Violin Glossary
 What is the Bow Hair Bug? Does this thing really exist?
An unscientific name for a number of small insects which can digest keratin (animal protein) and can cause great harm to fine bows. They can be moth larvae or small beetles and will eat not only the hair of your bow, but also whalebone and tortoiseshell. They do the most damage when a bow is left in a closed case for long periods, thus mothballs placed in a case can be a useful preventative.
What is Bow Rehairing and why is it necessary?
The substitution of old, soiled, stretched-out hair in the bow with fresh hair. With age and use the hair in a bow becomes less effective and will spoil the playing characteristics of the bow. The hair also stretches and twists, so the ribbon of hair sculpted by the bowmaker for maximum tonal effect becomes shapeless and inefficient, impairing the playability of the bow even more. This is why washing bow hair doesn't replace a rehair and is not really worth the effort.
What are bows made out of
Bows need to be made of materials that have great strength and flexibility. We have bows made of tropical hardwoods such as Brazilwood, Ipe, and Pernambuco, as well as Carbon Fiber.
Brazilwood is the less mature part of Caesalpinia echinata a Brazilian tree, and Pernambuco is the heartwood. The best bows are made of Pernambuco and Brazilwood is used in less expensive student bows. Ipe is another Brazilian wood being used nowadays as a replacement for Caesalpinia echinata. In recent decades carbon fiber, synthetic graphite fibers of great lightness and strength which are bonded with resins, have come to be accepted as fine bows.
What is the bridge?
The bridge is the thin piece of maple that holds the strings off the front of the instrument and conducts the vibrations to the body. It is held by string pressure alone and is never glued. The player must maintain its correct position- not bending forward or sliding from side to side. A properly shaped bridge ensures the strings can vibrate freely and the player can play the middle strings without hitting the outer strings.
What is the soundpost?
The soundpost is a small dowel of spruce that stands up inside the violin behind the treble bridge foot. It helps support the arching and transmits tone to the back.
Like the bridge, it is held by pressure only and never glued. If it falls down the violin can be played but will lose all its tone.
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