International Competition for Violin Making and Bows for Double Bass * NAMUR 2025
The rules
Double Bass and Bow Competition / Rules NAMUR DOUBLE BASS FESTIVAL-2025
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COMPETITION OBJECTIVE
(1.1) The purpose of the competition is to inspire the creation of exceptional, artistic and concert-quality instruments. The judges are responsible for identifying the most deserving double basses and bows both artistically and in terms of technical execution, sound quality and ease of play.
ELIGIBILITY
(2.1) All registration forms and registration fees must be received by Gepetto asbl no later than 7 July, 2025. To participate in the FESTIVAL de CONTRABASSE NAMUR 2025 competition, complete the registration form attached to these rules and guidelines.
GENERAL RULES
(3.1) The rules and judging procedures for the double bass and bow competitions have been designed to ensure fairness to all competitors. Instruments submitted for the competition must be completed after June 1, 2023. The judges' decision is final.
(3.2) Competitors may present a double bass / a bow in order to obtain certificates, awards or prizes.
(3.3) No judge of manufacture or tone may have seen, heard or played on, with, a double bass/bow entered in the Competition before the date of the Competition.
(3.4) No member of the Competition Committee may participate in the Competition.
(3.5) Gepetto asbl will take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of the instruments / bows entered in the competition and in the exhibition. However, the organizer is not responsible for any loss, damage or destruction of any instruments during the competition (including the period during which the instruments are stored before and/or after it). Competitors are responsible for insuring their own instruments.
(3.6) Competitors are financially responsible for transporting their instrument(s)/bow(s) to and from the competition site.
REGISTRATION
(4.1) The competition entry forms are available on the website
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY
(5.1) All luthiers participating in the Competition must sign on the entry form to certify that the instrument/bow has been made entirely by their own hands. As for the basses; accessories such as mechanics, tailpieces and endpins on the instrument can be produced commercially. Manufacturers are not permitted to subcontract work on submitted instruments.
(5.2) Instruments that are factory or mass-produced or made using the skill and labor of more than one artist are not eligible for the competition (except as rule 5.3).
(5.3) Two manufacturers (“co-manufacturers”) may work together to register an instrument if they have previously formed a known “team”. None of the co-manufacturers can also enter an instrument alone. If the co-creators win prizes, only one certificate and/or medal will be given to the team.
ANONYMITY RULES
(6.1) In the interests of fairness, the identity of luthiers and bow makers is not disclosed to the judges during the Competition. To prevent the judges from identifying the manufacturer by examining the label, mark or stamped mark of the instrument, it is the competitor's responsibility to ensure that all such labels, marks or stamped marks are covered or otherwise hidden before their arrival. Even so, all instruments and bows must have a stamped tag, mark or mark. This is so that the manufacturer can be positively identified, if necessary, at the end of the competition after the judging. Once the instruments and bows are listed in the contest, each one receives a randomly assigned secret number known only to the contest organizer. At the end of the contest, we want to be able to review the manufacturer's hidden label, mark or stamp to ensure that the instrument is returned legitimately to its owner. Any violation of these rules will result in disqualification. The lists of competitors will only be available at the end of the judging.
RULES COMMITTEE
(7.1) The responsibility for interpreting the contest rules, resolving disputes and dealing with problems arising during the contest rests with the Contest Committee.
RULES BREACHES
(8.1) Breaches of the Rules will be determined by the Rules Committee after consultation with the relevant judges. Instruments and bows that do not comply with the contest rules will be disqualified. All entry fees for disqualified items will be forfeited. Any creator caught cheating by submitting other people's work on their behalf will be disqualified from the Contest and may be banned from all future Contests.
MATERIAL RESTRICTIONS
(9.1) Under the Endangered Species Act, Customs will not allow the importation of elephant ivory, tortoise shell or whale bone. Items made from these prohibited materials may be confiscated by customs.
(9.2) Double basses must be made primarily of wood; fiberglass, carbon fiber, Kevlar, epoxy and other similar materials can be used, but sparingly.
INSTRUMENT SETUP
(10.1) Before the announced time for the start of official judging, the correct setting of the instruments must be checked by the manufacturer or his representative, or by the representative of the Festival, according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Once judging has begun, access to instruments and bows will not be permitted until the end of the competition.
(10.2) For double-basses, the Festival will appoint a qualified luthier to carry out minor repairs and simple adjustments if necessary. This will include replacing broken strings and re-gluing any take-offs. This luthier will use very diluted skin glue to allow the instrument to participate in the timbre contest. The judges will be informed of the repair and indicated its location on the instrument. Once the instrument is returned to the competitor, he can easily reopen the bonding and repair it to his satisfaction.
(10.3) Luthiers who would prefer no one to repair their instrument in the event of a more serious problem must initial the first of the two statements that all applicants must read on the entry form. By initialling this statement, your instrument will be removed from the competition if damaged beyond repair, and the competition fee will be refunded. In the event of a problem during the judging phase of the Competition, the Festival will not be able to contact the competitor as this would require a security breach concerning anonymity.
(10.4) The choice of strings is at the discretion of the manufacturer. It is suggested, but not required, to disguise or cover the wire near the tailpiece of the strings being used so as not to sway judges by preconceived ideas of how a specific brand of strings "should" sound.
THE DOUBLE BASS: INSTRUMENT JUDGMENT
MANUFACTURING
(11.1) Execution judging will be conducted by three (3) judges and will be divided into two (2) rounds, evaluation and medal. During the judging round, each instrument will be evaluated by each judge independently and without discussion with the other judges.
(11.2) The three (3) judges will be chosen by the Board of Directors with the recommendation of the Competition Chairman and will be composed of professional luthiers employed full-time in the manufacture, repair and/or restoration of the violin family .
(11.3) Instrument proficiency assessment will be divided into six categories:
1. Setup: Includes bridge, post, pegs, tailpiece, fingerboard, mechanics, saddle and endpin
2. Varnish: Includes color, transparency, evenness of application, texture.
3. Modeling: Includes camber, surface texture, F-holes, including arch positioning and shape.
4. Scroll: Includes model, flowing lines, pegbox, finish work and general character.
5. Construction: Includes outline, glue joints, bending and fitting of ribs and purfling, execution of neck, edges, corners, F-holes, scroll and finishing work.
6. General impression: includes originality, choice of materials, elegance and overall consistency of style and artistry.
TON EVALUATION
(12.1) Instrument tone evaluation will be divided into six categories or more, at the discretion of the tone judges. The six suggested categories are:
1. Tone --- color, sustain, pizz and arco qualities, able to play in tune, a pleasing sound, etc.
2. Dynamic Range --- responsiveness, soft to loud, etc.
3. Balance --- evenness of tone through all ranges, etc.
4. Projection --- tone quality from a distance, etc.
5. Ergonomics --- physical playability, accessibility of left hand, bow clearance, etc.
6. Overall Impression --- personal feel, first impressions, enjoyment of instrument, etc.
THE BOW
(13.1) The essential part of the bow, the stick, must be handcrafted from traditional legal materials, such as solid woods of Pernambuco, Snakewood,…
(13.2) The frog may be made from traditional legal materials or synthetic/composite materials as long as it is made or shaped in a traditional manner. Additionally, synthetic or composite materials can be used for the following parts; head plate, head plate liner, eyes, the slide on the mortise and the heel plate.
Questions about the use of traditional materials can be directed to the Competition Rules Committee prior to registration. The competition rules committee reserves the right to exclude from the competition any bow that does not respect these standards.
THE BOW COMPETITION
(14.1) Bow judging will be conducted by three (3) judges and will be divided into two (2) rounds, Evaluation and Medal. In the evaluation round, each bow will be evaluated by each judge independently and without consultation with the others. Bows that reach the votes for the medals win at least one certificate of merit. Bows receiving a unanimous vote for superior work will be declared gold medal winners.
MANUFACTURING
(15.1) 1. Stick
Includes planing, facets, diameter and taper, camber, mortise (for eyelet), and straightness.
2. Head
Includes elegance and precision in work, proportions and mortise (tip).
3. Frog and Button
Includes proportions, finish, elegance, precision of work, fit of frog to stick and alignment with head, and fit of button.
4. Playing function
Includes integration of camber, dimensions, height of head and frog, balance, wood selection.
5. Finishing
Includes finish, hair and grip.
6. General impression
Includes originality, choice of materials, elegance, overall consistency of style from frog to head and artistry.
PUBLIC AWARD OF THE DOUBLE BASS FESTIVAL
(16.1) After the instruments have been completed and evaluated, they will be displayed to the public. Those wishing to cast a single vote for the Audience Award may do so using the ballots provided at the exit of the exhibition space.
(16.2) Only one vote may be cast per person and only members of the Festival registered as participants in the Festival and aged sixteen (16) years or older may vote. Children fifteen (15) years of age or younger may only enter the competition hall accompanied by a responsible adult. Under no circumstances will persons fifteen (15) years of age or younger be permitted to participate in the Instrument Competition.
(16.3) A single Public Prize will be awarded to the double bass that receives the most votes from Festival participants. The double basses that obtain the second and third highest results will receive Festival Honor Prizes.
(16.4) A Competition Official, appointed by the Competition Chairperson, will oversee all instruments and will remind Participating Members of safety precautions when handling instruments, distribute and collect ballots. Only a limited number of Festival participants will be permitted in the Competition Hall at any time, at the discretion of the Competition Manager. Festival participants may bring their own bows to help them choose their favourite instrument.
(16.5) All participants in the Festival must exercise extreme caution when entering the exhibition hall in order not to damage the instruments of the Competition or Exhibition. Any damage whatsoever must be immediately reported to the Contest manager. Those responsible for the damage will also be responsible for all costs of repairing the damage.
(16.6) All Festival participants will be required to sign a written declaration confirming that they are responsible for all damage they cause, accidentally or otherwise, to any instruments in the Competition/Exhibition room.
(16.7) Luthiers who would prefer that no one other than the Festiva appointed Judges of Making and Tone handle or play their double bass must check “No” in the box on the entry form. Luthiers who want their instrument not to be manipulated or played, therefore not competing in the category of Festival favourites, will see their instrument prohibited from participating.
(16.8) Participants who ignore the rules and instructions of the competition hall will be expelled immediately and may be expelled from the Festival by decision of the Committee.
SILVER MEDALS
(17.1) A silver medal is awarded if the judges recommend a gold medal in one category and do not award medals or certificates in the other category. The categories covered are construction and tonality.
GOLD MEDALS Festival
(18.1) For an instrument to receive a gold medal, it must be recommended by all the judges nominated for such a medal in its two categories. In other words, an instrument must receive a silver award in the Crafting category and a silver award in the Tone category to receive a gold award. Instruments considered superior in both categories must receive at least a certificate of merit in both categories. Therefore, it is possible for an instrument to receive two Certificates of Merit or a Certificate of Merit and a Silver Medal and an Audience Award or Honorable Mention of the Festival's Favorite and not receive a Gold Medal.