French violin bow by Charles Alfred Bazin (certificate by J.-F. Raffin)

This French violin bow merges the excellent artisanry of two great families of Mirecourt bow makers: whereas the octagonal stick of light brown pernambuco unmistakably hails from the Bazin workshop, the nickel-mounted frog and the slide were crafted by another Mirecourt bow making workshop.  Despite the intense competition within the village full of instrument makers, it was still common to work hand-in-hand with other workshops when it was mutually beneficial. It may well be that the coworking workshop offered their support in the context of Alfred Bazin reorienting himself in the years shortly after the death of his father, Louis Bazin, a time in which Alfred began to turn away from commissions he performed for luthiers and focussed instead on serving a much smaller but more exclusive clientele. It is certain that Charles Alfred Bazin achieved a true stroke of musical luck with this historic bow: its truly comfortable and forgiving playing properties, outstanding resilience and well-developed equilibrium with its centrally positioned balance point open up highly nuanced options in terms of interpretation thanks to its powerful, warm, rich and radiant sound. We recommend this classic-modern French violin bow to demanding musicians and are pleased to offer it now that we have set it up, brought it up to top condition and made it ready to play. It features a certificate of authenticity by J. F. Raffin, the renowned expert for French bow making.