Violin Forum/Message Board

John Cadd · Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2024 6:37 pm Post subject: Latex tube Bow Grip

When I was ten ,my teacher handed me his Gagliano violin and his bow to see how I played them .The bow distracted me when I felt the soft sticky bow grip .I always remember that . I have used harder black rubber grips but always thought they should be soft and sticky . This week I ordered some natural Latex rubber tubing to try that out . I saw a complaint about Latex paint being sticky and that pleased me. I think I am on the right track . The Latex is most likely to wear out quicker but it`s so cheap it`s not a problem . I will cut pieces off a one metre strip as an experiment . I have seen something similar on Itzak Perlman`s bow . Worth a try .
Tube size 8mm internal ,
12mm external

John Cadd · Posted: Thu May 09, 2024 2:20 am Post subject: bow grip

The one metre length of natural Latex rubber tube arrived yesterday . It was a perfect snug grip on the bow stick .It will be easier to fit without the small leather patch on normal bows . The metal windings are no problem . But for £3 ,15 a metre it`s certainly worth a try . The normal hold on a bow is shown in a photo of Jascha Heifetz . His thumb is on the stick and touching the frog. Just leave enough room for the frog to slacken the hair tension . You could call this forgotten technology ,but I`m fairly sure Itzak Perlman uses something similar .
Edit Jan 2025. In a Perlman video about bow holds you can see a closeup of his bow with a latex tube fitted . The tube is riding up over the end of the frog .