12/2009
Bow tuning for fuller and richer tone ...
...There are two basic ideas I believe that need to be satisified in order to get a properly matching bow for a particular instrument.
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...First, I believe that the 'Rub Tone' of the bow should match the wood of the instrument:
please see: www.dalemfg.com/violinrubtone_001.htm
...If the insturment has numerous different rub tones for its major components, then I select the rub tone of the back plate and try and find a bow which is made of wood having that rub tone.
...The goal is to have an instrument make entirely of matching rub tone woods and to then mate that instrument to a bow made of entirely matching rub toned wood.
(...As you might imagine, this kind of matched set is very rare.)
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...Second, I believe that you would like a bow to have a tap tone, all along the length of the bow, which is even throughout and matches the tap tone of the center of the back plate of the insturment it will be played on. To test, please review this article on tap tone skills which should prove helpful:
www.dalemfg.com/taptonetuning_001.htm
...Once you understand the principles you should be ready to use tap tones to adjust your bow.
...Besides the bow being even in fundamental tap tone all along its length, you next want to adjust the bow tip and frog so that the end taps in line with the bow hair also match this tap tone; then your bow will be performing at a high level.
..If tip is too low in fundamental tap tone, then scrape side of bow head; if too high, then scrape material from front edgs to lower.
...I hope this information is helpful, please let me know if you have questions....

David Langsather
503 364-8685 PST
or
dalemfg@q.com
...As of this date (5/2007) I had not re-done one of my violins with this"Area Tuning" finishing method yet but I have done a violin bow which is done similarly and both my violin insturctor and I agree that it made a huge positive difference in sound quality; (after maker Keith Hills' useful information on "Area Tuning").
Note: tonic is at frog end and tip of bow repeats the tonic, with overtones an octave higher. Tape marks show overtone series of +25,50,75% frequency which naturally occur when the bow is first tuned to produce even tap tones from frog to tip (ignoring the overtone series which is heard above the base tap tone.).