William Salchow (1926-2014) is warmly regarded as one of the preeminent American achetiers of the 20th century, influential as a teacher too to the extent that he taught or mentored many of our most celebrated modern bow makers. Subsequent to a Fulbright Scholarship, William worked with Georges Barjonnet and Charles Alfred Bazin in France and is credited as the first American to study traditional bowmaking in France. He established Salchow & Sons in New York in 1960, a powerhouse firm which continues to operate under the management of his Grandson, Isaac since 2014.

William was trained as a cellist and studied performance with Leonard Rose, Alexander Schuster, and Georg-Ulrich von Bülow. His bows have always been highly sought after but have seen a significant rise in demand and pricing since his death. To those that haven’t had the pleasure of performing with one of his bows, the name is still something of a household item for the quality and stability of the rosin he developed in the 1970’s. According to the Strad, his storied clients include Isaac Stern, Nathan Milstein, Leonard Rose, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Glenn Dicterow, Arnold Steinhardt, Joseph Silverstein, Pamela Frank, and Ani and Ida Kavafian, among many other fine musicians.

This fine silver mounted viola bow by William Salchow comes highly recommended for its historical significance to the trade, quality of craftsmanship, and refined playing qualities. The stick is strong and well balanced in the hand at 74.5 grams, yet delivers a subtle, nuanced reflexology through the gamut of articulations and playing styles.