'Wooden bows account for 80 per cent of the market,’ says Bernd Müsing, director of bow company Arcus. ‘But if, considering the issues with pernambuco sourcing, wooden bows can longer be made, how do we cover this 80 per cent? Can we produce carbon-fibre bows with the same quantity and quality?’ This question has been on Müsing’s mind since 2008, and the answer finally came in the form of the Müsing bow, introduced for violin, viola and cello in 2017. The range’s most recent release is the double bass bow.
‘Our goal with the Müsing bows was to replicate the sound of a fine pernambuco bow, but at a lower price point,’ he says. The technology used is completely new to the bow industry, he claims, and new machinery was made especially for the process. The hollow bow stick is made from 3D-woven carbon injected with epoxy resin, which is heated and hardened under high pressure. The C3 and C4 bass bow models are mounted with stainless steel, while the C5 is silver-mounted.