Whats the most important quality one should look for in a bow ?
A. The absolute number one, top characteristic of a bow, to quote a famous contemporary French maker, is firstly the sound, secondly the sound, and thirdly the sound. By quality of sound I mean three main characteristics; density, coherence and focus of the sound. You should add warmth to this list of what makes a nice sound. Every piece of Pernambuco wood has its own unique acoustical qualities. The bow maker must make a structurally sound playing machine while doing nothing to destroy the naturally inherent tonal characteristics of the material he works with. The bow must sound even and equally good along its three thirds; at the tip, in the middle at the heel. A lesser quality bow often shows a lack of tonal resonance at the heel (or lower third of the bow).
