£4,500
Garner ‘Tug’ Wilson was one of the last generation of Hill makers, joining the firm in 1960 and working there until 1966 before setting up on his own in Dingwall, Scotland.
Garner Wilson’s bows sit firmly within the Hill tradition, strong, crisply made and completely reliable. Like most makers, he used gold and tortoiseshell mounts for his best sticks, and this is a very fine example. The stick is of octagonal section darkish brown pernambuco of octagonal section, and the frog sits on a Hill style stopped fitting.
The condition is very good – the bow has had some heavy professional use and the handle is slightly worn, but otherwise it’s very clean.
This is a very responsive bow which draws a big warm sound with lots of life. Lovely legato, rich and firm, and a very easy and controllable staccato. I’ve always been keen on Garner Wilson bows and have sold quite a few, often bought directly from Garner himself, but this is definitely in the top league. A very attractive bow with great technical qualities, eminently suited to a professional orchestral player.
Mounts: gold/tortoiseshell
Dimensions: Length 74.9cm, weight 72.5 grams
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Ref: SR116