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Zdzislaw
Prochownik Please type this address into your email as I
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Dear Potential Customer:
For the last twenty five years I have earned my living as a professional
bassist on the first stand of three major Canadian orchestras. Always
fascinated with the properties of a good bow, I began to experiment with various
styles and was in touch with the bow making industry at large. Encouraged by
numerous successes at bow making as a hobby, my interest intensified
in 1991 as a result of my study with Jean Grunberger in France.
My bows are somewhat different than those commonly seen on the market. When
making a bow, I concentrate on focus: a direct, clean, penetrating sound, with a
very quick response in mind. For players who are used to more heavy bows, this
may feel strange at first, but after a short adjustment period it can be seen
that heavier bows generally do not have the sensitivity and immediate response
that lighter bows do. Why fight velocity, gravity, and risk hand injury when you
can achieve more with less effort?
All of my bows have a big arch and are very flexible in character. Designed
to be pulled horizontally with minimal pressure, they require a smaller than
usual tightening distance between the stick and hair. Each bow uses wood
carefully selected from the best Pernambuco available, and are tested with
ultrasound waves for strength and flexibility. Keeping functionality in mind as
the first , most important requirements, bows are silver mounted and
individually balanced for maximum results, each of them providing excellent
string contact as well as clarity in "off string" playing. All French
style bows come with a thumb rubber to aid in comfort.
When testing my bows, I recommend comparing them with others by playing a
variety of difficult passages, as well as listening to comparisons, if possible,
from a suitable distance. I use only the finest quality
Canadian
white horse hair which I find offers the best grip. All bows are tested
under professional symphony orchestra conditions prior to shipment.
At this time I do make 3 kind of French model bows:
Solo - hair length of about 55 cm , more bend and a little stiffer piece of
wood, very rigid, nervous, bright and extremely responsive and weight between
125 and 130 grams . Hair and the bow feel very stiff. Usually excellent for solo
or fast Mozart passages etc. plying. Sound is rather lean.
General-use - hair length of about 55 cm, less bend and hair a little more
loose which gets you a little more air in the sound and a feel of bigger sound
but somewhat loose at extreme and of response and quickness. Bows weights are
between: 125g - 135g
Sartory - -They are 3/4 inch shorter and have more distance between hair and
stick. My friends call them "Sartory with a attitude" They are
kindlier and gentler and weight around 125-130 grams
The French bows - similar to
Sartory and Vigneron models (135 -150 grams) made from Massaranduba wood.
All 4 French models are good but it depends on the style you play. I prefer to first consult my customer before beginning work on his /her order. All German models bows have a hair length of about 55 cm and weight between 115 and 130 grams
Price:
All bows are guaranteed to outperform your existing bow or your money fully
refunded.
These bows are presently being used in many major symphony orchestras in North America, Europe, Australia, Brazil and Tasmania, as well as with many graduate students of Paul Ellison, Francois Rabbath and many other recognized teachers.
"I enjoy using your bow very much. Sixteenth-note passages seem easier to
play with more clarity of pitch and articulation." -
Clifford Spohr, Principal Bass, Dallas Symphony Orchestra 1993
"Bows which do all tricks." - George Vance, Washington
"Z. Prochownik understands bass and the bass bow. I've played at least
fifteen of his bows, both German and French models, and many of them
are as good as anything I've played on. He understands balance and tension in
the stick and how to fine tune an individual piece of wood. He reworked my
award-winning Nuedorfer and actually improved its performance. My other bow is a
Prochownik." - Eric Hansen, Principal Bass, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
1994
"My other bow is a Sartory." - Stan Label, Assistant Principal Bass,
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra 1993
"Your bows are the best new bows I've tried." - Betty Girko, Dallas
Symphony Orchestra 1994
"Thank you for your incredible craftsmanship and most amazing German bow I
have ever played." - David Moore, Los Angeles, CA 1993
"The
Prochownik bows which I use, and won a position in the Wiener Philharmoniker
with, allow me the most detailed articulations, while guaranteeing a full
sound and precise string contact in the most delicate musical moments. They
are equally excellent in the large repertoire of the Weiner Philharmoniker from
Donizetti to Berg." Bartosz Sikorski-2001
“I
purchased a bow from you about two years ago. I am extremely pleased with it and
everyone who tries it out thinks it is incredible”.
Bill Bentgen
Cross Junction,
Virginia 2001
“The bow is fantastic.” Enzo Figliuzzi , Vancouver 2002
" I still can't believe the tone it gets out of my bass. It's like I went out and bought a whole new bass!" Matt Stromberg Kearney NE USA 2004
"It has transformed my playing and I'm so happy with it, it's perfect for both solo and orchestral playing! Best wishes and many thanks, Nicki Davenport" UK 2004
"With my bass, your bow sounds wonderfully clear, I love the way it draws over the string, it feels amazing from tip to frog, it bounces incredibly and has a wonderful punch to it and the list goes on." Jordan O'Connor Toronto 2007"
"The Sartory is simply a pleasure to work with, playing with it is practically effortless! My bass has never sounded better! I will definitely be recommending your bows to my friends!" Patrick A. Montreal 2007
"Hi ! I'm still in the National Symphony here in Dublin, very pleased with the bow I purchased 2 years ago".. Edward Tapceanu 2007
"I really love it and it fits well in the hand and gets a great tone from both my basses! Thanks - it's really a great piece of craftsmanship." L. Fantasia L.A USA 2008
"I currently use a "master" old French bow and to be very honest and serious your bows sound better and are easier to play" Calvin Marks. Toronto 2008
"The bow I like most is one of the most responsive and articulate bows I have ever played - bravo" - David Odegaard Texas 2008
"As I thought, the bows are wonderful, the light one it's incredible precise and the 124-126 grams full of harmonics, all of them suitable for every piece, from solo to orchestra playing. Thank you very much for your excellent art." il primo contrabbasso della "Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia" Spain -2009.
"I did a couple of Messiahs last week, and, apart from the aching back, enjoyed them thoroughly. Your bow worked marvelously, so much control, spiccato, even at the tip, the bow felt really long, which meant to me that it is much more usable at the tip. My long tones felt longer, everything is great. People even are commenting on the different sound. This is the sound as opposed to the Sartory I have been using for 38 years. Thank you so much for the beautiful hand made bow". Jack McFadden, Ontario, Canada 2009
" I gotta tell you, I immediately loved the bow. It's made from beautiful wood and is much lighter than my present bow (153g). From behind my bass, I thought it was quieter than my other bow. But, after my last orchestra rehearsal, our principal cellist came back and asked me if I was playing a new bass, because I sounded so much better. I told him I was auditioning a new bow an he stood out front and had me switch back and forth between the 126g Purpleheart bow and my old one. Out front, your bow projected much more, was louder, had more harmonic content, sounded fuller, and made my other bow sound "nasal" in comparison. I am quickly getting used to the lighter bow, and feel like I can play longer without fatigue, and that I can play challenging passages easier (I'm currently working on Beethoven's 9th)." Russell Bergum Virginia, MN 2010
"I love the bow. It is a joy to play and exactly what I was looking for. Multiple people said if I didn't buy they would " Steven Fox Columbus OH. 2012
"A professional and accomplished colleague joined me to listen and play on bows. There were 6 bows in the mix- widely varied in size and shape. The Prochownik bow drew a sound similar in power and inflection to a bow that weighed 10 grams more- the biggest bow we had in the mix. As I was playing the Prochownik bow, my colleague described it as "Effortless!" Of all the bows I demonstrated, the Prochownik bow- and only the Prochownik- sounded effortless to the listener. I am sure that the reason he heard it as such is because the bow plays that way: of all the bows I have tried in my time, this Prochownik bow best allows me to draw a lovely sound with the least effort. It projects very well, too! Incidentally, my colleague said later that day, "If you don't buy that bow, I will." Eric Seay College Park MD 2012
Copyright
© 2012 Zdzislaw Prochownik.