Anyone ever try bowing a guitar?

[BitchPudding]

I've had a violin bow lying around for a while now, and I was gonna stop by my local music store tomorrow while grocery shopping and pick up some rosin and try the technique on my les paul. Has anyone else tried this before? Just curious to hear what you folks have to say.

I'll also be putting up a video tomorrow trying it out through my effects 'n such.

[DarkAxel]

It's very dirty and unstable, just plain lovely

would be careful with the rosin though, it will get your strings dirty...

Maybe try something else. Like screwdrivers/parts of a hi-hat stand, my friend does that amazingly lately he's been using bow as well though, because it works better on the wound strings

[Uncle Grandfather]

oh yeah, all the time. it can make a mess like said but its worth it. i like to use the edge of the hair and pull it up or down the strings, thankfully bows are dirt cheap. Every part of the bow is worth experimenting with
+1 for screwdrivers and metal files and buying new strings more often
The higher the gain your fuzz the more harmonics and weird things will pop out.
Have fun

[bugzaney]

I used to do this on my bass to create massive droning swells in between songs during live sets. Sounded massively beautiful but the rosin did tend to get all in the crevices of the strings which would sometimes make i difficult to play harder licks.

Still worth it though.

[skullservant]

I gotta get some rosin. I've had a bow for years but I still haven't used it because I haven't gotten rosin. I REALLY want to use it with my Jazzmaster since I put the piezo under the pickguard

[Achtane]

In my experience it works best with flatwounds and with the strings not completely taut.
Works awesomely well with bass strings this way, too. I find it difficult to fret notes and bow at the same time though, the ergonomics are all wrong...

[coldbrightsunlight]

Yeah you can make some cool droney sounds. I'd probably do it more if I didn't have actual bowed string instruments to play!

[Ancient Astronaught]

The lead guitarist in my last band used one alot, every set had a segment that was just him on bow. Like everyone said before rosin gets everywhere, all over the strings / hardware / pickups etc. So just make sure to clean it periodically. Also be careful the angle you hold it at, you can destroy your finish and mark up the body if your not careful....

[skullservant]

heh YEAH!

[Ancient Astronaught]

heh YEAH!

You know EXACTLY why I said that.....



On a side note.... If your going to be using a bowed guitar constantly, I recommend getting a guitar solely to use for that so if you do get resin everywhere or scratch it up its not as detrimental.

[skullservant]

Yeah. I think Sigar Ros' guitarist has a dedicated guitar for bowing because of it too.

[trace]

I'm in the process of setting up a cheap bass just for bowing, put a massive shim under the neck and raised the bridge so that you can adjust the string heights to a very round radius and not hit the body with the bow. Of course this makes the action really high on the two middle strings but it works ok. Also using flatwounds and tied the strap to the headstock so I can hang it almost vertically which really helps with the fretting/bowing ergonomics. Now I just need to get the hang of using the bow properly.

[osbornkt]

Bowing guitars ia great. You'll find most muff-based fuzzes bring out a really violin-like quality in the guitar's higher register. As I play most of my music with saw and guitar, I have to have a really heavily rosined bow or else the saw gnaws through bows in no time, so the guitar is dirty as shit by the time the set is over, but a damp rag solves all that nonsense.

+1 for the screwdriver trick as well. I've done recordings using a toothbrush, exacto knife (obviously not the blade end!), those little ball bearing chains, and metal twine as well. All fun options!

[MeSoFuzzy]

[Tristan]

Nice topic!
I'm a bit of a cheater, I sometimes use an Ebow.
Yuri Landman has made a great book called Nice Noise which contains all types of alternate ways of playing and preparing the guitar, including bowing.