Josh Henry

My interest in bows was sparked by the four bows that were in my teacher’s case. She had one bow that she played with most of the time--a Vigneron, but she also had a James Tubbs, a Sartory, and a second Vigneron. I was amazed at how each bow pulled a different sound from her instrument, and how each responded differently. This fascination grew into a desire to learn more about every aspect of bows—their makers and history, their maintenance and repair, their playability, and ultimately how to make them.

I started working in a violin shop when I was 15 years old, where I learned repair and restoration of instruments and bows. I worked in that shop for twelve years, with a particular focus on bow repairs and restoration. After leaving that shop, I studied bow making with Benoit Rolland, learning the traditional French method of hand-crafting violin bows. Mr. Rolland was a meticulous master, teaching me not only how to make the tools needed, but more importantly, how to use them properly. He taught how to carefully select the best wood, how to rough it down, and how to craft the playability of each stick. In his teaching, Mr. Rolland focused particular attention on the cambering of the bow, and how in combination with the graduation (or tapering down) of the stick, he taught me to draw out the playing characteristics of each piece of wood. Ultimately, this process of transforming a piece of wood by crafting it by hand results in a bow that not only plays superbly, but is aesthetically pleasing as well.

I am located in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC where I maintain a shop in my home making and restoring bows. I work by appointment providing restoration and rehairing services to local musicians, as well as many players that ship their bows to me. I specialize in restoring quality vintage bows and supplying them at affordable prices to players and students. I would be happy to discuss any needs that you have in servicing, repairing,  your bow, or assisting you in finding a new one.