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The firm of W. E. Hill & Sons throughout its existence of almost 200 years provided the world with some of its finest bows. They trained and employed some of the world's greatest names in bowmaking - William Tubbs, James Tubbs, Arthur Bultitude, John W. Stagg, Stephen Bristow, John Clutterbuck, to name but a few. Whereas many of the Hill master bowmakers were happy to spend their lives working within the fold of the firm, others pursued their own careers and became household names.
All Hill bows are stamped with various configurations of the Hill name, depending on the quality and objective of the bow. Although Hill bows never bore the name of the actual maker, the most important individual bowmakers had a system of identifiers (small stamps, numbers or other markings) that enable us today to know who actually made the bow.
This bow has a marking in the head mortise that indicates that it was probably made by William G. Johnston (1860 - 1944). Johnston joined the Hill firm in 1894 and from 1930 onwards (at the age of 70) became the workshop manager. He retired in 1939.
This bow, stamped 'Hill', has excellent playing properties - well-balanced and with unusually sharp articulation. This is an excellent bow and should be in the hands of an accomplished player who would appreciate its many fine and subtle qualities.
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The Stick :
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Round, of good dark pernambuco.
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The Nut :
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Plain solid ebony, no eye or heel plate.
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Wrapping :
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Silver wrapping. Black leather thumbpad.
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Condition :
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Excellent condition throughout. Thumbpad is quite worn through use. At this time the bow needs a rehair.
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