At Ernie Williamson Music Repair Shop, we perform the rehairing of your bow with the care and respect of a conservator.

All of our experience in the craft and the materials we use will be directed to restoring the playing characteristics of the bow and protecting its condition and value. Above all we wish to enhance your playing and enjoyment.

Bow Rehair

We use the best white hair.
The bow will be carefully disassembled, cleaned and, where appropriate, gently polished, taking care not to induce undue wear.
The camber of the bow and the fit of the working parts will be assessed and discussed with the owner if necessary.
A quantity of hair appropriate to the bow and the owner’s wishes will be picked and counted out by hand, removing any with detectable faults. Typically in this picking process we will discard 5% to 15% of the hair we receive.
Once the hair is inserted into the bow it will be left to dry for a time in order to gauge the length before the final fitting of the spreader wedge and the finishing of the rehair.
The working parts will be lubricated before the bow is returned to its owner.
Only at the owner’s request, we will apply a first coat of rosin to the bow.

Bridges are cut from maple blanks. Each instrument has a unique shape and the bridge has to be cut to fit the curve of that top. Bridges are tuned by carving out areas that carry the sound from the bridge top through the feet and into the instrument, where the soundpost transmits the vibrations to the back. Lasting for decades, a good bridge should provide great tone and comfort for the player.