Luis Garcia

Violin

"I am an adult beginner, and play for 14 months now. Just starting to play in higher position and more difficult bow strokes. When I unpacked the bow I went "Oh..." the bow is a sheer beauty. The silver tip plate, the glittering graphite of the stick,... all this makes a really classy look, a lot more beautiful than I had expected from the pictures. The second "Oh..." directly after - can a bow really be so light? My first bow weighs 61 grams. Compared to the Arcus it was like playing the violin with a hammer. The third "Oh..." with the first bow stroke on my violin. I had no idea how beautiful my 100 year old violin could actually sound! The violin responded immediately with a big sound. The next "ohs..." came during my playing.

Especially for a beginner the difference to normal bows is very clear: double stops are much easier to play. Staccato and Spiccato work fine without scratching. String crossings are much smoother. Silent playing is possible without loosing the sound. Off-string bowings succeed immediately. Finally I understand what a relaxed bow hand means!

Especially beginners should play with an Arcus bow, it makes learning to play the violin so much easier and it is also so much more fun."