Lynn Hannings
Attending New England Conservatory as a bassist, she began her bow restoration and bow making studies with William Salchow; focusing on cello bows. In 1982, Ms. Hannings was awarded a Certificate for Eminent Playability for a Cello bow by the Violin Society of America.
George Rubino
George Rubino studied with William Salchow as a student and teaching assistant at the UNH Violin Institute for many years. He has been in the forefront of American bow making for over 45 years. At the 1982 Violin Society of America Salt Lake City convention, Mr. Rubino was awarded a Certificate for Eminent Playability for a viola bow.
The UNH Violin Craftsmanship Institute has been offering bow-specific workshops since its very beginning. Students of all experience levels are welcomed every summer to enjoy courses in bow repair, rehairing, making, and to gain a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of bow work.
A 3-Part Course for Bow Restoration, Playability, and Conservation
Are you looking to start a much-needed bow business in your community or do you work in a shop that has a closet full of old bows? Have you been gifted bows as a musician/educator and don’t know where to begin?
Whether you are completely new to bows or a seasoned musician, educator, or work in a shop, these courses are designed to bring bows back to life. There is a great supply of factory and student bows circulating within our communities and beyond. There isn’t a great supply of the sought after and endangered Pernambuco, so it is important, now more than ever, to bring existing bows back to their fullest playing potential. In a newly conceived series of classes, Lynn Hannings will work with students to ensure all bows get their fair chance at getting back into the hands of players of all ages.
All weeks are designed to welcome those new to the field or who wish to hone skills learned in previous UNH bow courses.
Part 1: Foundational Bow Repair
During this week of instruction, students will learn repairs that are necessary or may be completed prior to a rehair. Students will learn how to identify and perform these repairs with French traditional bowmaking techniques in mind while offering more modern and sustainable options for parts used including ebony and ivory alternatives.
Part 2: Bow Rehairing
During this week of instruction, students will learn how to safely remove old hair from a bow and put fresh hair back onto the stick. Please note that Part 1 is not a prerequisite course, but you will need bows that do not need repairs listed in Part 1 of the course, most notably bows that have cracked or damaged tip plates.
Part 3: Bow Repair for Playability and Conservation
During this week of instruction, students will work with Lynn on techniques and repairs that ensure good playability of a bow. Skills learned include Cambering, protection of historical markings, rebushing stick and frog, finding alternative materials, and more!
This advanced online course covers bow-making and bow restoration techniques.
Topics include: finishing bows; frog making; button making; metal cutting lathe for use in button making and making dowels for bushings and other repairs requiring a round piece; bushing frog eyelets using a drill press, a hand bow drill, or a lathe; and broken stick repairs and broken head splines.
Check back for more details!
Often bows that come in for rehairing also need repair; normal wear and tear from regular use. Since all these repairs can dramatically affect the weight and balance of the bow, it is critically important that bow shop employees understand the aspects of playability and the importance of meeting the physical and musical needs of the musicians entrusting them with their bows. Hands-on instruction will include cambering and straightening of the stick, eyelet replacement, tip replacement, pin repairs and winding/leather grip replacements.
