Meantime, more seriously and thus in a separate message, researchers have been putting some of the finest Strads (and Amatis) under the CT Scanner, to find out why they sound so sweet?

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2008/07/02/violin.html?ref=rss

And back came an answer of sorts - it's in the wood itself...  there's evidence that the summer and winter growth of the trees was more even in the C16th...

There are some 'bows' with synthetic hair, although I am actually struggling to feel comfortable using the word bow to describe them.

Yes, so bows use horsehair.  It doesn't have to be from male horses, but it's a good idea....  Of course, my leg could be connected to Ollie's and be being pulled at the same time, but I thought it was a biological / anatomical /chemical reason.  Quite interesting really.

Let's just say that when a tail is owned by someone who visits the Little Stallion's Room (Gelding's Room?), it's not likely to get covered in wee.  Whereas tails that belong to Little Mares, well... they have a little nightmare.

The upshot of this all, is that uric acids eats into horsehair.  Female tails end up having tiny pits and imperfections in each hair where the acid has eaten in.  These can get dirt and muck in them.  All told that isn't too great for a silky smooth bow tone.  Male tails have less of this bother.

That may all just be horse****.

Tommo

Interesting stuff both - I had never considered that issue at all. Might explain why I prefer one of my bows over the [cheaper] other. I'm afraid I never thought to ask what gender it was when purchasing.