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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement April 30, 2006 [an error occurred while processing this directive] The bows of Brazil By BILL VARBLE Mail Tribune "Oooh," Miriam Nunnally says as she touches the violin bow's frog, the part that holds the horsehair and adjusts the tension. She hefts the light-colored, beautifully grained, almost orange bow, which is made of pernambuco, a Brazilian wood long considered the most desirable material for violin bows. "It's lighter than I thought it would be," she says. Nunnally, a violinist and chamber musician who lives in Central Point, has come to the Phoenix violin shop of John Hill specifically to look at bows. On this day, Saturday, there are more than 250 pernambuco violin, viola, cello and bass bows from 11 different makers, ranging from about $300 to $3,000. "It's rare for musicians to have a chance to see this many bows in one place," Hill says. Nunnally, a tall, gray-haired woman, positions her chin on the violin's chin rest and uses first one bow, then another to play long, liquid runs of notes that fill the small room. The bows were brought by Angelo Eftimeo, who is with the Arcos Brasil Bow Co., a firm that has its factory in the state of Espiritu Santo, Brazil, the only place in the world where the pernambuco grows. Bows are arrayed in rows like matchsticks on the tables and counters of Hill's shop. Pernambuco trees were almost wiped out by Europeans who used the wood to make dye in the 17th century. Exports of the wood were halted in 1995, although finished bows may still be exported. Wood may be harvested from trees certified to be dead by government inspectors, or from land cleared for farming, Eftimeo says. His company grows seedlings which it gives to villagers in the region with the understanding that they be grown as a sustainable resource. It takes a pernambuco tree about 35 years to get to the point where it's suitable for bows. Eftimeo says two of his company's makers trained in France with Pierre Guillaume, a world-renowned master of the art. Elana Cooper, 11, of Ashland, wants to try a three-quarter-size bow. Hill picks one and resins it up in a work area with a bench, tools and violin parts in various stages of completion. Elana puts the bow to her violin and produces a rich vibrato. "It sounds good," she says. "It's lighter than my bow." "How strong are they?" asks Larry Cooper, Elana's dad. "You don't want to drop any bow on the tip," Hill says. "I can usually repair them for about $50." Hill recommends a relatively stiff bow for students until they are advanced. Elana, who is a member of the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon, plays a three-octave scale and says she doesn't have to press as hard on the bow as she does on her own. Many bows these days are made of carbon fiber, including Elana's. Some musicians like them. Others say there's nothing like pernambuco. Brazil wood is a notch down. Elana says the pernambuco bow rates about one point higher than the carbon fiber on her scale. Hill suggests looking at bows again in another year, when she's more advanced. Meanwhile, Nunnally has been trying other bows and found one she likes. "I get a purer sound," she says. "Mine is scratchy. I thought the scratchiness was me." She agonizes over whether to invest in a new bow. "I don't know," she says. "How long will I be playing. I don't know if it's worth it." Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy