Violin is one the most impressive instruments in the music sphere; that’s why you need the best violin bow along with your favorite instrument. Playing and mastering the violin is a daunting task like any musical instrument; it takes skill, dedication, and the right instruments.
This is what this article is about. The right instruments. We will look into the best violin bows today. We will list the highest reviewed violin bows and match them with the premium features suggested by the experts. And then, we will make a shortlist of the best violin bows that you can buy without having to worry about your bank account.
You will find the expert suggestions under the buying guide. And we will insert a FAQs section for you.
7 Best Violin Bows Reviewed: Our Top Picks
Let’s find out more about the top-rated violin bows the market has to offer.
Kmise Violin Bow Stunning Fiddle Bow Carbon Fiber for Violins
Kmise Violin Bow is the highest reviewed violin bow on our list. This premium violin bow has so many good features that make it one of the greatest violin bows ever to be made. Let’s look at the features that this violin has and what key features make it a good violin bow.
Kmise Violin Bow is made with advanced molding bowing techniques with carbon fibers. It gives you great performance. Not only carbon fiber, but this violin bow also has other modern materials that give you top-notch sound. Kmise claims their carbon fiber violin bow is better than wooden violin bows.
The violin bow carries the vibrations from the strings to your fingertips. This makes you control the pressure or force you are putting on the bow, allowing you to understand what to do to produce the desired sounds.
Because it is made with carbon fiber, it is not susceptible to weather conditions. It resists temperature and humidity. Wooden bows have a weakness in weather, but Carbon fiber violin bows do not. This is why people tend to prefer these bows more.
The bowhair is made with chemical free natural Mongolian horsehair. These bow hairs are very resilient and give you a full toned sound; you will enjoy playing this bow. The bowhair is more durable than bleached, fake white horsehair.
The bow is very well balanced and has a quick response. You can feel your bow strokes; your nuances flow through the string as the strings vibrate. The balance of the bow is maintained by using silver wire wrapping. This creates an unmatched balance and lets you play a superb performance.
This is a full-sized violin bow, but there are other sizes available for you. This bow is available at an affordable price. This good, less expensive bow has served most people and has since become a hit!
Pros
- Highest quality for practice sessions
- Durable carbon fiber bow for advanced musicians
- Natural Mongolian Horsehair
- Abalone inlay with Parisian eyes modern bows
- Available in colors and sizes
- High-quality bow for each violin playing style
- The bow feels great in hand, great for beginners
- Produces great sound
- professional luthiers made bow
Cons
- Some users claimed they received defective bows
Fiddlerman Carbon Fiber Violin Bow 4/4
If you are a musician or music enthusiast, you must have heard of Fiddlerman. They produce high-quality musical instruments. This carbon fiber bow is one of their unbeatable instruments on the market.
As we have said, this Fiddlerman carbon fiber violin bow is a premium quality product. This is a handmade carbon fiber violin bow for you. As you know, carbon fiber is the perfect blend of functionality and budget bows in the market. This violin bow is all that, in the flesh!
The Fiddlerman carbon fiber violin bow is made of Siberian Horsehair. The reason people use horsehair from colder climates because the horses there grow thick hair to cope with the weather there. This makes the bow hair very sturdy and durable. And these bows produce warm sounds.
The Fiddlerman carbon fiber violin bow features a nicely decorated copper mounted ebony frog. The bow has nickel plating and is very durable. The arch that is featured on this bow is of professional quality. The materials make this bow unaffected by weather, humidity, and heat.
There is a cowhide leather wrap and a mother of pearl. The ebony frog gives you excellent vibration.
This bow is available in many sizes, almost all the sizes possible. The price on this bow is pretty affordable price. If you are an intermediate student, a beginner, or even a professional violinist, you can buy this for yourself. This cheap bow will serve you with the top-quality sound and longevity for your performance.
Pros
- Durable carbon fiber bow, play an outdoors warm tone
- Natural Siberian Horsehair, genuine horsehair
- Cowhide leather wrap with mother of pearl slide
- Genuine Ebony frog, for producing a great bow sound
- Professional arch, new violin bow with standard length
- The bow feels great in hand, great for beginners and advanced players
Cons
- Needs darker rosin, no graphite diamond weave finish
ADM 1/2 Half Size Well Balanced Brazilwood Violin Bow with Wood Stick
ADM is another famous brand that makes premium quality musical instruments. This violin bow is one of their quality products.
ADM violin bow comes with a Brazilwood stick; this is the most common bow stick in recent times. This material is affordable and sturdy. To reinforce the Brazilwood bow, it is nickel silver mounted. There is a synthetic leather grip for comfortable holding. There are pearl eyes and pearl slides for extra durability and aesthetics.
The bow hair is unbleached natural Mongolian horsehair that is white. The hair is very durable and produces great and warm sounds. It is free of all harmful chemicals that can compromise the integrity of the bow’s hair.
The fittings on this Brazilwood violin bow are high-quality and gives you great sound. The materials make it well balanced and give the violin bow a quick response and resilience.
The Brazilwood that makes this violin bow is of the finest quality, naturally aged, and made with extreme care and workmanship. You can be sure of the quality because it is made by the masters of the field. The arch on this violin bow is perfect for playing and producing the sound you want.
The violin is available in several bows sizes. The price of this good quality bow is an affordable so that you can buy one for yourself and others!
Pros
- Durable, naturally aged Brazilwood bow
- Great backup bow
- Synthetic leather wrap with pearl eye and pearl slides
- Ebony frog, light bow performs well, perfect bow
- Professional, nice arch, flexible bow, synthetic grip
- Bow feels great in the hand, great beginner violin bows, excellent value
- Wide variety of sizes
Cons
- Some product comes with shredded hair, no Moroccan leather grip
AMZZ Arbor White Horsehair Violin Bow (4/4 Brazilwood)
AMZZ Violin Bow is a full-size bow for professionals and intermediate students.
AMZZ violin bow is made with Brazilwood and Mongolian Horsehair. The bow is a round bow with excellent workmanship and an elegant look. The round bow produces sounds that have better resonance and rounded that are very clear sound.
The weight of this bow is a bit higher than average. The bow has a mother of pearl inlay with an ebony frog for tightening bow hair. This round stick comes with a leather bow grip, and silver color plated wire for your playing needs.
AMZZ violin bow is a straight and nicely balanced bow. It has the perfect stiffness for the proper control and response; it is perfect for students and professional players.
This violin bow is in the very affordable range. You can buy these bows for yourself or your friends because these violin bows cost less.
Pros
- Durable Brazilwood bow
- AAA+ Natural Mongolian Horsehair
- Leather wrap, abalone slide, silver plated wire
- Ebony frog
- Round bow stick with silver winding, backup bow
- great arch
- Bow feels great in hand, great for young players, beginners, and intermediate players
Cons
- Some product comes with shedded hair
AMZZ Brazilwood Mongolian Horsehair Bow for Violin Octagonal Stick
This bow is different from the other AMZZ bow model on our list. It has almost all the qualities of the other AMZZ violin bow. Still, it is different from that in many subtle differences. Let’s take a look at the other features.
This wooden bow is made with air-dried Brazilwood aged for 10 years. The bow hair is natural horsehair without any chemical treatments. It has a great balance, and the weight is just perfect for many students and professionals.
This is an octagonal bow that is known for its stiffness and strength. This is a hand made wooden bow for students and advanced players.
This bow weighs 65 grams, not too light or heavy. This feels like a part of your hand when playing.
This traditional hand-crafted wooden bow comes at a price point that can be described as an affordable price. It is a good quality wooden bow from a top brand. You can buy this without any worries.
Pros
- Durable, high-quality air dried Brazilwood bow
- AAA+ Natural Horsehair
- Ebony frog, prefer wooden bows
- Octagonal bow stick, lighter bow, proper balance
- Straight and stiff bow, student bows, cheaper than other bows
- Bow feels great in hand, great for beginners and intermediate players
Cons
- Some products come broken (delivery issue)
VINGOBOW Carbon Fiber Violin Bow
This violin bow is different from all the other violin bows on our list. Here is why-
This violin bow features black, unbleached horsehair. The horses in question are the Mongolian horses; so this is the Mongolian horsehair, which is black horsehair!
Vingobow is a carbon fiber violin bow made by experts. Carbon fiber makes it very durable and long lasting, and the carbon fiber is also weather resistant.
It is a perfectly balanced and perfectly weighted violin bow. It doesn’t constrict your movement and feels like a part of your hand. This straight stick is hand made and has great strength and superior sound quality.
Vingobow violin bow has a bit higher price than most violins on our list. But its qualities suffice to make it an expensive bow.
Pros
- Durable carbon fiber bow
- Black Horsehair stronger bow
- Weather and temperature resistant, hand made a great bow
- Straight and stiff bow
- Bow feels great in hand, great for orchestra, beginners, and advanced violin players
Cons
- Not all rosins can work with this bow
Viotti Carbon Fiber Violin Bow
When you purchase a Viotti Carbon Fiber Violin Bow, you will not need to pay an excessive amount of money to obtain several premium attributes. This adaptable bow made of carbon fiber is painstakingly crafted by hand at a renowned artisanal workshop. The Viotti workshop is primarily focused on the production of high-quality violins and their accompanying accessories. Because each creator of a Viotti bow is a violinist in their own right, you can tell that they are deeply concerned with the sound quality of their products.
Balance, rigidity, and responsiveness are three characteristics that are meticulously examined before a Viotti bow is allowed to leave the factory. After that, it is durablely packaged and transported in a professional case to ensure that it will reach its destination in an impeccable and untouched state. The Viotti carbon bow will not warp like a traditional wood bow, even when exposed to extreme heat and humidity.
The form of the Viotti violin bow is sleek and sculpted for maximum flexibility, making it more rigid, stronger, and more responsive than other bows. You’ll fall in love with its full and resonant tone, which features a legato that is smoother, a staccato that is crisper, and a spiccato that is cleaner, brighter, and has more uniformity and precision.
The Mongolian horse hair used in the Viotti Carbon Fiber Violin Bow is all natural and has been meticulously gathered and prepared. The best part is that it has not been bleached, which means that its full strength and thickness have been preserved.
This stunning bow exudes a refined, one-of-a-kind aesthetic thanks to the mother-of-pearl inlays and the gleaming nickel embellishments that decorate it. It boasts a quality nickel winding and a durable end screw in addition to a smooth and strong ebony frog. The grip is made of genuine leather. Weighs about 58 and 62 grams.
You’ll be able to appreciate Viotti’s craftsmanship whether you’re just starting out as a student, are an experienced teacher, or are a highly qualified professional. It is also the ideal practice bow for musicians who play in orchestras.
Within the first two years after the purchase of your Viotti bow, you have the option of returning it for a full refund or getting a replacement if it is damaged in any way.
Pros
- Affordable
- High-quality build material
- Adaptable to extreme environmental conditions
- Well-balanced
- Excellent sound quality
- Suited for violinists of every skill level
- Good packaging with a protective case
Cons
- Not compatible with some rosins
Best Violin Bow Buying Guide
Buying a violin bow can be a hard and confusing task for people. It is not helped by the fact that there are so many available bows on the market, and their advertisements can often be misleading in making an informed decision. It is so easy to get yourself away from the right one and buy the wrong one. There are so many considerations that should be kept in mind or focused on if you are shopping for a violin bow for yourself.
While deciding on a violin bow, considerations like materials, shapes, balance, bowhair, camber, buoyancy; should be kept in mind, alongside your level of playing and your sound preference. We will discuss all that and more in our compact and comprehensive buying guide.
Let’s see the buying guide for more ease for the right bow stick!
Violin Bow Stick Material
Violin Bow stick material is one of the leading considerations that should be kept in mind while buying violin bows. There are three materials that violin bows are predominantly made of.
I. Pernambuco wood bows
Pernambuco wood is a rare type of wood that is a traditional bow material. Pernambuco wood is used to make more expensive bows for professionals. The wood is harvested from the forests in Brazil and then brought to the West (North America and Europe) for manufacturing violin bows.
Pernambuco wood is becoming rare and is near extinction now. Many organizations have vowed to protect the wood, and so it is very, very rare and hence expensive.
II. Carbon Fiber Bows
Carbon fiber bows are one of the most used synthetic materials that are preferred by many people and artists around the world. Carbon Fiber Bows or Carbon fiber sticks are very strong, resilient, and durable. This is a reason that people started preferring Carbon Fiber violin bows more.
Carbon fiber violin bows come at a low price point than Pernambuco wooden bows. It is the Carbon fiber stick, the perfect choice for beginners and professionals alike.
III. Brazilwood bows
Brazilwood is used for making the cheaper bows. But that doesn’t mean Brazilwood violin bows are bad bow than other different bows. It is a perfect beginning bow for students. The Brazilwood bow is resistant to wear and tear, and therefore most suitable for beginners and intermediate violinists. These bows are cheaper than Pernambuco bows and carbon fiber sticks.
Bowhair
Along with bow stick material, bowhair is another important buying consideration for purchasing the right violin bow. Different bow hair has different properties. They sound and act differently.
i. White Horse Hair
One of the most sought, and expensive bow hair is white horsehair. But being the most premium material, the demand for the material is so high that there are many fake products. Hair from brown mare is bleached and made to look like white hair.
Original white horse hair will produce the expected sound and last longer than any other material.
ii. Mongolian Horsehair
Other than White horse hair, natural Mongolian horse hair is another material that is used to make violin bow hair. Due to harsh climate conditions in Mongolian winter, the Mongolian horse grows thick hair. This thick hair makes a long lasting bow and rich, deep sounds.
iii. Synthetic Materials
There are synthetic hair fiber bows construction as well, such as the plastic French Coruss.
Sound Quality
Different bows can produce different sounds. Many people are surprised by this fact, but this is the truth. A stiffer bow will produce a brighter and focused sound. But too stiff a bow will produce a rough and edgy sound.
Suppler bows will produce a smoother sound that will also give you a fuller sound.
Weight and Balance
Bow Weight and balance is another important buying consideration for violin purchase. A violin bow should not be overweight.
The generally accepted weight for a violin bow is 60 grams. But some people prefer bows a bit under or over that range. It is not a standard written in stone.
The violin bow should feel like an extension of your hand. It should not constrict your movement, nor should it feel weird. If it feels just right in your hand, it is probably the right bow for you. Weight often affects the balance of the bow. But this is a matter of personal choice so you can spend on what you want.
Bow Shape
There are two bows shape of violin bows in the market. Round and Octagonal.
Round bows are the most common type of violin bow shape. The French master violin bow makers rarely made anything other than round bows. Round bows produce the right sound and are very versatile.
Octagonal violin bows are better for specific sounds. These bows can do that. However, octagonal bows are a bit more expensive. This makes things confusing for new learners.
The shape of the bow is a consideration that you should keep according to the sound you are looking to make.
Buoyancy
The buoyancy of the bow can be tested like this. You can tap the tightened bow hair with your wrist or index finger. Your tap will create a vibration. If the bow is vibrating with your string, you have a good bow. This comes in handy in playing off the string strokes like spiccato and ricochet and on the string strokes like legato and detached.
Camber
Camber is the arched shape in the curved middle part of the bow. This gives the bow the strength to play.
Most bows come with a perfect camber. But if you feel the curve is too much or too little, you should avoid the bow.
Straightness
When looking down the shaft from the frog (usually ebony frogs are better), a new violin bow is generally manufactured straight. On the other hand, the violin bow stick tends to bend to the right after a lot of playing. As a result, the bow may become difficult to handle, and undesired squeaks may occur when playing. As a result, it’s critical to inspect the bow’s straightness before purchasing it and repair or replace it if it’s crooked.
These are all the buying considerations that you must keep in mind while buying the most suitable violin bow for yourself.
Final Words
Violin is a melodious instrument that can mesmerize people with its sounds if played right. And playing right depends, in no small part, on the right instruments. Instruments like Violin, Violin Pickup and Violin String, and of course, Violin Bows.
In this article, we have looked into the best violin bow. We have selected the highest rated, most reviewed violin bows. And through a process of elimination, we have created this compact list. You can be sure of the quality that these bow sticks possess.
If you think we have missed a violin bow stick that should really be on this list, you can write to us (data rights reserved by our privacy policy). We have missed that specific product because it lacks the reviews that were our lowest bar of entry. This is why reviewing what you buy is important. This helps other people.
If you have any queries, comments, different opinions, suggestions, or experiences you would like to share with us, you can write to us.
FAQs
Are carbon fiber violin bows any good?
Ans: Carbon fiber violin bows are better than Brazilwood bows.
Can You Use a Cello Bow to Play Violin?
Ans: You can use a cello bow to play the violin, but the sound quality will not be the same.
Does a beginner need different violin bows than a professional?
Ans: Sometimes. But at the same time, it is better to use professional violin bows for
Does violin bow quality Matter?
Ans: Yes, it does. Read our buying guide section for the full description.
How much does a good violin bow cost?
Ans: A good violin bow can cost between $20-$300.
What is the best violin bow?
Ans: The Kemise violin bow is the finest violin bow on the market. If you are looking for a set, you can go for the higher quality Giuliani brazilwood violin bow.
What is the ideal weight for a violin bow?
Ans: Generally, for most violinists, it is 60 grams, but some people go for a bit higher or lower weight distribution than that.