This is a very good middle period James Tubbs violin bow – original in all parts (of course) and a great playing stick.
We have become serious devotees of the work of James Tubbs. If you accept that 80% of his bows are unusable noodles, the other 20% are amongst the best bows ever made.
For some general observations about the life and work of James Tubbs, you can read our article here.
This bow has a round stick of dark red pernambuco, beautifully flamed. Mounts are silver and ebony with a simple pearl eye and one-piece button.
The condition is very good – the only isuses to report are some minor loss of ebony adjacent to the underslide and a small amount of wear to the top facets of the handle.
There’s a strange magic to a good Tubbs stick and it’s found most often in these middle period bow made around 1885-1890. “Buttery” is the word most often used to describe them, and this bow has this quality in abundance. Smooth and opulent in tone, yet also quick on the draw and crisp off the string. Let the French and Belgian experts laugh in our faces – we know something they don’t!
This bow is the best kind of Tubbs with that wonderful warm golden sound, effortless in the hand, and endowing every note with poise and intention.
