What does that even mean?
We are going down the road of audiophiles and other wonks who swear there is some nebulous characteristic that makes something better. Machine stitches are simply better than human ones. They are more consistent, evenly spaced, stronger, and can make a smaller seam.
The problem is consistant and evenly spaced are exactly what you do not want in this case. Each and every stitch requires small adjustment and cannot be just like the one before it. Think of carving a piece of granite. It has flaws and veins. If you try to carve every piece the same way you’ll never get it right. Same thing, if you try to get a machine to do each one the same way you end up with “meh, good enough”
Actually, bowsawis the more likely tool here. It was the ancestor to the bandsaw, and in the past was used for cutting out curved work. A coping saw is a much lighter tool, designed specially for “coping” (cutting the negative of a molding profile, where one piece of molding hits another at a right angle), and would be unlikely to be used in this instance.
You’re right that a bandsaw would do this job more efficiently and better. Professional makers would usually use a bandsaw – I know my grandfather did. Besides, the bandsaw can be used for all kinds of cutting. You can actually use it as a replacement for a tablesaw, if you’re not cutting up massive amounts of stuff.
I have to imagine that making your wife use a bowsaw is just to serve a pedagogic purpose – which is okay, as far as it goes. I suppose if you’re really good with a bowsaw, it’s not too much of a sacrifice to use it over a bandsaw – after all, cutting out the plates is such a minor part of the whole violin-making process. That said, cutting out the neck is something I wouldn’t be so eager to do with a bowsaw.