MaryS Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Hello! I am looking to purchase a new bow and for the price range I am looking, Coda seems to be the best option. They have two that I am very interested in and wanted some opinions. A little background: I have played since I was 6 or 7, only as a hobby. Nothing crazy and I would not call me a professional. I teach beginning violin, but once they reach a certain point (after 3rd position) they have to be handed off (which all students are made aware of before booking with me). I prefer fast paced fiddle music, specifically Irish tunes. The violin I play is an old Suzuki from the late 1800s to early 1900s, I know it's nothing grand, but it has a good sound and I have had it professionally adjusted. It does well for its intended use. (Though I may be pending an upgrade, we'll see.) The bow I am currently using is stamped "hans royner" and is silver mounted, I think it is a german student bow, please correct me if I am wrong. Octagonal stick that turns to round. The two bows are the Diamond GX and the Luma. Have any of you guys played with these? If so, what are your opinions? Pros, cons, etc. If you have any other brands you recommend in that price range, I would love to hear about those as well. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rue Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Well...the issue is that bows are much more individual than violins. While you can shop for a brand, or within a price range, that's not enough to get you a bow that will necessarily actually suit you. The balance of the bow, the way you 'weight' the bow when you play, the colour you want to get out of the music you play, the techniques you are using (ie. ricochet) and the relationship of that particular bow to that particular violin, all factor in. It really is best to go to a shop and try a bunch of bows within your price range, to see how they handle for your needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smf Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 I have a $500.00 (new) Diamond SX bow that I have loaned out to a friend's wife. I played on that bow for a couple years before getting one made by Rodney Mohr's daughter, Kate. I think my Coda is a great bow for the price. It's very consistent and mine has a nice bounce to it. As far as bow strokes go, it does everything an advanced ameteur would want. As a negative, I don't think it quite draws as pretty of a tone out of my current violin as my wood bows do.... but my wood bows cost a lot more. I think of Coda bows as the Honda Accords of bows... Consistently, pretty darn good. I would also check out some Brazilian wood bow makers, you can find some really nice bows there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeissica Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 Ditto to what Rue & smf have said. I owned a Coda Classic viola bow for several years. Good as an all-around bow and I used it for practicing, etc. But my $1,000 M. Raposo bow sounds better, and that's the "worst" pernambuco bow I own. I know CF bows have come a long ways, and several of my friends play on them for various reasons. Whatever the OP decides should be based on trying several bows within a given price range, and choosing what works best for them personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyrola_asarifolia Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 I play a Codabow Diamond GX cello bow now. It surprised me that this is where my preference fell, but in my price range it was clearly the best for me out of the available set, both in sound and handling. (My playing level is low intermediate, or thereabouts. Restarted adult amateur. Breval / Marcello / Squire level. Very interested in fiddle music / alt-cello / trad-roots stuff.) I have played with a pernambuco bow that was clearly superior at about twice the price, so maybe in 5-10 years or if I strike it rich there may be an upgrade in the future, but meanwhile the Codabow has plenty to teach me. It's just so... consistent and reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spelman Posted January 28, 2022 Report Share Posted January 28, 2022 I would suggest looking at JonPaul bows also. I personally prefer them to Codas which I played for years. Arcus bows are my current favorite but might be out of your price range. I had a student show up with an Artino Aria (an Arcus knockoff) a couple of weeks ago and I liked it so much I bought one for myself. It's remarkably similar in performance to a real Arcus. I've had about three other students get one since then too, definitely worth a look. I play a lot of Irish fiddle too and nimbleness of the bow is paramount, carbon fiber is the way to go in your price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strad O Various Jr. Posted January 29, 2022 Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 If you don't care about the sound, get a CF bow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiaroscuro_violins Posted January 29, 2022 Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 / Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeH Posted January 29, 2022 Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 My son has used a Luma Coda bow for years. It sounds terrific with his violin, and is light (58g), well-balanced, and lively. Individual CF bows, like individual wooden bows, can change the tone of an individual violin for better or worse, so it is important to keep that in mind when selecting any bow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryS Posted January 29, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 Thank you guys! I believe the dealer allows trial periods. I think I'll take both home and try them for a while, along with a wooden bow that I liked. I did take a look at the JonPaul bows, the Arpege was very nice, but they didn't have a lot to try from that brand. I would be interested in testing some more. It seems like you can get a little more bang for your buck with those. So far though, the Luma is the front runner. It seems to be giving my playing an extra smoothness, it is hard to describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Bean Posted January 29, 2022 Report Share Posted January 29, 2022 3 hours ago, MaryS said: the Arpege was very nice, but they didn't have a lot to try from that brand. Arpege bows were discontinued by JonPaul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shunyata Posted January 30, 2022 Report Share Posted January 30, 2022 I hace played on all the Coda series. The Coda _X series (NX, GX, etc.) all play very "heavy" and do not bounce well. For basic on-the-string playing where you are too picky about tone, these bows do wonderfully. (e.g. reels and hornpipes) The Coda Marquise (much more expensive) is in a different league. The bow responsiveness and tone production are significantly more versatile for more spohisticated pieces. (expressive airs, pibroch snap bowing, and ricochet bowing in pieces like Madame Neruda) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mezzopiano Posted September 28, 2022 Report Share Posted September 28, 2022 On 1/29/2022 at 12:49 AM, Spelman said: [...] I had a student show up with an Artino Aria (an Arcus knockoff) a couple of weeks ago and I liked it so much I bought one for myself. It's remarkably similar in performance to a real Arcus. I've had about three other students get one since then too, definitely worth a look. How much does your Artino Aria weigh? Is it well-balanced? Is the tip weighted? I have an Arcus S7 knock-off that is 54g. I don't have a real Arcus to compare, but mine feels very / too light at the tip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gesche Posted September 29, 2022 Report Share Posted September 29, 2022 Why don't you also try the Coda joule? I owned the viola version and it was a good value for the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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