I don’t know about the rest of the string family but it is very difficult to get good well balanced double bass bows at a reasonable price. The range seems to consist of the cheap and nasty to the very expensive and not very much in-between.
The Carbow is a great bow from France. They are carbon fibre and come out of a mould, so the balance and weight are very consistent.
In order to get the mould and balance right, Carbow employed master bow maker Jean Grunberger and many other world renowned players in the production process.
The result is a bow I recommend to my students without reservation. The cost begins at about $1400 so they are not cheap, however they have the balance, weight and do all the tricks of a fine pernambuco bow at a fraction of the cost.
Regina Carter, violinist says, “I get an all around even tone whether I am playing acoustic or electric. I can use carbow for both ballads and aggressive pieces.”
Gary Karr, bassist writes, “Every serious bassist ought to own one. The bow feels like a fine pernambuco stick and is virtually indestructible. It would be hard to find a pernambuco bow for that price that handles as well and offers the sound and comfort of this carbon bow. I’ve used it for years and I’ve fooled a lot of people into thinking I was playing on a pernambuco bow.”
