On Sunday, January 25, 2026 ACMP hosted an online talk with professional violinist, scholar and bow and string instrument expert Gabriel Schaff. Based in New Jersey, Gabriel is also a popular coach in the ACMP Coach Directory.

It turns out that ACMP members are not the type to be afraid to ask! After Gabriel’s illuminating presentation on the evolution of the modern bow, the questions kept pouring in, for over an hour.

We just published the video from the event – it’s a full two hours long. It was a fabulous talk and I recommend watching it in 2 sections: Gabriel’s presentation and then the Q&A (starting at 43:43) – a lively discussion covering a wide range of topics related to the bows of the violin family.

The reviews are in!

Here’s some fabulous feedback from people who attended Gabriel’s talk in real time:

Valerie Ng (Violin, Piedmont, CA) : “This is the first ACMP online educational event I’ve attended and I was totally amazed. The content was broad, expertise apparent, true to its title and superb Q&A session. I thought the Q&A session was equally informative as the lecture. Topics were raised which were not covered in the lecture (eg endangered species classification of pernambuco wood, why bass bows differ between German vs French make). The expertise in the audience was incredible and added learning value. The presentation drilled home the difference between bow sound/pliability/strength over time and how composers might have expected their compositions to sound vs how we hear them today using modern instruments. I’m now inspired to listen to the string quartet literature performed on period instruments.”

Cynthia Howk (Violin/Harp, Rochester, NY): “Although I’ve played violin since 4th grade (1961), my experience with teachers is that they rarely (if ever) include any information about your instrument/bow, its history, construction, etc. Their focus is only on teaching playing technique. However, it’s likely their knowledge of these aspects of the instrument is also lacking! Too bad – as such information is another way of encouraging – and exciting – students about the instruments they’re learning to play.”

Joel Teenyanoff (Cello, East Thetford, VT): “I was especially interested in bow components over the centuries; materials, qualities of pernambuco, mortises. Stories about makers, answers to questions, particularly his opinion about use of Lucchi Meter not being the ultimate deciding factor in wood choice for a new bow (sound wave speed, wood density, cellular structure, playability), and Gabriel’s answer regarding application of heat to make changes to the curve in a bow and potential for permanent damage in doing so versus keeping the original bow features intact.”

Les Shiaman (Cello, Valle de Bravo, Mexico): “Highly engaging and informative. Learning the history of bow making definitely enhances my understanding of music in general.”

Cindy Emmans (Violin/Viola, Charles Town, WV): “The depth and breadth of Gabriel’s knowledge is phenomenal and his presentation was very good. However, for my purposes, there was far too much time devoted to the historical aspects and not nearly enough time to topics I can apply to my current situation of playing and enjoying music. Toward the end when questions were fielded, the content became MUCH more relevant and interesting. For instance, more time on bow hair would have been welcome: information about the actual hair as well as re-hairing concerns.”

Dorin Borenstein (Violin, Queens, NY): “I wanted more about the bows we use today vis a vis usage, repair, types, what to do when….etc. Didn’t know it was history of bows….. BUT… I did get my bow question answered, so thank you.”

To be continued…

We will definitely invite Gabriel back to talk about more practical day-to-day elements of bow maintenance, bow repair, and assessing and choosing bows for purchase, among other things. There really is so much we all still want to know about bows.

Stay tuned (even if, like me, you are a violist!)

And for those of you who are excited about Gabriel’s knowledge of the history and evolution of the bow, here’s a friendly reminder that members of ACMP are entitled to a discount on his book, “The Essential Guide to Bows of the Violin Family.” It’s a beautiful hard-cover book with gorgeous color illustrations. If you are interested, simply log into the ACMP website and click here for more information.