John P. Cello's Online Review Report Card

Like many other prior reviews, we originally came to John for a rehairing job on my daughter's Brazilian violin bow.  As we were from out of town, John accomodated us with outstanding service "while you wait" on a SUNDAY afternoon!  Of course while there, she tried out some of his violin bows which clearly boosted her sound/projection, tone, and bowing accuracy.  We noticed extra fullness and sound density especially when she played her lower (D and G) strings.  What happened in the next couple of days was a violin bow shopping expedition around SF, where we ultimately settled on one of John's bows.  John was a consummate professional and gave us a tour of his wonderful workbench space.  We are looking forward to my daughter's future growth with the Greenwood bow!

I recently got my bow rehaired by John. It was my first time getting a rehair from him, and the difference was night and day. The quality of the work was phenomenal. The bow hasn't played so well in years. I'll definitely be going back to him.

I'm an advanced amateur violist, and occasional violinist, and own a number of very fine bows by both modern American and French makers, as well as some big name older French bows.  Nevertheless, I'm always on the look out for a better bow, so when I hear about John Greenwood and read some of the professional endorsements on his website, I thought I should give his bows a try.  Wow, was I impressed!  John's bows play extremely well -  they are very well-behaved and controllable, and draw a beautiful tone from my instruments.  I acquired one of his viola bows, and a week later decided to upgrade to one of his violin bows as well.  These have instantly become my go-to bows -- I am really enjoying playing both of them.Oh, and I also had John work on a couple of my bows that needed repair, both some mechanical and cosmetic issues and had him re-hair a few of my bows as well.  He did a really superb job, cleaning up the sticks and metal and adding new leather - they all look beautiful now.  John is a real professional - he really knows his trade.  I'm sure that one of the reasons he is so successful as a bowmaker is that  he's a very accomplished violinist as well.  Most bowmakers don't have that extra skill to bring to the craft.

John is very thorough and clearly a talented craftsman, but VERY expensive. Even for a simple re-hair, expect to pay a premium.

I went to get my bow re-haired and got an entire lesson on bows- bowmaking, how different bows act and sound, etc.  I walked out with a new bow, knowing and appreciating a lot more than just how bows are made.  There aren't many craftsmen around like him with the knowledge, passion and experience.  I wouldn't go anywhere else!

I have taken up playing cello during this COVID-19 shelter in place after a long hiatus and after a few weeks and experienced a adjuster failure that broke the adjuster screw in the eyelet! I brought the bow to John and he very carefully and patiently managed to get the frog off the bow (Wow!) and then rehaired, cleaned, and repaired it, and in two days. Such a joy now to play my cello. Thank you!

Amazing bows, amazing service! It was such a joy to be able to try John Greenwood's bows and I was so happy when I found the one for me after a few years of searching and trying many different bows. The bow I got is light yet very precise and clear and it brings a very warm sound on the lower strings and a bright one on the E string. My right wrist has been definitely more relaxed and I am thoroughly enjoying my new bow. I am so happy I found this place.

John Greenwood's bows are magical! I've tried bows from all the big name contemporary bow makers (with some that charge 5 times more than John) and I would put John's bows right at the very top of the list. All of his bows are very high quality and unique so I recommend that you go to his shop and try them out.  Some will be brighter in tone and some darker. The balance of the bows will vary as well. John understands every client is unique and has different tastes and preferences and he will do everything he can to help you find a match for your instrument. I am the very happy owner of a violin bow made by John and I will never let it go!

I have depended on John Greenwood to repair and rehair my violin bows for many years now. I live across the bay and drive for over an hour to use his services. I have looked for a sufficiently accomplished violin bow shop closer to where I live but have not found one. John Greenwood is a craftsman and a gentleman. Since I live so far away he has agreed to rehair my bow while I wait. My newly rehaired bows are always a pleasure to play with. I highly recommend the services of John Greenwood. He also builds and sells high quality bows.

My new Favorite Bow - Maker/Repair in San Francisco !  My Bass Bow was is bad shape : needed re-hair , dirty and warn down! John cleaned it up and did A Beautiful Re-hair job !  Not only did he do it FAST in 2 DAYS, but for an awesome price !!On top of that - I was out of rosin and needed some for rehearsal....So John also put a Fresh ,first-coat of rosin on my bow! Life saver!