the durability of your violin bow—the ability to last for many years is a significant feature of a quality violin bow—something you must never overlook in your search for the best violin bow this year.