Technical data
| Instrument | viola |
| Model | 20 |
| Stick | Massaranduba |
| Size | 4/4 |
| Frog | Ebony |
| Item number | BO-V20-4_4 |
Features
- Model 20 for viola
- Stick of Massaranduba
- Size 4/4
In practice
- For how a bow feels, the balance point matters more than absolute weight. The closer it sits to the tip, the more head-heavy the bow feels.
- Too soft and the stick bottoms out under pressure, making spiccato difficult; too stiff and the stick responds less to your bowing.
- The ferrule at the frog holds and spreads the hair; it is a structural part, not decoration. Through the mass of the metal parts the bow maker also sets the balance point.
- The mother-of-pearl eye in the middle of the frog, by contrast, is purely a matter of finish.
- Slacken after every session so the stick keeps its shape. Never overtighten, apply rosin sparingly and wipe the stick.
- Sideways warp, lost camber or hair falling out unevenly are reasons to have the bow looked at in the workshop.
Sound and physics
For a viola with a 40 cm body the bow measures around 720 mm without the button (the screw head at the frog), weighs 68 to 72 g when finished and carries around 170 hairs. In a pernambuco bow, typically around 50 g of that is the wood of the stick alone. The head of the viola bow is around 25 mm high and the frog around 23 mm.
Massaranduba is a wood species of its own. It is considerably heavier than pernambuco.
On every Massaranduba model, as on the pernambuco bows, the frog is ebony. Every Götz bow is haired with natural white horsehair.
The Massaranduba models 62 with a round stick and 63 with an octagonal stick sit between 22 and 66 in this series. Up to model 73 the mounts and wire winding are nickel silver (an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc); from model 74 they are sterling silver 925. A lined slide means that the mother-of-pearl slide on the underside of the frog is framed in metal; the Parisian eye is a mother-of-pearl inlay in the frog, set in a brass ring. The frog is made of East Indian ebony (Diospyros ebenum); neither this ebony nor the mother-of-pearl on our bows appears on the species protection lists.
The stars on the stick show the quality grade of a pernambuco bow; besides the wood, details of the finish such as winding and button feed into this grading. Pernambuco bows are stamped on the frog and on the stick, Massaranduba bows on the frog only, and since 2025 every bow has also carried a laser-engraved serial number.
Our experience
Our Massaranduba is seasoned for at least ten years before it becomes a bow. We recommend Massaranduba bows for beginners because they bring the craftsmanship and fittings of our range at excellent value.
In our experience a model with a higher number brings a harder stick and more handwork.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a viola bow weigh?
For a viola with a 40 cm body a finished bow weighs 68 to 72 g.
These texts hold decades of experience and a great deal of heart. They are protected by copyright, C.A. Götz jr. GmbH. Please ask us before any use. Thank you for your appreciation.
