Market Report: Composite Cello Bows

There is a brand-new cello bow on the market that is well worth checking out. Called the CodaBow, it is made by Coda Composites Co.
Like the CodaBow for violin (Market Report, July/August 1996), the cello bow is made of a graphite composite material. While it does not look like a wood bow, it has a distinctive black color, it feels and handles like a fine pernambuco bow. And as pernambuco becomes more scarce, new alternatives are always welcome.
There are many advantages to composite bows: They are very strong and won't break when dropped or sat upon. While wood can fatigue over time, losing vitality, and also may warp due to changes in temperature and humidity, the molded composite bows are immune to these problems.
The CodaBow's design is an amalgamation of the fine characteristics of many great bows. While there is quite a bit of variation in wood bows and no two produced by a single maker will sound or handle exactly the same way, all CodaBows will be alike. If you try a CodaBow (they may be reserved for a two-week trial), like it, and order one, you know exactly what you are getting, and it is very reasonably priced at about $900.
I found the CodaBow to be extremely easy to handle on any kind of stroke, producing a clean, clear, direct, and loud sound. I imagine that many a student who starts off with a CodaBow would find that it would grow along with him or her. Because of its direct sound, it would also be an excellent orchestral bow.

- From Strings Magazine March/April 1997

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