FICTION SMASHERS I: PLAYED OUT BOWS AND THIN PLATES
"Bows Get Played Out"
‘Old bows get played out.’ False. If this were true, I wouldn’t expect to see top soloists like Gil Shaham or Gautier Capuçon playing on Tourte bows. Bows of any age can warp slightly or experience changes to the camber, which will often affect the way they play. This is correctable, however, unless the bow is worth so much that nobody will agree to put it in the flame and bend it around.
If you’re still not convinced, and you have a beautiful classic French bow like a Tourte, a Peccatte, or a Persoit that is ‘played out’, please bring it to Evan and he will give you a generous cash offer or trade you for a brand new bow.
"Thin Plates Are Bad"
You hear this fairly often, and it particularly comes up with new makers. The truth of the matter is that plate thickness is arbitrary, and a skilled maker will assess the properties of their model and materials, and will therefore know how thick to make the plates. A lot of classic instruments that have survived for centuries have very thin graduations, and were also thin when they were made!
Some shops and dealers have been known to use the phrase “thin plates are bad”, or something along the line of “oh give this a few years and you’ll start to have problems” as a tactic to undermine the sales of other makers and shops. SO, if someone tells you that an instrument’s plates are too thin, and there are no other issues with the instrument, it may be worth considering getting a second opinion.