This is a good middle period James Tubbs violin bow – there’s some playing wear to the handle but otherwise it’s in great condition, and it has the classic buttery Tubbs sound.
This bow dates from around 1880 and bears all the hallmarks of this period – rounded “catfish” ferrule, plain pearl eye and plain adjuster, silver face, and the dark staining to the stick which is of round section pernambuco, very dark red-brown – mounts are silver and ebony.
This bow has had a good deal of use and there’s some visible wear to the upper 3 facets of the handle just above the thumb projection. The silver adjuster is quite marked too, otherwise the bow is remarkably well preserved.
Tubbs bows are a bit of a “marmite” issue – you either love them or hate them. Most people who hate them have never tried a good one – they are usually supple and often just too soft, but when you find one that’s strong enough the sound is remarkable, instilling everything you play with nobility.
This is such a bow, capable of drawing every ounce of dark emotion out of a violin without sacrificing definition.
