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January 23, 2012
Could a Carbon-Fiber Bow Be Your Electric Fiddle’s Best Friend?
The aesthetic of a futuristic bow meeting an innovative violin alone may be enough to inspire electric string players to try out a carbon-fiber bow. And that’s good because nearly every electric-stringed-instrument maker recommends a carbon-fiber bow as the perfect companion to his masterpiece for reasons that transcend aesthetics. While sound, feel, and sex appeal are largely in the eyes and ears of the bow holder, carbon fiber comes with benefits that advocates say shouldn’t be overlooked.
Of course, you can use a standard wooden bow on a seven-string electric violin, for example, but carbon-fiber bow makers are starting to take note of the difficulty of reaching the extended strings and are optimizing their bows accordingly.
CodaBow, long known as a top manufacturer of carbon-fiber bows for acoustic instruments, is the first company to explore this new arena with the creation a couple of years ago of the Joule bow. Aptly named after a unit of energy, the Joule tackles the low C, F, and Bb strings found on daring extended-range instruments. Blaise Kielar, owner of the Electric Violin Shop in Durham, North Carolina, says the Joule’s fatter bow hairs can pull out a lush tone from the lower strings without sacrificing the more refined sound of the E string.
“The miracle of the Joule is that you can get the lower-frequency strings without having to work hard at it,” he says.
The Joule accomplishes this without sacrificing a violinistic feel, which is important for the serious player. Kielar and others have heard of extended-range violin players using viola and even cello bows, but this could adversely affect technique.
Strength, durability, and price are frequently the main selling points of carbon-fiber bows. But there are other rewards: you bought your electric violin so that you could confidently take the stage and a carbon-fiber bow can give you an extra boost of confidence.
By Rory Williams
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