Behind The Scenes: An Inside Look At The Workshop Of Bow Making
Back to BlogThis essential part to making music on your violin is not only indispensable but also a work of art. The amazing creation of a handmade violin bow is a long process that requires skillful efforts and patience from the artisan, as well as deep knowledge.
Violin bow making is a challenging and very interesting process to get to know about! If you’ve ever wanted to get a glimpse into the bowmaking process, now is your chance! Let us give you an inside look at violin bow making, and more precisely a sneak-peek into Lucchi’s workshop! The Lucchi family is one of the greatest bow makers in Italy.
Inside the workshop of bow making
As we all know a violin bow isn’t just to help you play the violin itself, an excellent bow will enhance the instrument’s tones, it gets another 30% to 40% out of the violin’s voice, which means if you have acquired the right bow for you and your needs it will make your music even better! Therefore, handcrafting a bow can be anything but an easy task. Just like a violin maker, the profession demands a lot of experience and knowledge from the luthier.
The process of making a bow from start to finish takes a ton of hard work and attention to detail: The process of making a bow begins by planing the corners to transform the square stick into an octagonal one, using planes that are specially designed for this process. Then the tip of the violin bow is shaped to determine the aesthetics of the bow which is a vital process in determining its final shape.
The bending operation is carried out with heat. There is a delicate balance when it comes to flaming the wood because if you heat it too much, it will collapse and lose strength; if not heated enough, it won’t bend or will lose its curvature over time. One thing that distinguishes a handmade bow from an industrial one is the artesian approach. The bow maker cannot limit himself to a mechanical copy of a bow, adapting its curve and thickness and expecting to obtain the same result. The curvature of the bow depends on the sensitivity and experience of the bowmaker.
Meet The Lucchi violin bow making
The Lucchi bow is based on the French classical design, reinterpreted over the years by Maestro Giovanni Lucchi who, giving particular importance to the functionality of the bow, derives a personal model to it. Their production is well appreciated by many musicians and is demanded usually for the particular quality and best raw materials!
The wood chosen by their father, Maestro Lucchi, thirty years ago, and carefully selected by him, are all from Pernambuco and worth more than 5500 LucchiMeter.
Their deep studies and knowledge in the French classic taste added with the reinterpretation over the years focus mostly on the functionality of the bow, resulting in the unique aesthetic quality and personal model of the Lucchi bow. The same model that, as the head of the Italian bowmaking school, he then passed on to the generations of bowmakers who learned the art of the trade from him.
They believe that only top-quality bows perform well in adverse conditions. This is their philosophy: the philosophy of those who ask musicians to focus on their work, with a certainty that bows know how to do their best.
Some of their masterpieces are available on our website, keep scrolling to meet them!
A Bow by Giovanni Lucchi, Silver Special
Crafted by a Master Lucchi! This bow demonstrates why he is the reference for modern Italian bow making. This bow’s characteristics are the high-quality round Pernambuco stick of light color, plain ebony and silver frog with an insertion of a Swarovski crystal, three-part silver and ebony screw, and silver and synthetic fiber winding.
Giovanni Lucchi was an Italian bow maker noted for founding the first school of bow making in Italy. He worked for several years as a musician and instructor, and in 1971, he began constructing and restoring bows.
A Bow by Marta Lucchi, Silver Mounted
The bow’s characteristics are the high-quality round Pernambuco stick of light color, simple eye silver mounted frog, three-part silver and ebony screw, and winding. In our opinion, the high point of this bow is its bold squared head.
Crafted by Marta Lucchi, a master maker and daughter of maestro Giovanni Lucchi, she grew up in her father’s workshop where she breathed the art of bow making from an early age.
A Bow by Giovanni Lucchi, Silver Mounted
The rounded and delicate head is this bow’s highlight. Some other characteristics are the high-quality round Pernambuco stick of light color, Parisian eye silver mounted frog, three-part silver and ebony screw, and silver winding.
Balance point —250 mm
Weight ———-59.5 g
A Bow by Marta Lucchi, Silver Mounted Black
Marta’s long experience as a bow maker allows expressiveness in her characteristic work that follows her father’s style. For us, the delicate thin Pernambuco stick together with the short screw is this bow’s highlight.
Balance point —-265 mm
Weight ————60.5 g
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The Workshop
Amorim Fine Violins is a violin, viola, and cello workshop based in Cremona. Our mission is to provide musicians with instruments so they can uniquely express themselves. We are a family business, just like the workshops of Stradivari and Guarneri. Founded in 2001 by the renowned violin maker Luiz Amorim and his wife, Betina Schreiner. We bring our fine arts experience into the violin-making field. .
