Cello bow by John Dodd, London, circa 1800

About John Dodd I

The English bow maker John Dodd is fascinating from several points of view. Trained as a fitter of gun locks and then as a maker of money scales, Dodd went on to develop the modern bow concurrently with Tourte, thus earning his place amongst the most important bow makers in history.

His approach to creating the concave stick with which we are so familiar was entirely different from that of his French contemporary: whilst Tourte used heat to bend a curve into a straight stick, Dodd fixed two saws together and cut the curve directly into the wood. Frequently short of funds, Dodd is also infamous for stealing silver teaspoons and melting them down to use as bow fittings: his early training in metalwork must have come in handy for this!

About the cello bow

This bow was made in London circa 1800 and would originally have had an open frog. The bow is one of Dodd's swan-head examples.

The round stick is of excellent pernambuco and measures 691 mm in length. The replacement mounts by Tim Baker are of silver and ebony.

The bow weighs 79.5 grams.

How does it play?

This bow grips the string brilliantly and allows for particularly crisp articulation. The bow produces a warm, round sound and would be a great match for a cello that needs a little extra refinement.

Condition

The stick is in beautiful condition for its age, with very few signs of wear. The replacement mounts were made for the stick by the great English bow maker Tim Baker.

More information

For more options, please view other cello bows in this price range.