Müsing Bow: The most ergonomic frog and button ever

[@user-do5hd7zb4x]

This is interesting. Thank you!

[@simonflook6034]

Hello Bernd, I’m a British amateur violinist of nearly 60 living in France. During the coronavirus lockdown of May this year I bought a Musing C3 violin bow with the modern ergonomic frog. I purchased online through the Stuttgart outlet Paganino who are very happy to deliver to France. I have to say I am extremely happy with the purchase. It has a kind of facility of ease and my violin sounds great with your C3 bow. Compared to my old Pernambuco stick marked P. Hoyer for which I paid £ 130 (GBP) the transformation is just amazing. Particularly, it has just the right combination of strength, rigidity balance and flexibility and I can supply power to the sound even when at the upper part (point) of the bow without the hairs touching the stick in the middle. Regarding the frog, I do find the U-shaped edge of the new, higher thumb rest could have been rounded off a little more as this edge does feel a little sharp on the skin of the pad of my thumb. The button screw is fantastic to turn in this new design and looks good too. I was just wondering how much difference there really is between the different grades and what criteria is used to assign a newly made bow to the C2, C3, C4 or C5 category. Paganino sent me the C3 by DPD delivery and I had a 14-day trial period, but I didn’t get to try any of the others in the series (such as C2 or C4) for comparison. An excellent bow and very good value for money in my opinion. Thank you. Simon. Edit: 19/11/20: I Just wanted to add that I really enjoy the “Zingy” sensation of my C3 stick resonating while I play. As if the bow is singing to me. I have never experienced this before. I tried several wood bows at a dealers’ shop during my C3 trial period, often at 2 to 3 times the price of the Musing, but none resonate like my C3. Best wishes, Simon

[@BogenmacherD]

Hello Simon, thank you so much for sharing your experience and I am really happy that the bow is working so well for you. If you want take off the edge on the frog, you may of course ask a luthier or simply get some fine grip sane paper to work. But go slow and see how much you really want to take off. I actually prefer this "sharp" edge as it provides me a very precise contact "information". I also advocate to put the thumb on the leather so that it barely touches the frog. You may want to try that out, just move the hand a few millimeters up. The difference between each class, from the C2 to the C3, from the C3 to the C4 etc. is clearly audible. The question is how important is it, and that is very individual. There are some players who would not touch a C4 again after they have tried a C5 once. For my part I have a C4 that I like a lot and that suits my playing really well. Of course I also have some of the high end Arcus bows, to swap between. If you'd like to try some other bows, do get in touch with me over our website and we'll figure out how. The "zingy" sensation originates in the hollow, thin walled construction of the stick and is indeed particular to Arcus and Müsing bows.

[@Nick-cs9dt]

I agree with pretty much everything you said Simon, especially that ‘zingy’ sound. It just sounded more alive than others I heard. I tried a brand new C3, brand new C2 and a nearly new C2. Fortunately for me the nearly new C2 sounded the best in a blind test when both my wife and I listened to them so I kept that. I just wish they had a 5 star button option for it.

[@simonflook6034]

@@Nick-cs9dt Thanks for your reply, Nick. My C3 still cuts the mustard one and a half years on. An excellent purchase. It'll need rehairing sometime soon, though....

[@Nick-cs9dt]

I am still looking for a bow the issue is I want a modern frog with the 5 star button. Almost all shops in the UK don’t offer the modern frog, only the traditional frog. Can the modern frog and button be swapped out if I buy a traditional C3?

[@ARCUSMuesing]

Hi Nick, I'm afraid it's not possible to swapp the frog afterwards, but there are C3 bows with a modern frog (and the 5 star button), so maybe you need to check with a few more dealers in the UK to see who has one.

[@Nick-cs9dt]

For whatever reason, there are only a very few dealers in the Uk that offer the modern frog c3 option and they charge around £100 more it than those who just sell the traditional frog. It is quite frustrating. Can just the 5 star button be swapped over onto the traditional c3?

[@ARCUSMuesing]

@@Nick-cs9dt Yes, definitely. We can send you the 5 star button and you'll just swap it yourself. Can you please send us an email to [e-mail] so we can exchange the details?

[@Nick-cs9dt]

@@ARCUSMuesing I have emailed you. Thanks

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

@@ARCUSMuesingis the five star button available by itself? Cost shipped to the US?

[@tatianachentsova]

Can you make a review on an Arcus bow with Galliane frog by Benoit Rolland? It will be interesting to combine Musing ergonomic button and frog design with the hair ribbon sitting at an 15 degrees angle at the frog.

[@BogenmacherD]

Hello Tatiana, many years ago the idea of the Galliane frog was introduced to us and as I am certainly not one to reject innovations, we made some bows with those frogs. Most players (including me) had problems to adjust to this system and over several years we sold only one bow with the Galliane frog. A couple months ago that player turned to us and had his Galliane frog replaced by a regular frog as he had stoped using that bow. Now with the regular frog he is happy again. I don't think I'm the right person to make a review of the Galliane frog, as I don't think I understand the idea behind it. I am a big fan of playing the bow upright (with very little tilting) and I am also a big fan of a relax and flexible bow hold, while the Galliane seems to support a static bow hold. Besides, those Galliane frogs are very, very expensive and only for this reason not really an option for a Müsing bow. In case you would be interested, we have 2 Arcus violin P7 bows with Galliane frogs in stock.

[@tatianachentsova]

@@BogenmacherD Thank you so much for your very detailed answer! Especially, for those important weaknesses of Galliane frog. I have not tried it myself. I live in Kazan, Russia. Unfortunately, there are no Arcus dealers in Kazan and in Moscow Codamusic usually do not have 7 or higher series bows in stock to try them for several days vs my personal pernambuco bow.

[@nickiemcnichols5397]

@@BogenmacherDif these frogs are ergonomic, why do they not fit the thumb more naturally?

[@BogenmacherD]

@@nickiemcnichols5397 It totally depends on how you hold the bow. The ergo frog is designed for players who put their thumb before the frog. If you put your thumb inside the frog, then the traditional frog is the right solution for you.