A Tête-Bêche pernambuco viola bow by Gilles Nehr made in 2023, with a new titanium head design, and newly designed titanium frog and bronze adjuster. Stunning aesthetic and playing characteristics, which this example tends to draw from a number of instruments a very ample, full, focused tone, with strong nuance and sensitive clarity.
WEIGHT: 68 grams
MOUNTS: Titanium frog, bronze adjuster
Interview about Gilles and Tête-Bêche
https://youtu.be/a0vb4buoG3
Features:
-Avant Garde design with the playability of a traditional French bow
-Self Re-hairing
-Fixed frog for sideway movement prevention, consistency of thumb placement & improvement of bow resonance
-Stunning frog design in titanium
-Durable & light titanium head
-Consistency of balance, tone and stability
-Ease of response with an open, powerful, warm, complex, harmonic spectrum with focus.
https://youtu.be/qx5NUJPA9Ig
Genesis of Tête Bêche
https://youtu.be/6EDJNFfnM10
Self Re-Hair
https://youtu.be/qx5NUJPA9Ig
About Gilles Nehr
Gilles was born in the southwest of France, near Bordeaux. At age 16, Gilles Nehr became the pprentice of his cousin, Jean-Pasc Nehr in Marseille and graduated in bowmaking at Mirecourt at 19.
Gilles Nehr moved to Toulouse to work in Stéphane Muller' workshop. Two years later, René Morel hired him as the only bowmaker in his workshop in New York City. Gilles became the bowmaker of the world's top musicians: Itzhak Perlman, Pinchas Zukerman, Isaac Stern, Joshua Bell, Midori, Jamie Laredo, etc. During this time, as he restored and observed bows of unique beauty and value, and developed a new -Bêche bow. In 1999 he became caretaker of the Julliard bow collection, left Morel, and began selling his Tête-Bêche bow along with traditional models.
From 2002 to current times, Gilles Nehr moved and set up a workshop in Lisbon. He participated the only competition he ever participated, the BVMA International Violin and Bowmaking Competition in London, where he won a prize for best craftsmanship. This was followed by relocations to Rome, Berlin, until currently based in Bourg-Sur-Gironde, France. His overal work and Tête-Bêche model is in more demand than ever and now has his sights on moving his family to Montréal, Canada.