ARCUS carbon viola bows - and all you want to know about them

[@johnjankiewicz3478]

Thank you for this video. As a viola player I appreciate your insights.

[@ARCUSMuesing]

Thank you very much for your kind words. We are glad that this video is useful to you 😊

[@skyko]

It is amazing to me that there are no comments on this very well made and insightful video! Thank you for your expertise Bernd! I have been playing my large viola with a violin bow for too many years I think it's time that I give this some serious consideration! : )

[@ARCUSMuesing]

Thank you! We're glad to hear our video is useful for you. Yes, you should definitely consider trying one of our Viola bows, you'll feel and hear the difference. Maybe even try out one of this year's anniversary bows - they're perfectly balanced and widely loved by most players.

[@skyko]

@@ARCUSMuesing I would very much like to try your viola as well as your high-end violin bows. Can you please recommend a dealer in Los Angeles that you trust? Thank you! BTW, your latest video on the violin bows is superb! : )

[@BogenmacherD]

@@skyko You can find a list of qualified Arcus dealers on our homepage: www.arcus-muesing.de/en/contact.html#usa

[@violalady18]

Thank you so much for this video - I learned a LOT!

[@PalavraVivaUSA]

Hard to find information on Arcus bows! I appreciate the video :)

[@ARCUSMuesing]

Thank you! We are trying our best to upload more informative videos for KZbin. In the meantime, please check out our websites. Arcus: www.arcus-muesing.de/en/home.html Müsing: www.muesing.eu/en/

[@CineMutt]

Very illuminating !

[@ARCUSMuesing]

Thank you!

[@MrJohnnyTN]

Can you add more info/difference between Round and Oct.. Looking at M8/P8 and M7 bows currently.. Viola is 15.5 with 36mm string length

[@ARCUSMuesing]

@MrJohnnyTN, thank you for commenting. The difference is that the octagonal bow feels very lively and agile and bounces almost automatically. The round bow has a more steady feel and follows the movements of the right hand with utmost precision. The M-bows are only available with a round stick since they are very flexible and well-balanced anyway. An octagonal M-bow would be too "nervous". And with 36cm string length, your viola is one of the smaller ones and the M-series would be the perfect choice. If you need any help to find a local dealer for trying out bows, please let us know.

[@MrJohnnyTN]

Yes and thanks... currently the M7 is my pick. Next bows to try are M8, 20th silver and 20th gold.

[@jackwilloughby239]

I'm considering a Five String Violin, but one of the problems I have cropping up lately is running out of bow at the tip. I'm 6' 4 1/2" with a pretty long wingspan, so I tend to play too much towards the tip anyway. I tried looking for an extra-long bow, but apparently there aren't any being made. I did have one of the original Berg bows till it was broken during a re-hair and the wooden bow replacement was superior in sound, so I didn't complain. Your much appreciated videos have me convinced that your bows are superior to either wooden or graphite bows. Are there longer bow lengths available?

[@DKNguyen3.1415]

Yikes. Broken during a rehair?

[@MrJohnnyTN]

Could you comment on where the 20th Anniversary Silver and Gold Viola bows fit compared to M and P.. I will be testing them soon

[@ARCUSMuesing]

Did you test them already? The Anniversary bows are actually right in the middle between M and P when it comes to sound and playability ( a bit more flexible than P but not as soft as M). They are also a little bit heavier than M/P , and made to extremely tight tolerances and with the utmost precision which ensures they fit every instrument and player nicely. The anniversary viola bows are suitable for medium sized instruments. Please let us know how the testing went and which one you preferred!

[@MrJohnnyTN]

@@ARCUSMuesing I should be getting my trial bows tomorrow or next day... I do plan to get another viola soon 400cm with 36.7 string length... of the first bows I tested I really liked the M7.

[@MrJohnnyTN]

@@ARCUSMuesing 36.9 actually string length

[@ARCUSMuesing]

@@MrJohnnyTN For a 40cm Viola the M-bows are still suiteable. For anything bigger we recommend the stiffer P-bows. So maybe the anniversary bow might really be a good alternative for your new viola because it's right in the middle.

[@ARCUSMuesing]

@@MrJohnnyTN We're happy to hear your oppinion once you tried the bows.

[@kodama44]

If you don’t mind please tell mewhich does the old line Arcus viola bow play better, on the shorter string length or om the longer string length? In other words, is old Arcus line like M series or like P series? I happen to be coming across a second hand Arcus viola sinfonia round bow, and being curious.

[@BogenmacherD]

The earlier Arcus bows of the Sinfonia/Concerto/Cadenza range are similar to the S- and A-series. The S- and A-series were an improvement over the earlier models as we employed higher quality materials and improved the process and workmanship. A few years later we found out that a little more weight in the bow is actually advantageous for most violas, which led to the development of the M and P-series. Those have been out best selling viola bows since. We still have a few of the earlier series bows and also some S and A, but they are not selling any more, as 99% of all players prefer the P, M and T, our latest addition.

[@kodama44]

@@BogenmacherD Thank you for detailed answer. Difficult and silly thing I ask again but permit me. As I having both long and short violas, 1)On the premise that I having Sinfonia now, what bow should I add? M or T/P ? 2)Or should I get a new pair ( P&M or T&M?) or will only T be suffice for both short and long violas?

[@BogenmacherD]

@@kodama44 The sweet spots regarding the string length for the current viola bows are 36 cm for M, 37 cm for T and 38 cm for P. So if the string length of your violas range between say 36,5 cm and 37,5 cm, one T bow should do perfectly well. It is hard to say something about the Sinfonia. We made them before we discovered the connection between string length and stick elasticity and the bow also differed a lot more than today as we could not control their properties nearly as well as today. But as you have several violas, you could simply try it on them, find out which instruments suits best, and then acquire a bow for the other viola(s).

[@kodama44]

@@BogenmacherD Wow, I am very grateful to have generous reply from you here and being able to share this precious information with others. Googling around, it seems to me that having at least grade 7 seems to be a condition to get a real wonder of Arcus bows, so I got to sell many things or start saving for the purchase to come! Thank you very much, I am really privileged to have correspondence directly from the Inventor himself. May you have merry Christmas!

[@BogenmacherD]

@@kodama44 The 7-class bows are indeed where Arcus bows are in their very own orbit, but with viola bows the fruits are hanging quite a bit lower. You know, many bow makers have a tendency to use their best wood for violin bows. The second tier goes into cello bows. Now guess where that leaves the viola bows? In my whole life I have never experienced a wooden viola bow that was near strong enough, would bounce perfectly, sound really nice (full, round, brilliant, with little noise, good projection), or even do two or three of these. Get yourself a 5-class Arcus bow that matches your instruments and your playing style and you won't find a wooden bow to top that. No matter the price or name or whatever piece of paper comes with it.