RAW MATERIALS
RAW MATERIALS
RAW MATERIALS
Sousa Bows uses a Lucchi Meter—an ultrasonic tester designed to measure the acoustical characteristics and evaluate the tonal properties of a piece of wood—to ensure that each plank of wood or bow blank results in an optimum Lucchi Meter reading for bow production. Empirical knowledge notwithstanding, the experience of the bow maker, who understands the properties of pernambuco, such as color, grain and growth patterns, density, rigidity, and flexibility, cannot be underestimated in the selection of the proper wood for each bow.
RAW MATERIALS
At every stage of the bow making process, whenever the wood undergoes any major stress or physical change (when cut from logs into planks, when cut from planks into bow blanks, after the initial rough planing of the stick, and after the bending and fine planing of the bow) it goes back to the shelves in the drying room for further aging, where it gets even more well-seasoned. This process is a very important step in improving the stiffness and quality of the bow.
ROUGHING THE STICK
A rectangular plank of pernambuco is marked for the first round of cuts that will produce the bow blank (also called the “stick”) which will form the basic building block for the bow.

ROUGHING THE STICK
The marked plank goes “under the knife” of a vertical band saw, with the careful guidance of the bow maker’s hands.

ROUGHING THE STICK
BENDING THE STICK
BENDING THE STICK

BENDING THE STICK
Cambered bows are set aside and given time to cool down, allowing them to hold their new shape.
BENDING THE STICK
THE HEAD
THE HEAD
THE HEAD
The tip, where the ebony liner and cattle bone tip plate have been glued on to the bottom face of the head, is further filed and shaped. Once the head is finished, the mortise for the hair is cut into it.
THE FROG
Frogs starts as blocks of ebony that need to be chiseled, carved, and filed. The frog is shaped by hand using a concave gouge, after which various metal fittings are added, including decorations like the eyes that are inlaid into the sides. Sousa Bows also uses some of the finest semi-finished frogs from Germany.
The German-made frogs are processed with deep black ebony, characterized by a fine porosity. And to avoid any deformation, this ebony is seasoned under optimal conditions for up to 25 years.
THE FROG
Holes are milled at the end of the bow where the frog will ultimately be attached. The mortise which measures a couple of centimeters and runs along the shaft will accommodate the brass eyelet assembly. A bow drill—so named because it is driven with a bow—is used to bore the hole (referred to as the nipple) on the end of the shaft, for the adjusting screw.

THE FROG

THE FROG
The finished frog is fitted to the stick. The fit and finish of the frog is thoroughly inspected with special attention given to ensuring that the frog fits to the stick precisely, showing absolutely no gaps along the edges.
FINISHING
FINISHING

FINISHING
Sousa Bows are strung with the finest quality Mongolian or Siberian horsehair.
FINISHING
The last few finishing touches focus on the presentation of an aesthetically flawless bow.
