This is the “Classic” among baroque bows for contrabass and something like the original master template for my contrabass bows. The original is a beautiful violone bow in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna (SAM 865), which, with a stick length of 80 cm and a hair length of about 62 cm, is really quite a long representative of its type. Based on its length, one surmises that the bow was played underhand, i.e. with a gamba bow hold. The time and place to which the bow is attributed (Austria or Germany around the turn of the 18th century) as well as the many modern reproductions that have been made all corroborate this assumption.
 
For “standard” playing, I make a shortened version that can be delivered with a clip-in frog (as in the original), a hidden ratchet mechanism or a screw mechanism.
 
By the way, this is the first model for which I also offer an “aged” or antiqued version, which certainly gives it a little extra something!
The original is made of plum wood, but I often make copies whose sticks use other woods, such as sorb or pear. Besides affecting weight and flexibility, the choice of wood has a crucial effect on the bow’s sound. In this way, the model is highly customizable according to the client’s wishes.