Cello Bows and Strings

We received a few requests to talk about cello bows, so we're finally taking care of this topic here in detail. :-)

This video is not only about cello bows, but also about cellos themselves, and very much about cello strings as well.

Playing a cello and the sound of a cello used to be very different from what it is today. Strings (and the evolution of them) have been very important in changing the sound of the cello and the way you all play it.

Starting with the use of gut strings and the baroque bow, this video gives a short outline of the history of cello strings. As the industrial revolution spread over Europe, different metals became more available and cheaper, making it possible to play more widely with steel core strings that are metal wound. Which metal exactly was/is used for winding makes a huge difference since a different density of those metals means a different weight, and a different weight means a different tension (a heavier string has to be tightened much harder).

Since the material of cello strings has changed, the bow became the weak element in the whole set up: if you play on your C string or your G string in fortissimo (or if you play double stops), you will discover that your regular pernambuco bow bottoms out. And that not only spoils the sound, but also kills the hair of your bow.
The natural consequence would be to make bows harder and stronger in general. That again is only possible by leaving more wood on a bow stick which usually makes them way too heavy.

Looking for a solution to this problem, Bernd Müsing created the ARCUS bows. By increasing the stiffness and at the same time decreasing the weight of a bow, ARCUS achieved to create a cello bow that finally and perfectly matches modern strings.
Since their "invention" ARCUS bows have been constantly evolved and improved, playing a significant role for in the bow market (and not jus carbon fiber bows).

Find out more great things about our bows on https://www.arcus-muesing.de/en/home....

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A big thank you to the fabulous Alexander String Quartet for letting us use their fantastic performance of the Dvořák Piano Quintet in A Major, Op 81 - III. Scherzo:
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