W.A. Pfretzschner Trade Violin Bow- Markneukirchen circa 1920-1930

click picture to enlarge

Stamped:

W. A. Pfretzschner (1872-1939) studied bow making with his father Carl Richard Pfretzschner in Markneukirchen. Markneukirchen was very famous for violin and bow making in Germany for over two centuries. The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were truly the golden age of Markneukirchen bow making. The area’s status as an economic trading hub gave German bow makers unique access to Brazilian pernambuco wood. The Pfretzschner family had the wood! Markneukirchen, economically also responded to growing industrialization by further specialization, a boon to the already specialized bow makers. This successful pivot turned Markneukirchen into the number one supplier for the world’s string instruments and bows. The bow maker’s success in the Markneukirchen area jumped when the Pfretzschner family began making impeccably hand-crafted bows at a competitive price. Wilhelm August’s brother H.R. was the most prized bow maker; he studied in Paris for years and helped change the Pfretzschner family to one of the most highly regarded bow making families in Germany. W.A. Pfretzschner followed in the footsteps of his renowned brother Hermann Richard Pfretzschner by abiding by the standards set by H.R. in the French art of bow making.

This nickel mounted violin bow is in excellent condition. It is a bow from the family workshop that has no issues. I have given the stick a new winding in nickel and a new thumb leather. The facial on the head was also replaced and now is in excellent shape. The frog is Parisian eye with a two-piece heel and beautiful color in the pearl. The button is a solid cap. The pernambuco stick is octagonal section, chocolate color, and it is a firm bow. Yes, I love the strength of the stick. The stick is strikingly thin and the workmanship is excellent, as the maker found dense, tight grain wood with which to create this bow. The tip has been restored and completed in casein material. The bow is branded on the player’s side * W. A. PFRETZSCHNER *. The stick also has the stamp GERMANY on the bottom flat behind the frog. The bow plays well and is balanced evenly at 66.0 grams. This is a bit more than the average violin bow and a bit lower than the average viola bow. But wow! – what a sound it pulled out on a few violins I played on. This bow could be used as a viola bow as well as a violin bow.

Weight fully haired 66.0 grams