Checking the bow 

Observe the overall state of the violin bow, especially the bow hairs. But be careful not to touch it with your bare hands as the oil glands in our hands can make the hairs oily and silky. A good bow hair must look light in color and not dirty or dusty. Related to fittings, tighten the bow screw up to 10 screw turns to make sure the stick is facing inward. Rehair your bow if it gets too sparse. 

Rosining the bow 

Brand new bows need lots of rosins since it is fresh off the market and newly placed on your hands. You will need a lot of rosin stocks on this. Before scrubbing the rosin directly, warm them up first by releasing a few dusts. You can apply any technique on this. Then, apply the rosin and gently rub on the horsehair with slow and soft motions starting from the frog up to the tip. Stop rosining the bow if the violin already produces sound. Specks of dust generate when there is too much rosin, a warning to stop already.

Storing the bow

If your new violin comes with a case, either hard or soft, carefully take it outside the case. With regards to storing the bow, most violinists prefer keeping them inside a hard case to act as a barricade for harsh environments and keep from bumps and dents. Whenever not in use, make sure to put it back inside the case whether you’re already done practicing or just taking a short break. That way you can avoid it accidentally falling on the ground and risk breaking it. Aside from the casing, store your violin in the right temperature and humidity as even the slightest change in the weather pattern could affect the playability of your bow. 

Fitting the violin

Of course, don’t forget about your violin itself. Besides a broken violin, the worst part you could encounter is a violin that is out of tune. The fitting is the root of the rich sounds your violin produces. One wrong fit and everything goes poorly even if your violin bow is in top shape. Check your violin’s peg and make sure it is tightly and correctly fit. If not, use a peg shaper. The other parts of a violin that requires heavy fitting are the soundpost and bridge. While the bridge and tailpiece need precise positioning too. Moreover, adjust the nut slot and string height based on your preference.  

Conclusion

Setting up your violin and bow may be a long process, but nothing beats the joy of getting to play and practice with your first or new violin bow when it’s in good condition. Sit back, relax, practice, and enjoy playing. Still, always keep in mind some precautions in handling your violin delicately.