More About Arcus BowsArcus Carbon Fiber Bows for Advancing Students and Professional Players![]() Arcus Launches a New Website!What Make Arcus Bows Different*30 Year Warranty for all Arcus Bow Sticks*Hand Made in Germany - All Arcus bows are made entirely in Germany, with all the love and skills that Arcus has developed in more than a decade of making carbon fiber bows. The engraving is made using a small computer controlled machine. Everything else is made completely by hand; from the lamination of the stick to the cutting of the wedges which fix the hairs in place. *Hollow Stick - Arcus bows are hollow with a thin wall (just like instruments), and therefore vibrate much more freely than any bow with a solid core. It is probably the most difficult way of making a bow, but it provides an unmatched clarity of sound, response and projection. *Traditional Rehair - One thing Arcus bows have in common with historical bowmaking is the hair used for the bows. There is no material better suited to holding rosin and grabbing the strings than natural horse hair. They also use traditional wooden wedges to mount the hair, so that every repair shop can easily rehair an Arcus bow, including Linda West.com. *Round or Octagonal - In contrast with the solid sticks of wooden bows, the round and octagonal shapes of Arcus ![]() ![]() Getting Started with an Arcus Bow
The Arcus bows are a completely new design. They follow traditional concepts where it makes sense, but primarily they are made to fulfill the demands of today’s musicians: a wide repertoire of music from four centuries, gigantic halls, large orchestras, modern strings and generally very high expectations and demands. The following suggestions are intended to make your mastery of the Arcus bow as effortless and swift as possible.
Play the Arcus bows exclusively for several days Over many years of playing an instrument, all of the movements required to handle a specific bow precisely become subconscious. Anything new takes time to adjust to. In particular, the much higher spring rate of the Arcus bows, which requires a new, small “program.” This is similar, for example, to making the switch from the viola to the violin. In direct comparison with the usual wooden or composite bows, Arcus bow are much quicker and more direct in feel. As long as an Arcus bow feels “too light”, the learning process is not complete. During this period we strongly recommend that you don’t play with your regular bow, not even for a short time. If you do, then your old “program” will instantly take control again and the learning process will be fundamentally corrupted. The trial and learning period should run for several days in a row, so that the new information can be processed overnight. Once you have gained total control over the Arcus bow you can very easily switch between different bows. Now is the time for a proper comparison of sound and play, as you can already use a lot of the potential of the Arcus bows. However most musicians still report their continued discoveries of new possibilities in bowings and the modulation of sounds.
Bassists usually need more time, often up to two weeks, violists about one week, violinists
The S-Series Arcus S-Series bows (for Violin and Cello) are ideal for solos, providing radical virtuosity, perfect projection, and incredible power. Their brilliant spectrum suits all well-balanced instruments and makes darker sounding instruments sing like never before. Incredible lightness and comfort combined with a uniquely powerful, brilliant, clear and projecting sound. The S-Series is based on the previous Arcus models 'Concerto' and 'Cadenza' bows, which have been extremely successful with professional players around the world. In developing the S-series, Arcus has incorporated the experience gained over the past years together with the latest results of their continued research and development. The result is a line of bows that both meet all of the criteria required of a fine bow, and that also offers entirely new possibilities for virtuosic playing. Show the audience your real potential, free from the limits of traditional bows with an S-Series bow from Arcus. The S-Series is available in level 5 - 9 sticks, round or octagonal .
The M-Series
The M-Series (for Cello and Viola) by Arcus is a bow to feel really comfortable with. It is so easy to handle, and makes it easy to execute the most difficult strokes with absolute precision. Its rather dark and warm sound suits all instruments and blends really well in the orchestra. ![]()
The M-Series provides maximum comfort, secure execution of all bowings and a big, round and warm sound. The perfectly balanced characteristics of the Arcus M-Series bows support each step in the development of a player's technique. This makes them suitable for orchestral players, students and amateurs. This series has its origins in the 'Allegro' and 'Veloce' bows (previous models by Arcus.) By improving the composition of the stick further, Arcus has been able to enhance both the sound and playability. Compare the M-Bows to conventional wood or carbon-bows. You will be surprised!
![]() ![]() ![]() The P-Series
The P-Series is available for violins and violas only, and is the perfect bow for the orchestral player. Easily maneuverable and strong, with a very well-balanced sound. It works fantastically with most instruments and for nearly every type of player.
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Comparison of 2007 Arcus Product Line to 2011 Product line (Violin bows)Cadenza Gold = S7 or S8: Similar beauty of sound and power of the Cadenza can be found in a typical S7 bow, which is silver mounted and lower priced than an S8, which is gold-mounted, more expensive, and draws a sweeter and stronger sound. Cadenza Silver = S6 Except for the inlaid silver ring in the frog, the S6 is very similar to the Cadenza in both the outfit and in the sound, at a lower price. Concerto = S5 Resonance quality and outfit of the Concerto is exactly the same in the S5, which has a lower price. Sinfonia = S4 or P4 The S4 is available in limited quantity, otherwise it is very similar to the Sinfonia, except for the snakewood frog instead of ebony, and a lower price. Alternatively we recommend the P4, which is a little more heavy. For any violin with a rather bright sound, the bows of the P-Series are Allegro = M4 The M4 comes in the same outfit and sounds similar to the Allegro, but the M4 stick is more resilient which makes it much more suitable to good players. Veloce = M3 The M3 has almost the same nickel-outfit as the Veloce but is much improved in the playing properties and feel. The winding is now stainless steel. Vega = E4 The E4 is almost exactly the same bow as the Vega, but at a lower price.
See our
Arcus Bow page for all of our available models.
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