Do bows improve with age ?
A. Yes, it is generally accepted that bows improve with age. Bows with an unattractive sound will likely remain so. However, a good, freshly made bow will improve considerably after the first 10 years of use. It will improve again somewhat less noticeably in the following 10 years. After that period it will have mostly settled and will then resonate more to produce a better, more mature sound than when it was first made. Some people estimate a bow can reach its full potential in terms of resonance and mellowness rather quickly, within the first 10 years of use.
