Susan Lipkins

Susan Lipkins is a highly respected bowmaker who specializes in bass bows. Her handcrafted, made-to-order bows now have a waiting list of ten years, as she only completes ten bows in a year. Susan’s expertise earned her a Gold Medal at the Violin Society of America’s 2012 competition – the first and so far only woman to be so honored. Although she studied the bass, she gravitated toward bow making and apprenticed under some of the best bow makers in the world. She takes particular pride in addressing the concerns of the musicians who will use her bows.

“I enjoy working with my clients to make a bow for them that will compensate for any shortcomings of their individual bass, such as a sound that is too bright or too dark or too sluggish.” 

In Woodstock, New York, Susan shares a workshop with her husband, David Wiebe, a maker of fine stringed instruments: violins, viola, cellos and basses.. Her clients are in a wide range of celebrated orchestras including the Pittsburgh Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, and the Scottish BBC Symphony Orchestra to name a few.

www.violoncello.com/susan-lipkins-bowmaker