Marcel Fétique Violin Bow, Paris circa 1940

This is a fine and beautifully preserved violin bow by Marcel Fétique – it’s in top condition and it produces a big sound.

Marcel Fétique apprenticed with his father Victor Fétique, and his style sits somewhere between that of his father and the bows of EA Ouchard, who Marcel clearly admired. This example is one of the bows made between 1940 and 1945 that are very much in EA Ouchard’s style. The stick is of octagonal section dark red pernambuco with a dramatic figure, mounts are silver and ebony.

The bow is in excellent condition throughout – apart from some minimal wear to the chamfers of the handle there are no issues to report.

This is a real bruiser of a bow – a strong yet responsive stick drawing a big and bold sound. The legato is warm and full, and off the string work is a dream – crisp, precise, easy to control. The bow represents something of an end point for 20th century French bow-making, drawing on the success of Sartory and of EA Ouchard to produce a model that’s muscular in the stick but still refined and musical. Very often the stiffer sticks from these makers produce a thin or metallic sound, but this bow somehow manages to produce a rounded core tone with just the right amount of complexity.

Perfect balance point, very comfortable in the hand – all in all a versatile and affordable bow for a power player.