A reader letter reviewing the CodaBow

In your Summer '97 issue, you published several reviews of the CodaBow...I just bought one and I thought I would write and tell you about it. While I agree that $675 is a lot to pay for a bow, I was very interested in owning a bow that will essentially last a lifetime. Good quality wooden bows are growing more and more expensive and bows that have been in my price range have tended to be "squishy."
I ordered the bow and took three additional pernambuco bows out on approval. I played them all for several days and then asked my wife to listen. She picked the Coda out over and over again in "blind" listening tests. I also asked my teacher to evaluate it. She was interested to play it but was initially very skeptical about its performance. However, after giving all four of the bows a workout she said that the Coda was definitely best.
I have been very pleased with the choice. It is far and away the best performing bow I have ever used. For me, it brings out tone qualities in my instrument that other bows have not. It projects better and I get a richer sound. It is definitely different from a wooden bow and takes some getting used to. But I like what it does and I like the novelty of playing on an unusual bow.
I think if anyone is interested in getting a new bow and if you're willing to spend that much money, you owe it to yourself to try the CodaBow. My teacher still said, "It's a great bow, but a piece of plastic ought to cost a hundred dollars." I don't know about that but I thought it was better than any $675 pernambuco stick I could find.

H. Benton, South Carolina - from the winter 1997-1998 issue of Fiddler magazine

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