The development of the latest generation of our bass bows was a truly fascinating experience. It now looks like we have disentangled the Gordian knot and found the ideal sound and playing characteristics without the need to make any compromises. The new Arcus bass bows are incredibly open and free sounding and produce almost no noise, which renders the sound much more singing and improves projection dramatically. The elasticity of the sticks match the elasticity of modern bass strings precisely so bouncing bows are very natural and easy to play. The fast response provides a new level of articulation and precision. Have you also heard of the idea that bass bows should be very heavy? Basic physics tell us that a heavy bow will be slow to move and hard work to push around. Advanced physics teach us that they also dampen the vibration of the strings. In contrast to makers of wooden bows we are free to chose weight and elasticity for our bows and have found a the ideal solution in a design that consists of a relatively heavy head and heel and a very light shaft. Once you have learned how to make best use of this kind of bow you will never want to play anything else. By the way, these bows speak so easily that you can play all kinds of strings with them really well, even those that are normally used only for pizzicatto, like Spirocores for example.
The S4 is a perfect entry into the Arcus world. Outclassing any other carbon bow and matching the finest wooden bows, it offers great value for money. Though its sound is not as rich and brilliant as its more expensive siblings, for most players it is still the biggest improvement in their “material” that they have ever experienced.