Martin Swan Violins There is still some uncertainty about who made the bows branded Simon FR, but they are consistent and individual in style, very close to the work of the Peccatte school. This bow is one of the best examples we have seen, eminently collectable but also a tremendous player.
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Lafleur is one of the great names in French bow-making, and this is a very fine early example of his work. Contemporary bow-makers would kill or maim to get their hands on this quality of pernambuco, dense, veined and beautifully flamed. The head is very artistic, a bell-like model which Pierre Simon championed in his work. Typical frog with 2-piece heel-plate, one single pin in the centre of the back plate.
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Marco Raposo bows come from a well established Brazilian company who use responsibly sourced pernambuco. I’ve always been impressed with the quality of their bows – they are distinctive in looks and they play well.
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Branded WE H&S, this remarkable bow was made by Willam R. Retford (son of William C Retford) around 1930. A very responsive player of an ideal weight, in a fine state of preservation, this bow comes from the private collection of one of the most respected experts in Hill bows.
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FX Tourte is without question the greatest maker in the history of bow-making. Here we have a terrific FX Tourte stick in excellent condition, with mounts of the period probably by Francois Lupot II.
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This is an exceptional gold-mounted Sartory violin bow, formerly the property of the renowned French violinist Jacques Thibaud. It’s a remarkable bow in every way.
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Ansaldo Poggi is the most highy valued violinmaker of the 20th century, and here we have a rare viola in mint condition. An outstanding collector’s piece and a beautiful sounding instrument.
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Another great James Tubbs, this time a later model with a classic plain frog. The stick is strong and well balanced, and the condition is excellent.
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Francesco Maurizi is a relatively obscure maker from the Marche region of central Italy. His violins are much admired for their quality of sound, though the construction can be quite hurried. This viola is a great example, with an unusually deep and noble sound for its size.
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This is a fine Hardanger by the highly respected early 20th century maker Torleiv Frøysaa. It’s a beautiful sounding instrument with 4 sympathetic strings in good playing condition.
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Karel Pilař is one of a small group of talented makers active in Prague and Czechoslovakia in the mid 20th century. This is a typical example of his Strad-inspired model in excellent condition – it’s an outstanding players’s violin with a powerful yet refined tone.
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This is a rare del Gesu copy by one of the most interesting of late 19th century French makers, Joseph Hel. It’s an unusually fine sounding example of this maker’s work in very good condition.
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This is a very fine viola by Piero Parravicini, a student of Antoniazzi and a prolific and successful maker. It’s an excellent size and the sound is rich and powerful.
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This is a fine early Collin-Mézin violin in excellent condition, and with a characteristically bold and rich sound.
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This is a very fine and rare example of the work of Célestin Clasquin. It’s a great playing bow in beautiful condition.
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This is a good Louis Morizot bow made very affordable by a replacement button – otherwise the condition is excellent and the bow plays beautifully.
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This is a great early James Tubbs viola bow made for WE Hill whose brand it bears. It’s in a very fine state of preservation and it’s an unusually versatile player.
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Contact us for more information on this Castello School Viola or look for similar violas here.
Contact us for more information on this Karel Pilar Violin or look for similar violins here.
Contact us for more information on this EA Ouchard Cello bow or look for similar cello bows here.
Contact us for more information on this Pierre Silvestre Violin or look for similar violins here.
Contact us for more information on this Otakar Spidlen Violin or look for similar violins here
This is an exceptional bow by one of the greatest of the French makers, Etienne Pajeot. It plays beautifully and the condition is outstanding.
Mounts: nickel/ebony
Dimensions: length 74.5cm weight 58.8 grams
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This is a unique early Sartory bow in superb condition – it’s a highly collectable bow but it also has a unique clarity of tone.
Mounts: silver/ebony
Dimensions: length 74.35cm, weight 61.5 grams
Certificate: Raffin-Le Canu-Bigot, Paris 2017 
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Look at our other collectable French violin bows
This is a spectacular gold mounted Sartory in excellent condition, and with the playing qualities you would expect from this maker’s best work.
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This is an exceptional sounding insturment made around 1800 in the Prague/Vienna school. It’s one of the best sounding violins we have in stock, and worthy of a top level player.
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Nicolas Simon (also known as Simon Fr.) is a superb maker whose life and origins are still poorly documented. All we can say with certainty is that he made exceptional bows broadly in the style of Peccatte.
Another great bow by Marie Louis Piernot, an early 20th century maker whose star is on the rise. First class workmanship, very good condition and a big earthy sound.
This is a fine Jules Fétique violin bow with outstanding playing qualities, dating from around 1925. It’s lovely looking bow in very good condition.
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This is a lovely late James Tubbs, an unusually strong and responsive stick for this maker, and in top condition.
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Jean Persoit is one of the most hallowed names in bow-making, really the only maker to rival FX Tourte. Here we have a restored example that is nonetheless quite beautiful and an outstanding player’s bow.
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There are Hill bows and Hill bows … and this is about as good as you can get, a chased gold and tortoiseshell fleur de lys bow in mint condition. And it plays!
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A very good Finkel “Lefin” viola bow, around 25-30 years old but in perect condition. It plays unusually well for the price, with a rounded, muscular tone and easy control off the string.
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This is a superb gold and tortoiseshell mounted Hill bow from the 1970s. The bow is branded WE Hill & Son, this brand being reserved for the best quality of sticks. However, we don’t need the brand to tell us what the quality of the bow is, since gold and tortoiseshell Hills are the pinnacle of their output.
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This a lovely Hill bow by Arthur Copley, silver mounted, and with its original whalebone lapping. Although it bears the WE Hill & Son stamp reserved for their best bows, it’s a bit tatty here and there, hence the bargain price. There are no significant condition issues, but the frog is chipped and has a repaired crack, the stick’s a bit nibbled here and there, and the silver face plate is slightly dented.
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This is a lovely English violin in the tradition of Joseph Chanot. It’s in pretty much flawless condition and the sound is just great.
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Günter Paulus belongs to a large family of bow-makers stretching back to the 19th century. We have sold a number of his bows – all have been of the highest quality and excellent players.
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This is a beautifully preserved Hill bow from 1939 with outstanding tone and playability.
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This is a fine early Pfretzschner in very good condition – a beautiful piece of bow-making and a phenomenal player.
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Tino Lucke is a highly respected modern maker whose bows are in great demand amongst players. Here we have a beautiful example of his work in mint condition.
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We have become completely besotted with the Prague makers – their instruments are of the highest level tonally, yet still so undervalued in the marketplace. Scheverle is a rare maker who is believed to have apprenticed with Hellmer – here we have a superb sounding viola of an excellent size.
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Mounts: silver/ebony
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Take a look at other violin bows in this price range.
Contact us for more information on this Nicholas Maline Violin Bow or look for similar violin bows here.
Mounts: nickel/ebony
Contact us for more information on this Paul Bailly Violin or look for similar violins here.
Contact us for more information on this Alex Smillie Violin or look for similar violins here.
Contact us for more information on this Caussin Workshop Violin or look for similar violins here.
Contact us for more information on this Sebastian Kloz Violin or look for similar violins here.
Mounts: gold/ebony
Contact us for more information on this Alfred Knoll Viola Bow or look for similar bows here.
Mounts: silver/ebony
Contact us for more information on this Charles Nicholas Bazin viola bow or look for similar bows here.
This is an unusually beautiful Victor Fétique in great condition. Made with spectacularly flamed wood, and a great player into the bargain.
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Contact us for more information on this Claude Joseph Fonclause Violin Bow or look for similar violin bows here.
An exceptional gold mounted HR Pfretzschner violin bow in near perfect condition – and a big sound.
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