Violin Bow by Max Kurt Schuster, Markneukirchen, circa 1920
This violin bow has now sold.
About Max Kurt Schuster
The Schuster family of Markneukirchen produced a large number of violin and bow makers. Max Kurt was born in the town in 1886 and learnt bow making with W.A. Pfretzschner, a member of one of the other large families of Markneukirchen. He established his own workshop in Markneukirchen from 1918 and produced work of high quality.
About the bow
The bow weighs 55 grams and the mounts are of silver and ebony. The stick measures 730 mm in length and is octagonal in cross section.
How does it play?
This is a light bow but is actually very well balanced. This is due to a choice made by Schuster to thin out the stick as he realised that the piece of wood he was using was particularly strong. This results in a bow which feels light in the hand but still feels substantial to play. It makes a really big sound and draws plenty of higher frequencies from the violin, making it a particularly good match for an instrument which needs a bit more brilliance. The bow plays well off the string.
Condition
The bow is in very good condition with a little bit of wear behind the head from applause on a music stand.