John Tlumacki/Boston Staff
His newest invention (the front bow in the this picture) will be available to musicians early next year. He also has other inventions underway, but declines to talk about them yet.
Decades of making bows have taken a toll on Rolland: Five years ago, he had to stop playing the violin because his left hand was too stiff from his work.
“Bow-making is not really compatible with violin-playing,” he said. “This requires a lot of force and power. We have to use our hands as vises and clamps.”
He could not bear the idea of not playing music, so he has returned to the piano.
