Pernambuco with official proof of origin
Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata) is protected under CITES, and the rules are being tightened step by step. The wood for our bows comes from legally acquired stocks with complete documentation. Each bow now comes with a certificate confirming its legal, CITES-compliant origin.
- The certificate also applies to sales within the EU.
- It stays with the bow, even when the bow changes hands later on.
- For dealers: a solid answer when your customers ask where the wood comes from.
We are happy to answer any questions about the certificate. Talk to us.
Technical data
| Instrument | double bass |
| Model | 160F |
| Form | French form |
| Stick | pernambuco |
| Frog | Ebony |
| Species protection | CITES Appendix II |
| Item number | BO-B160F |
Features
- Model 160F for double bass
- Stick of pernambuco
In practice
- German and French forms differ only in the frog and therefore in the hold; the stick is the same. We make all double bass models in both forms.
- Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata) is listed in CITES Appendix II. Since 5 March 2026 the tightened annotation from CoP20 applies: finished bows are exempt only for non-commercial movement.
- Travel, performance, teaching and repair remain free of permits as long as there is no change of ownership. On a sale within the EU, proof of legal acquisition is supplied with the bow.
- Shipping outside the EU requires a re-export certificate from the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. We arrange such shipments in advance.
- 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
Two schools of bow have endured on the double bass. The German or Dresden pattern comes from the viol: it is held underhand, with the back of the hand facing down, the thumb on the stick and the fingers in the curve of the frog, and instead of a separate head the curve of the tip forms the head.
On our bows the German pattern (D) is recognisable by its frog without a heel plate (the metal strip on the back of the frog) and by a button of steel with a plastic cover; the French pattern (F) has the heel plate and a three-part button with an eye. The stick of a pernambuco double bass bow typically contains 72 g of wood in the German pattern and 71 g in the French. Our B162D in the German pattern weighs 133 g, the 163F in the French pattern 125 g; since both sticks carry almost the same amount of wood, the difference lies in the frog and mounts. A double bass bow carries around 300 hairs.
Pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata, Caesalpinia echinata in older literature) is the wood with which François Tourte established the form of the bow around 1790 that is still valid today. In this Brazilian wood Tourte found the combination a stick needs: light, strong and flexible.
Air-dried at 12 % moisture content, pernambuco has a density of 900 to 1,100 kg/m³ and a modulus of elasticity (a measure of stiffness) along the grain of 18,000 to 25,000 MPa; sound travels along its grain at around 4,000 to 5,300 m/s. A high speed of sound and low damping are what make its quality as bow wood, and bow makers select their wood by density, speed of sound and modulus of elasticity.
The stick is cut straight along the grain and then bent over heat towards the hair side. Hair tension and pressure meet most strongly at the head.
Each of our double bass models from 150 to 165 is made in the German pattern (D) and in the French pattern (F). The number determines wood, stick and fittings; the letter determines the pattern of frog and button.
In the German pattern the frog has no heel plate (the metal strip on the back of the frog), and the button is steel with a plastic cover; frog eye, mounts and slide are nevertheless present. From model 153 upwards our double bass bows are stamped with the Götz logo on the frog and with “GÖTZ” in letters on the stick, and the pernambuco models from 162 upwards also with one to three stars. The B162D in the German pattern measures 75 cm from head to screw, its frog is 5.8 cm long, and it weighs 133 g.
Our experience
The wood for our pernambuco bows is seasoned for 30 years and more before it becomes a bow. We watch a newly made, high-quality bow under tension after it is finished to see that it holds true. The best care for a pernambuco stick is to slacken it after playing: in our experience a stick breaks almost only where full tension, dry air and long periods of lying unused come together.
Models 162 F and 163 F differ above all in the small lining at the frog; in our experience both play beautifully for advanced bassists. Model 165 is the top model of our double bass range.
When another model suits you better
For beginners and as a second bow we recommend our Massaranduba bows of the 16, 20 and 22 series, and models 150 to 154 for double bass: they come with an ebony frog and hold up well in lessons.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a German and a French double bass bow?
The frog and the hold: the German bow is held underhand with the back of the hand facing down, the French bow like a cello bow with the back of the hand facing up. The sticks of our two patterns contain almost the same amount of wood, 72 g and 71 g.
How much does a Götz pernambuco double bass bow weigh?
In the French pattern our models 163, 164 and 165 weigh around 125, 131 and 138 g; the B162D in the German pattern weighs 133 g.
Is Fernambuk the same as pernambuco?
Yes, Fernambuk is the spelling used in German bow making; the botanical name of the wood is Paubrasilia echinata.
May I take my pernambuco bow on a concert tour?
Yes, travelling for performances and repairs without a change of ownership remains free of permits after the CITES conference CoP20 as well. A sale to countries outside the EU requires a permit.
What do D and F in the item number mean?
D stands for the German pattern without a heel plate, F for the French pattern with heel plate and three-part button.
Is every double bass model made in both patterns?
Yes, we offer every model from 150 to 165 in both the German and the French pattern.
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.
