Arnaud Suard Bow Maker

Giving new life to an old bow requires a certain attitude that not everyone is able to perceive. Repairing a bow does not just mean getting it to work. It is essential to respect the person who originally made the instrument if one is to give the bow new life, and at the same time keep the authenticity and style that form the very basis of its design. To restore bows successfully, maintaining original proportions, the curves and patinas, it is vital to know about the masters of the past. Restoration should be carried out in a spirit of preservation; the original work must be understood and respected. For example, a poor choice of mother-of-pearl, a badly proportioned ivory head plate or a camber to the stick that does not correspond to what the maker intended would, to my mind, be a big mistake. One would be betraying the former craftsman by failing to ensure that his work lived on.

It seems to me more judicious and a lot fairer to put oneself in the maker's shoes and adopt the approach of a "restorer-replicator" so as to get as close as possible to the original work.

• Violin,
• Viola,
• Cello