Pernambuco wood (Caesalpinia echinata Lam.) has special characteristics like resonance, density, durability, and beauty; for this reason, it is considered the best material for stringed instruments bows. Besides pernambuco wood has been used around the world, some samples, and consequently some bows, are better than others. In Brazil, others woody species have been used in the manufacture of bows. In this paper some wood samples of pernambuco wood were analysed in order to verify if it is possible to find differences in their anatomical qualitative and quantitative characteristics that explain the bow quality. The comparative analysis of pernambuco wood samples showed variations in vessel diameter, quantity and distribution of axial parenchyma and orientation of axial and radial wood elements.
wood anatomy; violin bow; Caesalpinia echinata; pernambuco wood; alternative woods
